Bells Beach VIC 3228
Bells Beach sits 106 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 1 hour 25 minutes by car. Census data records 151 residents with a median age of 48 and a median household income of $135,200 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 16.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $525 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,600. The area shows high bushfire risk and high crime risk. Walkability is low.
This suburb is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 151. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Bells Beach?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this suburb.
Residents say
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 202573 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 41% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3228.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Short-Stay Rentals
5 active Airbnb listings: 5 whole homes and 0 rooms.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months.
Is Bells Beach safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Bells Beach sits in the high band, with 16 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 167% on the prior year.
16 offences
166.7% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20253 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1990–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 719 m
- Rate
- -0.07 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -2.7 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Bells Beach is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Bells Beach.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 59
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Surf Coast: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Bells Beach is home to 151 residents, with a median age of 48, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $135,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
151
Median Age
48
Median Household Income
$135,200/yr
Census Median Rent
$525/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,600/mo
Avg Household Size
2.9
Median Personal Income
$57,928/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
70.5%
Total Dwellings
44
Owner-Occupier Rate
90.7%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
20.2%
Mortgage Stress
23.1%
Work From Home
32.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.1%
- Employment Rate
- 61.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 62.3%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,314 a year through Surf Coast based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 68%
- Parks and recreation 32%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Surf Coast
In the year to August 2026, 300 new dwellings were approved across Surf Coast. That mix is 270 houses and 30 units. Approvals are up 56.8% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2009).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 5 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 20.5 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 3 · ozone 0.
From the Geelong South monitoring station, 24.5 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Aireys Inlet, 17.3 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 63 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 726 m
- 1.0 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 599 mm
- 93 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 23.2°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.6°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 3228, 345 of 20,279 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (405 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3228, 4,263 rooftop-solar systems totalling 28.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 10,505 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 307 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
11 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3228 in 2025-26, rank 82 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 154, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Libby Coker Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Libby Coker | 58.0% | 42.0% | +0.2 |
| 2022 | Libby Coker | 57.6% | 42.4% | -6.5 |
| 2019 | Libby Coker | 51.1% | 48.9% | -1.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Richard Riordan Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.8% | 48.2% | 51.8% |
| 2018 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.1% | 44.6% | 55.4% |
| 2014 | Terry Mulder LP | 55.4% | 39.4% | 60.6% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Bells Beach?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 151 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Bells Beach to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Bells Beach
Is Bells Beach a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Bells Beach is high (79/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Bells Beach?
Bells Beach has a high recorded bushfire history (90/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Bells Beach?
Bells Beach, VIC had a population of 151 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Bells Beach, VIC?
The postcode for Bells Beach, VIC is 3228.
How far is Bells Beach from Melbourne?
Bells Beach is 106 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 83 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Bells Beach?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Bells Beach was $135,200 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Bells Beach?
There are too few current rental listings in Bells Beach for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $525, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Bells Beach?
The median age of residents in Bells Beach was 48 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Bells Beach at risk of bushfire?
Bells Beach has a high recorded bushfire history (90/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
What is the air quality in Bells Beach?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Bells Beach (Geelong South) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.5 µg/m³. That puts Bells Beach below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Bells Beach?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Bells Beach, Aireys Inlet (17.3 km away), summer days average 23.2°C, winter nights 7.6°C, 599 mm of rain a year over 93 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Bells Beach?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Bells Beach belong to?
Bells Beach sits within the Surf Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Bells Beach?
The average residential rates bill through Surf Coast is $2,314 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Bells Beach?
Across Surf Coast, 300 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 56.8% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Bells Beach in?
Bells Beach sits within the federal Division of Corangamite, currently held by Libby Coker (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.