Median house price
$728k
+16% change
VIC · Greater Geelong Council
Curlewis, 3222
Est. population · Jun 2025
4,443
Growth (1 yr)
+1.2%
Growth (5 yr)
+11.0%
Median age
34
Median income
$1,830/wk
Employment rate
63.8%
Median house price · 4th Quarter 2025
$727,500
Languages at home
6.9%non-English
Most common: Greek, Mandarin, Filipino
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- Heritage area
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Curlewis wears its coastal identity openly, a mid-sized suburb built around sand, sea and an easy outdoor rhythm. The wider metro area and neighbouring suburbs stay within easy reach when you want a change of scene. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Green space punches above what many coastal suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area. Buyers typically pay more than the metro middle for a home here.
Reported crime has been rising recently. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus growth momentum compared with similar coastal suburbs, though housing affordability, plus community and employment remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Curlewis snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$490/wk
Population (ERP)
4,443
+1.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.5%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#5
among Coastal & beach · Growth area
Safety
54th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
76th
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
6/10
national SEIFA decile
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 49.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 37% of Victoria's suburbs
- National rank
- 2184th in Australia
- State rank
- 467th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #5 among Coastal & beach · Growth area suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #52 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 81%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
- $490
- Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
- $727,500
- Median price change
- +16.4%
Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DFFH rent report and Valuer-General property sales report — Department of Families, Fairness and Housing / Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · 4th Quarter 2025; Sep 2025 (council median) · Updated · Quarterly releases; council median rent fallback where suburb rent unavailable
Population
Estimated resident population
4,443(June 2025)
+1.2% annual · +11.0% over 5 years · 76th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.2%
- 5-year growth
- +11.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +54
- Change in 5 years
- +439
- Growth rank in VIC
- 76th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~5,150), extrapolated at +3.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 4,175
- Median age
- 34
- Median household income / week
- $1,830
- Dwelling vacancy
- 5.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 86 of 1,566
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,777
- Employment rate
- 63.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,462 / 16 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (2026)
- 254
- Against the person
- 33
- Against property
- 110
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 57.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 127 residents
- State safety percentile
- 53.5th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +68.2%
Most common offence types
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theft12
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle26
- B45 Receiving Or Handling Stolen Goods20
- C32 Drug Possession13
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order85
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · 2025 · Updated
Family & Lifestyle
Public transport
13 public transport stops in this suburb
- Bawtree Rd/Portarlington Rd
- Curlewis Shopping Centre/Greenvale Dr
- Hermsley Rd/Portarlington Rd
- Northsun Rd/Centennial Bvd
- Wisely Ave/Centennial Bvd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Amenities
41 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 restaurants
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Decent local green space — 5 parks in suburb
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 13 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 24/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.48
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.2
Food & drink(2)
- ClaribeauxRestaurant
- Leura Park EstateRestaurant
Sport & outdoors(4)
- Curlewis Golf CourseGolf course
1345 Portarlington Road, Curlewis
- Golf course
- Park
- Sports field
Transport(3)
3 bus stops
Other(4)
- Apartment (17)
- Bench (9)
- Parking (5)
- Shelter
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Drysdale Sports PrecinctPark
- Griggs Creek ReservePark
- Percy Cherry ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 20
- Parks (OSM)
- 5
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Barwon Health - Newcomb (11.6 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 162
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 36.5
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 26° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 128 mm · ~16 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 124 mm · ~16 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 14° / 6°
- Rainfall
- 149 mm · ~19 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 19° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 182 mm · ~23 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
10 planning-related records
2021· 3 proposals
September 2021
- Multi Lot Subdivision and Removal of Native Vegetation91-125 CORIYULE ROAD CURLEWIS 3222Withdrawn
August 2021
- Display Business Identification Signage and Buildings and Works Associated With New Entry Treatment276-290 JETTY ROAD CURLEWIS 3222Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2021
- Use and Development of 24 Dwellings, Associated Subdivision and Reduction in Carparking Requirements13-17 SEALARK WAY CURLEWIS 3222Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 7 proposals
December 2020
- Buildings and Works Associated with an Existing Dwelling in a Farming Zone32-40 Pax ParadePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Building and Works Associated with the Construction of Outbuildings and an Outdoor Swimming Pool Associated with an Existing Dwelling151-157 Avila RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
August 2020
- Construction of a Second Dwelling921-949 Portarlington RoadWithdrawn
- Construction of a Garage139-149 Avila RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Construction of a Shed122-136 Avila RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
February 2020
- Change of Use to Winery and Place of Assembly (Function Centre) and Works Associated with Driveway and Car Park and variation of liquor licence to increase the red line area41-79 Curlewis RoadNOD issued by a delegate
January 2020
- Use and Development of Land as a Place of Assembly and Creation of Access to a Road Zone, Category 11392-1400 Portarlington RoadNOD issued by a delegate
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · 2020–2022 · Updated · MapServer through FY 2022–23; newer data needs council/API access
Heritage
1 heritage place
- CORIYULE HOMESTEADNH0272
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Corangamite
- Member of Parliament
- Libby COKER (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 114,123
- Turnout (2025)
- 94.7%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +0.2 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 42.0%Labor 58.0%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 9.3 km away).
Coalition 41.8%Labor 58.2%
0.2 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +0.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Clifton SpringsLabor 59.2% · Coalition 40.8% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
- DrysdaleLabor 62.8% · Coalition 37.2% TPP (2025)4.4 km away
- WallingtonLabor 49.9% · Coalition 50.1% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
- LeopoldLabor 59.2% · Coalition 40.8% TPP (2025)5.2 km away
- Leopold NorthLabor 59.1% · Coalition 40.9% TPP (2025)5.2 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Greater Geelong Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.