South Geelong VIC 3220
South Geelong sits 76 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Census data records 1,014 residents with a median age of 37 and a median household income of $85,384 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 2.1% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,700. South Geelong is characterised by high crime risk and high flood risk. Walkability is moderate.
Is South Geelong a good suburb?
South Geelong scores a C (42/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices and community, weaker on safety.
Some car dependence
Walkability 51/100 · 76.4 km · 67 min drive to Melbourne
More affordable than most
Median $845K
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 97/100 · Flood 87/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 8/10 · median age 37 · 1,014 residents
Liveability Rating
42 / 100 · Ranked #534 in VICEach bar is South Geelong's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in South Geelong?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
42 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataSouth Geelong's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $845,000, about 4% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$845,250
14% above its 6 neighbours (median $740,000)
Based on 38 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 16 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 10 sales $721K
- 3 bed 23 sales $830K
Units
$596,475
Based on only 8 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in South Geelong are currently listed at around $705,000 on average. Based on 3 houses listed in the past six months.
$705K
3 houses listed in the last 6 months.
4 of the suburb's 427 dwellings (0.9%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in South Geelong rent for around $575 a week on average, based on 6 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$575/wk
6 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
6 rentals advertised against an estimated 164 rented homes (3.7%) 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$575/week ($30,000 a year) on a $705,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.
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
6 active Airbnb listings: 6 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 1.3% 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 South Geelong safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in South Geelong sits in the high band, with 345 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 24% on the prior year.
345 offences
24.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202545 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 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
Universities nearby
- 1.9 kmDeakin University, Geelong Waterfront CampusDeakin University · 55 courses
- 1.9 kmDeakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds CampusDeakin University · 93 courses
3.0% 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
South Geelong is somewhat walkable on foot — at 51/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside South Geelong.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 95.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 76.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 47.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 21.7 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 20 min wait
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 South Geelong.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 51%
- Premises covered
- 1,246
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
South Geelong is home to about 1,000 residents, with a median age of 37, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $85,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,014
Median Age
37
Median Household Income
$85,384/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,700/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$48,724/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.7%
Total Dwellings
427
Owner-Occupier Rate
61.7%
Houses
68.1%
Rental Stress
21.3%
Mortgage Stress
23.9%
Work From Home
28.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 79.6%
- English Spoken at Home
- 85.1%
- Employment Rate
- 68.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 52.3%
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.
30 residents (3.0%) 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.
11.4% of residents (108) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (99).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 949 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
8% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (46 of 580).
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 5,063 people work here; 580 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 8.7 jobs for every working resident. At least 88% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
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
- Industrial 52%
- Residential 18%
- Parks and recreation 18%
- Infrastructure and transport 9%
- Commercial 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 — 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, 1.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Point Wilson, 17.2 kmwarm summers — mild winters.
- Elevation
- 11 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.4 km
- 2.4 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- —
- Summer max (Jan)
- 22.8°C
- 3 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.8°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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
9 facilities within 5 km- 0.1 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 0.2 kmTextile Floor Covering ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Carbon monoxide
- 0.8 km
- 1.5 kmPoultry ProcessingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 1.7 kmFuneral, Crematorium and Cemetery ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
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
40 mortgage brokers are registered in 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 $845,250 this is $95,250 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 2026-10-27 — 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 South Geelong?
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 1,014 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
- #3 in Geelong suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #5 in Geelong suburbs that suit young professionals
- #10 in Geelong suburbs with the best public transport
- #13 in Geelong suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #14 in Best Geelong suburbs to rent in
- #14 in Geelong suburbs where the most residents moved from a capital city
Nearby suburbs
Belmont VIC 3216
Newtown VIC 3220
Geelong VIC 3220
East Geelong VIC 3219
Thomson VIC 3219
Breakwater VIC 3219
Compare South Geelong to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about South Geelong
Is South Geelong a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in South Geelong is high (97/100, 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 South Geelong?
South Geelong has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (87/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is South Geelong a good place to live?
South Geelong has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (42/100), 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 South Geelong?
South Geelong, VIC had a population of 1,014 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for South Geelong, VIC?
The postcode for South Geelong, VIC is 3220.
How far is South Geelong from Melbourne?
South Geelong is 76 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 67 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in South Geelong?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in South Geelong was $85,384 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 South Geelong?
The median advertised rent in South Geelong is $575 a week for houses (6 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in South Geelong?
The median age of residents in South Geelong was 37 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is South Geelong walkable?
South Geelong scores 51/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat 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 South Geelong?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to South Geelong (Geelong South) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.5 µg/m³. That puts South Geelong below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in South Geelong?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to South Geelong, Point Wilson (17.2 km away), summer days average 22.8°C, winter nights 7.8°C, and 3 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in South Geelong?
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 South Geelong belong to?
South Geelong 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 South Geelong?
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 South Geelong?
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 South Geelong in?
South Geelong 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.