Town snapshot – Geelong City

THE size of the Geelong 3220 central area is about 3.3sqkm and has 17 parks covering nearly 8.9 per cent of total area.

The population of Geelong in 2016 was 5,220 and by the 2021 Census the population was recorded at 5,811 showing a population growth of 11.4 per cent in the area during that time.

Geelong town became a city on December 8, 1910 and electric trams began running in 1912, but World War I and the years immediately after it were a quiet period.

Between 1922 and 1925, Geelong’s future industrial growth began: three woollen mills, Cresco fertilizers and the Ford Motor Company’s vehicle plant near Corio.

The Corio whisky distillery (1928) and radio station 3GL (1930) were opened.

On the eve of World War II, the International Harvester Works were opened beside Ford, and a grain elevator terminal was built at Corio Quay.

A rail link between Melbourne and Geelong opened in 1857, and the line to Ballarat opened in 1862; Ballarat did not have a direct rail connection to Melbourne until 1889.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Geelong saw notable industries around wool, from exporting bales to woollen mills, both now commemorated in the Wool Museum in central Geelong, housed in an elegant bluestone warehouse.

Geelong markets itself as the gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula and the resort towns of Torquay, Apollo Bay and Lorne, along with the Great Ocean Road, it has many attractions within easy reach.

The CBD has been rejuvenated with Deakin University, established in 1974 on an outer suburban campus at Waurn Ponds, taking over several of the otherwise redundant warehouses overlooking the port.

Explorers Hume and Hovell recorded the Aboriginal word “jillong” in 1824, thought to mean land or cliffs, when they came to Corio Bay.

The name “Geelong” was derived from the Aboriginal word and was given to the area by Governor Bourke in 1837 when he visited Port Phillip to also formally name Melbourne and Williamstown.

In 1860, the Geelong Football Club won its first local premiership, and the year after, one of the club’s notable players, Charles Brownlow, was born.

His first year as a player was 1879, and he captained the team in 1884 and coached it from 1892 to 1917.

He is commemorated with the Brownlow Medal for the competition’s best and fairest player. Geelong played a pivotal role in the growth of football and was called the Pivotonians until the 1950s, when the name was replaced by the Cats.

CoreLogic data indicates the predominant age group in Geelong is 20-29 years with households in Geelong being primarily childless couples and are likely to be repaying on average $2,000 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Geelong work in a professional occupation.

 

AGENT PERSPECTIVE:

“As we dive deeper into 2025, one thing is for sure and it’s that there is an air of confidence in the local Geelong market.

“After the last few challenging years, it seems that a stabilising market is upon us, with still amazing opportunity for both owner occupier and investors.

“Greater Geelong’s population and popularity continue to soar, I’m dealing with so many buyers at present who simply can’t go past all that we have to offer.

“More affordable housing than Melbourne, more parklands, the Bay, beaches and incredible schools all located within proximity to each other.”

Michaela Miller – Geelong Real Estate Co

TIDBIT:

Geelong has been the second largest city in Victoria since the 1930s.

Population: 5,811

Male: 48.6%

Female: 51.4%

Median age: 39

5 year population change: 11.4%

House median sales price: $872,500

Change in median price: (5yrs) 11.9%

Median asking rent per week: $500

Average length of ownership: 10 years

Owner occupiers: 56%

Renters: 44%

House median value:

January 2025: $797,000

January 2024: $876,500

January 2023: $880,700

January 2022: $932,000

January 2021: $747,500

House sales per annum:

Period ending January 2025: 50

Period ending January 2024: 44

Land median sale price:

January 2025: $357,000

January 2024: $382,000

Land sales per annum:

Period ending January 2025: 5

Period ending January 2024: 2