Surf Beach vs Rhyll

Surf Beach is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 60 in Rhyll. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Rhyll, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Rhyll: a median of $810,000, against $712,000 in Surf Beach. On these figures, Rhyll tends to suit people living alone and older residents.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Surf Beach has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • Rhyll carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 76/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Surf Beach

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($399,000 vs $570,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper houses ($712,500 vs $810,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Surf Beach

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (20/100 vs 4/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (131.1 km vs 135.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Rhyll

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 76/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (39% vs 17%)
  • But Surf Beach is more walkable (20/100 vs 4/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Where they sit

Surf Beach and Rhyll drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Surf Beach Rhyll
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Surf Beach Rhyll
Walkability 20 / 4
Surf Beach — Walkability: 20/100 Rhyll — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 24 / 77
Surf Beach — Safety: 24/100 Rhyll — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Surf Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rhyll — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 82 / 36
Surf Beach — Low flood risk: 82/100 Rhyll — Low flood risk: 36/100

Demographics

Rhyll skews older (60 vs 46); Surf Beach has higher household incomes ($73,528 vs $65,208).

Surf Beach Rhyll
Population 670 836
+25% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +47.2%
Median age 46 60
Median household income $73,528/yr
+11% vs other
 $65,208/yr
Median weekly rent $316/wk $320/wk
+1% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Surf Beach Rhyll
0-4 4.5% / 2.3%
Surf Beach — 0-4: 4.5% Rhyll — 0-4: 2.3%
5-14 13.0% / 7.1%
Surf Beach — 5-14: 13.0% Rhyll — 5-14: 7.1%
15-19 4.6% / 5.0%
Surf Beach — 15-19: 4.6% Rhyll — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 4.6% / 2.2%
Surf Beach — 20-24: 4.6% Rhyll — 20-24: 2.2%
25-34 10.0% / 4.5%
Surf Beach — 25-34: 10.0% Rhyll — 25-34: 4.5%
35-44 11.8% / 7.9%
Surf Beach — 35-44: 11.8% Rhyll — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 13.7% / 10.5%
Surf Beach — 45-54: 13.7% Rhyll — 45-54: 10.5%
55-64 20.6% / 22.8%
Surf Beach — 55-64: 20.6% Rhyll — 55-64: 22.8%
65-74 11.9% / 27.8%
Surf Beach — 65-74: 11.9% Rhyll — 65-74: 27.8%
75-84 4.3% / 9.4%
Surf Beach — 75-84: 4.3% Rhyll — 75-84: 9.4%
85+ 0.6% / 1.9%
Surf Beach — 85+: 0.6% Rhyll — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Surf Beach 42.5% lone person
Surf Beach — Lone Person: 42.5% Surf Beach — Couple Families: 32.8% Surf Beach — One Parent Families: 16.7% Surf Beach — Group Household: 5.4% Surf Beach — Other Families: 2.7%
Rhyll 54.9% lone person
Rhyll — Lone Person: 54.9% Rhyll — Couple Families: 32.9% Rhyll — One Parent Families: 10.4% Rhyll — Group Household: 1.7% Rhyll — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Surf Beach 17.3% renting
Surf Beach — Owned Outright: 44.0% Surf Beach — Mortgage: 38.7% Surf Beach — Renting: 17.3%
Rhyll 12.3% renting
Rhyll — Owned Outright: 61.0% Rhyll — Mortgage: 26.7% Rhyll — Renting: 12.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Surf Beach Rhyll
Certificate III & IV 17.8% / 17.5%
Surf Beach — Certificate III & IV: 17.8% Rhyll — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Bachelor Degree 13.6% / 11.4%
Surf Beach — Bachelor Degree: 13.6% Rhyll — Bachelor Degree: 11.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 10.2%
Surf Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Rhyll — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 4.5%
Surf Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Rhyll — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 4.2%
Surf Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Rhyll — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Surf Beach Rhyll
England 5.1% / 6.9%
Surf Beach — England: 5.1% Rhyll — England: 6.9%
New Zealand 0.6% / 1.8%
Surf Beach — New Zealand: 0.6% Rhyll — New Zealand: 1.8%
South Africa 0.9% / 0.7%
Surf Beach — South Africa: 0.9% Rhyll — South Africa: 0.7%
Ireland 0.9% / 0.6%
Surf Beach — Ireland: 0.9% Rhyll — Ireland: 0.6%
Italy — / 1.1%
Surf Beach — Italy: not among its largest Rhyll — Italy: 1.1%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Surf Beach — Philippines: 0.7% Rhyll — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Surf Beach 99.2% houses
Surf Beach — Houses: 99.2% Surf Beach — Townhouses: 1.9% Surf Beach — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Rhyll 97.9% houses
Rhyll — Houses: 97.9% Rhyll — Townhouses: 0.9% Rhyll — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Surf Beach Rhyll
Median house price $712,500 $810,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $399,000 $570,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 50 days
from 13 sales
 125 days
from 12 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Surf Beach Rhyll
3 bed $645K / $702K
Surf Beach — 3 bed: $645K (13 sales) Rhyll — 3 bed: $702K (15 sales)

13 vs 15 sales

4 bed $825K / $1M
Surf Beach — 4 bed: $825K (11 sales) Rhyll — 4 bed: $1M (14 sales)

11 vs 14 sales

Zoning mix

Rhyll has more rural and farming land (67% vs 0%).

Surf Beach Rhyll
Residential 74% 4%
Rural and farming 0% 67%
Parks and recreation 22%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 4% 3%
Environmental 0% 3%
Planning zones cover 99% of Surf Beach and 100% of Rhyll. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Surf Beach Rhyll
New dwellings approved 393
across Bass Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Surf Beach Rhyll
Houses — 3.0%
$540/wk on $935K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Surf Beach Rhyll
House price Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Income — Higher than 26% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 30% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 71% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 13% of VIC

Liveability

Surf Beach is more walkable (20 vs 4).

Surf Beach Rhyll
Grade B
same for both
Score 55/100
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Rhyll carries more flood risk (64 vs 18); Surf Beach carries more crime risk (76 vs 23).

Surf Beach Rhyll
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
76/100
 Low
23/100
Flood Low
18/100
 Moderate
64/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Surf Beach Rhyll
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Surf Beach

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Rhyll

  • Newhaven College Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Surf Beach Rhyll
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1

Mobility

Rhyll sits further from the CBD (135.1 km vs 131.1 km).

Surf Beach Rhyll
Walkability score 20/100 4/100
Distance to Melbourne 131.1 km 135.1 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 104 min 108 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3922
 1.3%
postcode 3923
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3922
 43
postcode 3923

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Surf Beach Rhyll
Car (driver) 67.6% / 65.5%
Surf Beach — Car (driver): 67.6% Rhyll — Car (driver): 65.5%
Worked from Home 25.9% / 24.8%
Surf Beach — Worked from Home: 25.9% Rhyll — Worked from Home: 24.8%
Walked Only 2.8% / 4.7%
Surf Beach — Walked Only: 2.8% Rhyll — Walked Only: 4.7%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 1.8%
Surf Beach — Car (passenger): 3.6% Rhyll — Car (passenger): 1.8%
Train — / 2.2%
Surf Beach — Train: not among its largest Rhyll — Train: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.6%).

Setting

Surf Beach Rhyll
Elevation 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 21 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 307 m
3.3 km to a named beach
 985 m
3.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Surf Beach Rhyll
Connectivity score 83/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 70%
690 premises
 62%
644 premises

Climate

Surf Beach Rhyll
Annual rainfall 704 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Surf Beach Rhyll
Average residential rate $1,727/yr
same for both
Council Bass Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Surf Beach Rhyll
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Surf Beach Rhyll
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Surf Beach

Coastal Large Blocks

Rhyll

Acreage Coastal Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Surf Beach

Surf Beach vs Newhaven Surf Beach vs Sunderland Bay

Other comparisons with Rhyll

Rhyll vs Cowes Rhyll vs Sunset Strip Rhyll vs Silverleaves Rhyll vs Sunderland Bay
Full data on Surf Beach Full data on Rhyll
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or