Geelong, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Geelong spreads around Corio Bay and the Barwon River roughly 75 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, making it Victoria's second-largest city. It lies on the country of the Wadawurrung people, also known as the Wathaurong, of the Kulin nation, and its name is thought to come from a local word recorded as Djilang in 1827, often translated as land, cliffs, or a tongue of land. Once built on wool and the Ford motor works, the modern city has pivoted toward health, education, and services. The revitalised waterfront, dotted with its painted Baywalk Bollards, the AFL's Geelong Cats, and easy access to the Bellarine Peninsula and Great Ocean Road all anchor its identity today.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Geelong is more socio-economically advantaged than about 82% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1047, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Geelong at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 5,811
- Median age
- 40
- Median weekly household income
- $1,670
- SEIFA score
- 1047
- Coordinates
- -38.1481, 144.3635
Geelong demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Geelong using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 30%, 44% of homes are rented, and 24% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 592 | 10% |
| Youth (15–24) | 808 | 14% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,722 | 30% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,474 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,216 | 21% |
Share of the 5,812 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 831 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 507 | 20% |
| Rented | 1,097 | 44% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,293 | 52% |
| Townhouses & semis | 536 | 22% |
| Flats & apartments | 632 | 25% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,492 occupied private dwellings in Geelong.
- Median weekly rent
- $370
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,362
- Median weekly personal income
- $865
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,320 (24%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 957 (17%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 44 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,342 (66%)
- Labour-force participation
- 63.5%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.2%
- Employed full-time
- 1,711
- Employed part-time
- 1,212
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Geelong
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Geelong is January (average daytime high around 23.8°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.8°C). The area receives roughly 567 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.8°C | 14.8°C | 46 mm |
| Feb | 23.2°C | 14.6°C | 31 mm |
| Mar | 21.9°C | 13.9°C | 36 mm |
| Apr | 19.1°C | 11.5°C | 47 mm |
| May | 15.9°C | 9.3°C | 47 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 7.5°C | 45 mm |
| Jul | 12.8°C | 6.8°C | 40 mm |
| Aug | 13.4°C | 6.9°C | 45 mm |
| Sep | 15.6°C | 7.9°C | 58 mm |
| Oct | 18.1°C | 9.3°C | 67 mm |
| Nov | 19.7°C | 10.9°C | 53 mm |
| Dec | 21.9°C | 12.7°C | 52 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Geelong
Where is Geelong?
Geelong is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Geelong?
At the 2021 Census, Geelong had a population of about 5,811.
Is Geelong an advantaged area?
Geelong has an ABS SEIFA score of 1047, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 82 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 82% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Geelong?
Geelong has average daytime highs of about 18.2°C and overnight lows of about 10.5°C, with roughly 567 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
Nearby suburbs in Victoria
More suburb guides in Victoria
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.