Newtown VIC 3220
Newtown is a suburb in Victoria, 78 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Population is 10,445; the median age is 40 and the median household income is $108,784 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 2.9% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $360 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,167. Newtown is characterised by high bushfire risk and high flood risk. Of 10 schools within the suburb boundary, 2 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Newtown a good suburb?
Newtown scores a B (51/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
10 schools · 2 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 81/100 · 77.8 km · 66 min drive to Melbourne
Median available
Median $1.1M
High bushfire risk
Fire 84/100 · Crime 49/100 · Flood 79/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 40 · 10,445 residents
Liveability Rating
51 / 100 · Ranked #413 in VICEach bar is Newtown's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Newtown?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
51 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataNewtown's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.1 million, about 7% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,100,000
28% above its 8 neighbours (median $860,000)
Based on 193 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 31 days — median across 93 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 24 sales $685K
- 3 bed 93 sales $995K
- 4 bed 62 sales $1.4M
- 5 bed 11 sales $1.45M
Units
$552,500
10% above its 6 neighbours (median $500,000)
Based on 50 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 15 days — median across 25 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 9 sales $360K
- 2 bed 37 sales $560K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Newtown are currently listed at around $1.33 million on average. Based on 112 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.33M
112 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$585K
21 units listed in the last 6 months.
133 of the suburb's 4,015 dwellings (3.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Newtown rent for around $625 a week on average, based on 33 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$625/wk
6% above its 6 neighbours (median $590/wk)
33 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$435/wk
8 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
41 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,192 rented homes (3.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202596 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 31% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3220.
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.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$625/week ($32,000 a year) on a $1.33 million median
$435/week ($23,000 a year) on a $585,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
28 active Airbnb listings: 24 whole homes and 4 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.5% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Newtown safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Newtown sits in the moderate band, with 398 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 9% on the prior year.
398 offences
9.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202566 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 3 of them fatal
Where they happened
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.
Schools
Ten schools serve Newtown, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Fyans Park Primary School and St Robert's School lead the pack.
- • 6,032 students across 7 schools (avg 862)
- • Sectors: 4 Independent, 3 Government, 3 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1075-1156, median 1105 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Joseph's College Geelong (1,742 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 2.4 kmDeakin University, Geelong Waterfront CampusDeakin University · 55 courses
- 2.4 kmDeakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds CampusDeakin University · 93 courses
2.9% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Newtown is very walkable on foot — at 81/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 18 parks and 19 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Newtown.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 98.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 78.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 54.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 15.7 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Newtown.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 53%
- Premises covered
- 5,473
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
Greater Geelong: 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
The ABS scores 25 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Newtown is home to about 10,400 residents, with a median age of 40, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $109,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
10,445
Median Age
40
Median Household Income
$108,784/yr
Census Median Rent
$360/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$52,052/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
9.0%
Total Dwellings
4,015
Owner-Occupier Rate
70.3%
Houses
77.0%
Rental Stress
17.2%
Mortgage Stress
23.9%
Work From Home
29.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
65 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 35 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,175 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.9%
- Employment Rate
- 63.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 54.3%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
298 residents (2.9%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
10.3% of residents (1,021) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (884).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 9,927 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
7% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (399 of 5,376).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 4,990 people work here; 5,376 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.9 per resident). At least 7% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,802 a year through Greater Geelong based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 71%
- Parks and recreation 18%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Commercial 3%
- Industrial 2%
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: Greater Geelong
In the year to August 2026, 3,468 new dwellings were approved across Greater Geelong. That mix is 2,749 houses and 719 units. Approvals are up 55.5% 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, 3.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Avalon Airport, 18.7 kmDry climate — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 60 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.5 km
- 3.1 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 454 mm
- 74 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.1°C
- 11 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.5°C
- 6 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
11 facilities within 5 km- 0.8 kmWool ScouringTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 2.3 kmRail Passenger TransportTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
- 2.6 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 2.7 kmFossil Fuel Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.8 kmTextile Floor Covering ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Carbon monoxide
EV adoption
In postcode 3220, 342 of 17,583 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 5.7% (995 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 7.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3220, 1,903 rooftop-solar systems totalling 16.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,869 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 135 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.
4 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3220 in 2025-26, rank 143 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 96, in 2000-01.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
16 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 40 across postcode 3220.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $1,100,000 this is $350,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Richard Marles Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Richard Marles | 63.2% | 36.8% | +0.7 |
| 2022 | Richard Marles | 62.8% | 37.2% | -2.5 |
| 2019 | Richard Marles | 60.3% | 39.7% | -2.1 |
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 Christine Couzens Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Christine Couzens ALP | 64.7% | 64.7% | 35.3% |
| 2018 | Christine Couzens ALP | 50.4% | 60.1% | 39.9% |
| 2014 | Christine Couzens ALP | 56.0% | 56.0% | 44.0% |
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 Newtown?
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 10,445 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.
Featured in
- #1 in Geelong suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- #1 in Geelong's most educated suburbs
- #2 in Geelong suburbs where the most people cycle to work
- #2 in Best Geelong suburbs for good private high schools
- #3 in Best Geelong suburbs for good private primary schools
- #3 in Best Geelong suburbs for good public primary schools
- #3 in Sportiest Geelong suburbs
- #4 in Geelong suburbs with the highest EV adoption today
- #7 in Geelong suburbs with the most apartments
- #8 in Geelong suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #8 in Where the Macedonian community lives in Geelong
- #9 in Geelong's highest-income suburbs
- #10 in Most walkable suburbs in Geelong
- #11 in Geelong suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #11 in Geelong suburbs where young families live
- #12 in Geelong suburbs where the most Italian is spoken at home
- #12 in Geelong suburbs where the most homes are owned outright
- #12 in Geelong suburbs with the most rooftop solar
- #14 in Geelong suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #14 in Geelong suburbs that suit young professionals
Nearby suburbs
Highton VIC 3216
Belmont VIC 3216
Geelong West VIC 3218
Geelong VIC 3220
Herne Hill VIC 3218
Manifold Heights VIC 3218
Compare Newtown 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 Newtown
Is Newtown a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Newtown is moderate (49/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Newtown?
Newtown has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (79/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Newtown a good place to live?
Newtown has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (51/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Newtown?
Newtown, VIC had a population of 10,445 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Newtown, VIC?
The postcode for Newtown, VIC is 3220.
How far is Newtown from Melbourne?
Newtown is 78 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 66 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Newtown?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Newtown was $108,784 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 Newtown?
The median advertised rent in Newtown is $625 a week for houses (33 listings) and $435 a week for units (8 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Newtown?
The median age of residents in Newtown was 40 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Newtown at risk of bushfire?
Newtown has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100). 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.
How are the schools in Newtown?
There are 10 schools inside the Newtown boundary: 2 above, 2 at, and 3 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Newtown walkable?
Newtown scores 81/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Newtown?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Newtown (Geelong South) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.5 µg/m³. That puts Newtown below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Newtown?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Newtown, Avalon Airport (18.7 km away), summer days average 26.1°C, winter nights 5.5°C, 454 mm of rain a year over 74 rainy days, and 11 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Newtown?
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 Newtown belong to?
Newtown sits within the Greater Geelong local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Newtown?
The average residential rates bill through Greater Geelong is $1,802 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Newtown?
Across Greater Geelong, 3,468 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 55.5% 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 Newtown in?
Newtown sits within the federal Division of Corio, currently held by Richard Marles (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- 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.