Thomson vs South Geelong

In both, most homes are detached houses. In Thomson, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. In South Geelong, most households own their home. Houses cost more in South Geelong: a median of $845,000, against $591,000 in Thomson, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Thomson tends to suit renters, people living alone, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Thomson

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (5 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But South Geelong is already more of a family suburb (45% vs 32%)

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

First-home buyers

Thomson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($591,000 vs $845,250)
  • has cheaper units ($515,000 vs $596,475)
  • But South Geelong leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 29%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Thomson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 38%)
  • has cheaper rent ($295/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Thomson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 51/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Thomson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (77/100 vs 51/100)

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

Investors

South Geelong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.2% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Thomson South Geelong
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.

Thomson South Geelong
Walkability 77 / 51
Thomson — Walkability: 77/100 South Geelong — Walkability: 51/100
Safety 12 / 3
Thomson — Safety: 12/100 South Geelong — Safety: 3/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Thomson — Low fire risk: 100/100 South Geelong — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 88 / 13
Thomson — Low flood risk: 88/100 South Geelong — Low flood risk: 13/100

Demographics

Thomson has more residents (1,606 vs 1,014); South Geelong has higher household incomes ($85,384 vs $58,552).

Thomson South Geelong
Population 1,606
+37% vs other
 1,014
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.1% +2.1%
Median age 38 37
Median household income $58,552/yr $85,384/yr
+46% vs other
Median weekly rent $295/wk $350/wk
+19% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Thomson South Geelong
0-4 4.2% / 6.4%
Thomson — 0-4: 4.2% South Geelong — 0-4: 6.4%
5-14 8.4% / 10.7%
Thomson — 5-14: 8.4% South Geelong — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 3.5% / 3.5%
Thomson — 15-19: 3.5% South Geelong — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 9.8% / 7.4%
Thomson — 20-24: 9.8% South Geelong — 20-24: 7.4%
25-34 19.3% / 17.7%
Thomson — 25-34: 19.3% South Geelong — 25-34: 17.7%
35-44 14.6% / 15.1%
Thomson — 35-44: 14.6% South Geelong — 35-44: 15.1%
45-54 10.2% / 12.3%
Thomson — 45-54: 10.2% South Geelong — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 12.8% / 12.3%
Thomson — 55-64: 12.8% South Geelong — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 9.0% / 9.4%
Thomson — 65-74: 9.0% South Geelong — 65-74: 9.4%
75-84 6.0% / 4.3%
Thomson — 75-84: 6.0% South Geelong — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 1.9% / 0.8%
Thomson — 85+: 1.9% South Geelong — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Thomson 57.1% lone person
Thomson — Lone Person: 57.1% Thomson — Couple Families: 18.0% Thomson — One Parent Families: 14.1% Thomson — Group Household: 8.8% Thomson — Other Families: 2.0%
South Geelong 43.5% lone person
South Geelong — Lone Person: 43.5% South Geelong — Couple Families: 30.7% South Geelong — One Parent Families: 14.3% South Geelong — Group Household: 9.6% South Geelong — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Thomson 53.6% renting
Thomson — Owned Outright: 21.4% Thomson — Mortgage: 25.0% Thomson — Renting: 53.6%
South Geelong 38.3% renting
South Geelong — Owned Outright: 30.1% South Geelong — Mortgage: 31.6% South Geelong — Renting: 38.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Thomson South Geelong
Certificate III & IV 18.5% / 14.5%
Thomson — Certificate III & IV: 18.5% South Geelong — Certificate III & IV: 14.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 17.7%
Thomson — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% South Geelong — Bachelor Degree: 17.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 9.4%
Thomson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% South Geelong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.7% / 8.3%
Thomson — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7% South Geelong — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 4.2%
Thomson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% South Geelong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

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.

Thomson South Geelong
England 3.4% / 3.0%
Thomson — England: 3.4% South Geelong — England: 3.0%
India 2.1% / 1.9%
Thomson — India: 2.1% South Geelong — India: 1.9%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.2%
Thomson — New Zealand: 1.2% South Geelong — New Zealand: 1.2%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.5%
Thomson — Philippines: 0.6% South Geelong — Philippines: 0.5%
Vietnam — / 0.9%
Thomson — Vietnam: not among its largest South Geelong — Vietnam: 0.9%
South Africa — / 0.9%
Thomson — South Africa: not among its largest South Geelong — South Africa: 0.9%
Scotland 0.7% / —
Thomson — Scotland: 0.7% South Geelong — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Thomson 69.3% houses
Thomson — Houses: 69.3% Thomson — Townhouses: 27.2% Thomson — Flats / Apartments: 3.5%
South Geelong 68.1% houses
South Geelong — Houses: 68.1% South Geelong — Townhouses: 30.2% South Geelong — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Thomson South Geelong
Median house price $591,000 $845,250
Median unit price $515,000 $596,475
Median land price — $860,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 8 days
from 7 sales
 16 days
from 4 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.

Thomson South Geelong
2 bed $482K / $721K
Thomson — 2 bed: $482K (6 sales) South Geelong — 2 bed: $721K (10 sales)

6 vs 10 sales

3 bed $596K / $830K
Thomson — 3 bed: $596K (52 sales) South Geelong — 3 bed: $830K (23 sales)

52 vs 23 sales

Zoning mix

South Geelong has more industrially zoned land (52% vs 0%).

Thomson South Geelong
Residential 77% 18%
Industrial 0% 52%
Parks and recreation 17% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 9%
Commercial 1% 3%
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

Thomson South Geelong
New dwellings approved 3,468
across Greater Geelong
same for both
Approvals change year on year +56%
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.

Thomson South Geelong
Houses 3.7%
$450/wk on $627K
 4.2%
$575/wk on $705K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Thomson South Geelong
House price — Higher than 36% of VIC
Income Higher than 19% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
Schools Higher than 71% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 70% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC

Liveability

Thomson is more walkable (77 vs 51); Thomson scores higher overall (56 vs 42).

Thomson South Geelong
Grade B C
Score 56/100 42/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

South Geelong carries more flood risk (87 vs 12).

Thomson South Geelong
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
88/100
 High
97/100
Flood Low
12/100
 High
87/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 11
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Thomson South Geelong
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 2.6 km
 2
Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, 1.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.4% 3.0%

Schools in Thomson

  • Tate Street Primary School Geelong Government · Primary above peers
  • Geelong East Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Margaret's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in South Geelong

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

Amenities in the suburb

Thomson South Geelong
Cafes & restaurants 1 7
Parks & reserves 3 5
Childcare 5 1
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 0 1

Mobility

Thomson South Geelong
Walkability score 77/100 51/100
Distance to Melbourne 78.2 km
+2% vs other
 76.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 67 min
Public transport score 75/100 89/100
Rail
Peak arrivals per hour 40.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 95.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3219
 1.9%
postcode 3220
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 28
postcode 3219
 24
postcode 3220

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.

Thomson South Geelong
Car (driver) 72.7% / 55.9%
Thomson — Car (driver): 72.7% South Geelong — Car (driver): 55.9%
Worked from Home 17.9% / 28.3%
Thomson — Worked from Home: 17.9% South Geelong — Worked from Home: 28.3%
Walked Only 1.4% / 8.6%
Thomson — Walked Only: 1.4% South Geelong — Walked Only: 8.6%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 4.5%
Thomson — Car (passenger): 4.2% South Geelong — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Bus 2.0% / 0.8%
Thomson — Bus: 2.0% South Geelong — Bus: 0.8%
Train 0.5% / 1.0%
Thomson — Train: 0.5% South Geelong — Train: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.7%).

Setting

Thomson South Geelong
Elevation 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.5 km
2.6 km to a named beach
 2.4 km
2.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Thomson South Geelong
Connectivity score 79/100 80/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 51%
1,033 premises
 51%
1,246 premises

Climate

Thomson South Geelong
Annual rainfall —
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Thomson South Geelong
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Thomson South Geelong
Average residential rate $1,802/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geelong
same for both

Federal electorate

Thomson South Geelong
Division Corio
same for both
Member Richard Marles
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Thomson South Geelong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Thomson

Coastal Parks Quiet Townhouses

South Geelong

Coastal Parks River Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Thomson

Thomson vs St Albans Park Thomson vs Newcomb Thomson vs East Geelong Thomson vs Whittington Thomson vs Breakwater

Other comparisons with South Geelong

South Geelong vs Belmont South Geelong vs Newtown South Geelong vs Geelong South Geelong vs East Geelong South Geelong vs Breakwater
Full data on Thomson Full data on South Geelong
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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.

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