CensusAtlas

Compare

Geelong vs Melbourne

Urban Area comparison ≈ 81 km apart · Geelong profile · Melbourne profile

Geelong Melbourne

Melbourne and Geelong are both major Victorian hubs, but they differ sharply in their makeup and layout. Melbourne is far more diverse, with 36.2% of people born overseas and 34.7% using another language at home, compared to 17.2% and 11.2% in Geelong. Melbourne is also more walkable and dense; its walkability score is very walkable (7.2) compared to Geelong's somewhat walkable (6.0). In contrast, Geelong is more suburban, with separate houses making up 86.7% of homes, which is far higher than the 67.3% seen in Melbourne.

Everyday life shares many similarities in both places, such as the share of children under 15, which is exactly 18.1% for both. Typical weekly personal incomes are also close, at $841 in Melbourne and $790 in Geelong. While they share these basics, some gaps are growing; the difference in the share of people born overseas has widened since 2011, and Geelong's population of people aged 65 and over is now well higher than Melbourne's.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Population: 4,528,213 larger in Melbourne Other language: 23.5 pts higher in Melbourne Separate houses: 19.4 pts higher in Geelong Born overseas: 19.0 pts higher in Melbourne No car: 3.6 pts higher in Melbourne

Demographics & Identity

Population in Geelongin Melbourne +4,528,213 larger in Melbourne gap widening
289,630 86th pct 4,817,843 100th pct
Median age in Geelongin Melbourne +2 yrs older in Geelong gap steady
39 yrs 43rd pct 37 yrs 21st pct
First Nations in Geelongin Melbourne +0.6 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
1.3% 0th pct 0.7% 0th pct
Aged 65+ in Geelongin Melbourne +4.1 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
19.1% 43rd pct 15.0% 17th pct
Under 15 in Geelongin Melbourne even gap steady
18.1% 50th pct 18.1% 49th pct
De facto in Geelongin Melbourne +1.6 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
12.3% 39th pct 10.7% 11th pct

Age structure

26.9% Young adults (25–44) +4.2 pts ▸ 31.1%
24.0% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.5 pts 23.5%
19.1% Seniors (65+) ◂ +4.1 pts 15.0%
18.1% Children (0–14) even 18.1%
11.9% Youth (15–24) +0.4 pts ▸ 12.3%

Marital status

46.1% Married +0.9 pts ▸ 46.9%
36.5% Never married +1.6 pts ▸ 38.1%
8.8% Divorced ◂ +1.2 pts 7.6%
5.5% Widowed ◂ +0.9 pts 4.5%
3.2% Separated ◂ +0.3 pts 2.9%

Age & sex structure

Geelong Melbourne

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Geelongin Melbourne +19.0 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
17.2% 74th pct 36.2% 100th pct

Country of birth

78.2% Australia ◂ +18.7 pts 59.5%
1.8% India +3.2 pts ▸ 5.0%
0.6% China +2.9 pts ▸ 3.4%
3.2% England ◂ +0.5 pts 2.7%
0.2% Vietnam +1.6 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.1% New Zealand +0.6 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.7% Philippines +0.5 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.6% Italy +0.6 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.4% South Africa +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.1% Nepal +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Ancestry

38.8% English ◂ +13.6 pts 25.2%
35.9% Australian ◂ +12.9 pts 23.1%
13.2% Irish ◂ +5.0 pts 8.2%
11.8% Scottish ◂ +4.7 pts 7.0%
1.6% Chinese +6.9 pts ▸ 8.5%
4.4% Italian +2.2 pts ▸ 6.6%
1.7% Indian +3.7 pts ▸ 5.4%
4.5% German ◂ +1.7 pts 2.8%
0.9% Greek +2.7 pts ▸ 3.5%
2.7% Dutch ◂ +1.2 pts 1.5%
0.3% Vietnamese +2.1 pts ▸ 2.4%
1.0% Filipino +0.7 pts ▸ 1.7%

Language

Other language in Geelongin Melbourne +23.5 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
11.2% 77th pct 34.7% 98th pct
Limited English in Geelongin Melbourne +4.0 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
1.5% 78th pct 5.6% 97th pct

Language used at home

83.8% English only ◂ +23.3 pts 60.5%
0.8% Mandarin +3.7 pts ▸ 4.4%
0.3% Vietnamese +2.1 pts ▸ 2.4%
0.3% Greek +1.8 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.7% Punjabi +1.3 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.3% Arabic +1.5 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.7% Italian +1.0 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.2% Cantonese +1.5 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.3% Hindi +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.3% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Religion

No religion in Geelongin Melbourne +8.2 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
45.3% 65th pct 37.1% 23rd pct

Religious affiliation

45.3% No religion ◂ +8.2 pts 37.1%
43.3% Christianity ◂ +3.2 pts 40.1%
6.6% Not stated ◂ +0.4 pts 6.2%
1.4% Islam +4.0 pts ▸ 5.4%
1.3% Hinduism +2.9 pts ▸ 4.2%
1.0% Buddhism +2.9 pts ▸ 3.9%
0.9% Other religions +1.2 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.1% Judaism +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Geelongin Melbourne +10.3 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
56.8% 87th pct 67.2% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Geelongin Melbourne +7.5 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
25.5% 88th pct 33.0% 100th pct

Highest year of school

56.8% Year 12 +10.3 pts ▸ 67.2%
13.8% Year 10 ◂ +4.4 pts 9.4%
13.4% Year 11 ◂ +4.9 pts 8.5%
9.9% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.7 pts 9.3%

Highest qualification level

26.6% Bachelor degree +6.0 pts ▸ 32.6%
28.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +9.0 pts 19.0%
16.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.0 pts 15.3%
8.5% Postgraduate degree +5.3 pts ▸ 13.7%
4.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.3 pts 4.6%
1.6% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.3 pts 1.3%

Field of qualification

15.7% Management & commerce +5.4 pts ▸ 21.0%
13.1% Health ◂ +3.2 pts 9.8%
12.7% Engineering & related ◂ +0.4 pts 12.3%
12.5% Society & culture even 12.5%
10.1% Education ◂ +2.7 pts 7.4%
7.3% Architecture & building ◂ +2.2 pts 5.2%
2.3% Information technology +3.0 pts ▸ 5.3%
5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.5 pts 4.5%
4.0% Creative arts +0.8 pts ▸ 4.9%
2.9% Natural & physical sciences +0.9 pts ▸ 3.8%
1.9% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.7 pts 1.2%

Income

Personal income in Geelongin Melbourne +$51 higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
$790 72nd pct $841 82nd pct
Household income in Geelongin Melbourne +$240 higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
$1,660 73rd pct $1,900 87th pct
Family income in Geelongin Melbourne +$130 higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
$2,113 79th pct $2,243 86th pct
High earners in Geelongin Melbourne +2.3 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
11.4% 73rd pct 13.7% 85th pct
High-income homes in Geelongin Melbourne +4.6 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
20.8% 79th pct 25.4% 88th pct

Household income distribution

29.7% $1,500–$2,999 +1.1 pts ▸ 30.9%
27.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.2 pts 23.9%
16.2% Under $650 ◂ +2.1 pts 14.0%
10.3% $4,000 or more +4.0 pts ▸ 14.2%
10.5% $3,000–$3,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 11.1%

Personal income distribution

39.6% Under $650 ◂ +0.9 pts 38.8%
31.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.1 pts 30.6%
17.8% $1,500–$2,999 +1.1 pts ▸ 18.9%
4.1% $3,000 or more +1.5 pts ▸ 5.6%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Geelongin Melbourne +5.5 pts higher in Geelong
31.0% 36th pct 25.4% 13th pct
Mental health in Geelongin Melbourne +2.7 pts higher in Geelong
10.8% 56th pct 8.1% 16th pct
Needs assistance in Geelongin Melbourne +0.7 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
6.2% 38th pct 5.6% 25th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.8% Mental health ◂ +2.7 pts 8.1%
9.7% Asthma ◂ +1.9 pts 7.8%
8.9% Arthritis ◂ +2.0 pts 6.9%
8.6% Other condition ◂ +0.9 pts 7.7%
4.6% Diabetes ◂ +0.1 pts 4.5%
4.2% Heart disease ◂ +0.9 pts 3.3%
3.1% Cancer ◂ +0.7 pts 2.5%
1.8% Lung condition ◂ +0.6 pts 1.2%
1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
0.9% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.4% None +6.1 pts ▸ 67.6%
21.0% One condition ◂ +3.1 pts 17.9%
6.6% Two conditions ◂ +1.5 pts 5.1%
3.4% Three or more ◂ +0.9 pts 2.4%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Geelongin Melbourne +2.6 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
14.6% 38th pct 12.0% 6th pct
Unpaid carers in Geelongin Melbourne +0.9 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
13.4% 65th pct 12.5% 42nd pct
Unpaid child care in Geelongin Melbourne +1.6 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
28.1% 82nd pct 26.5% 62nd pct
Defence service in Geelongin Melbourne +1.0 pts higher in Geelong
2.5% 16th pct 1.6% 0th pct
Housework 15h+ in Geelongin Melbourne +2.9 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
21.9% 54th pct 19.0% 14th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Geelongin Melbourne +0.1 larger in Melbourne gap narrowing
2.5 71st pct 2.6 86th pct
One-parent in Geelongin Melbourne +1.2 pts higher in Geelong gap narrowing
14.1% 21st pct 12.9% 12th pct
Living alone in Geelongin Melbourne +2.1 pts higher in Geelong gap narrowing
27.0% 29th pct 24.9% 14th pct

Family composition

56.8% Couples with children +5.2 pts ▸ 62.0%
28.0% Couples without children ◂ +4.3 pts 23.8%
14.1% One-parent families ◂ +1.2 pts 12.9%
1.0% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

34.3% 2 people ◂ +3.1 pts 31.2%
27.0% 1 person ◂ +2.1 pts 24.9%
15.2% 4 people +2.0 pts ▸ 17.2%
15.3% 3 people +1.6 pts ▸ 16.9%
6.0% 5 people +0.5 pts ▸ 6.6%
2.2% 6 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Geelongin Melbourne +$40 higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
$350 72nd pct $390 88th pct
Mortgage in Geelongin Melbourne +$267 higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
$1,733 71st pct $2,000 88th pct
People / bedroom in Geelongin Melbourne +0.10 higher in Melbourne gap steady
0.80 57th pct 0.90 100th pct
Renting in Geelongin Melbourne +3.1 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
27.5% 32nd pct 30.5% 49th pct
Owned outright in Geelongin Melbourne +4.4 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
33.9% 52nd pct 29.6% 25th pct
Separate houses in Geelongin Melbourne +19.4 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
86.7% 68th pct 67.3% 9th pct
3+ bedrooms in Geelongin Melbourne +8.1 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
80.1% 74th pct 71.9% 16th pct

How homes are owned or rented

35.4% Owned with a mortgage +1.5 pts ▸ 36.9%
33.9% Owned outright ◂ +4.4 pts 29.6%
27.5% Rented +3.1 pts ▸ 30.5%
1.8% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 1.6%
1.4% Not stated even 1.4%

Types of homes

86.7% Separate house ◂ +19.4 pts 67.3%
10.3% Townhouse / semi-detached +6.1 pts ▸ 16.4%
2.4% Flat or apartment +13.5 pts ▸ 15.9%
0.5% Other dwelling ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

46.4% 3 bedrooms ◂ +7.0 pts 39.4%
29.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.3 pts 26.8%
15.3% 2 bedrooms +5.3 pts ▸ 20.6%
3.2% 1 bedroom +2.7 pts ▸ 5.9%
4.6% 5 or more +1.1 pts ▸ 5.7%
0.2% Studio / none +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

44.3% $350–$549 +6.7 pts ▸ 51.0%
35.0% $200–$349 ◂ +11.3 pts 23.7%
11.4% Under $200 ◂ +4.4 pts 7.0%
5.1% $550–$749 +5.0 pts ▸ 10.0%
1.1% $750 or more +3.6 pts ▸ 4.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

33.2% $1,800–$2,999 +1.6 pts ▸ 34.8%
33.8% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +8.6 pts 25.2%
11.7% $3,000 or more +8.8 pts ▸ 20.5%
15.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +2.9 pts 13.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Geelongin Melbourne +3.6 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
5.1% 29th pct 8.7% 89th pct
Work from home in Geelongin Melbourne +9.3 pts higher in Melbourne gap widening
19.7% 89th pct 29.0% 100th pct
PT commute in Geelongin Melbourne +2.3 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
1.3% 75th pct 3.6% 95th pct

How people get to work

57.9% Car (driver) ◂ +11.6 pts 46.3%
19.7% Worked at home +9.3 pts ▸ 29.0%
3.9% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.7 pts 3.2%
0.5% Train +1.6 pts ▸ 2.1%
2.0% Walked even 2.0%
0.6% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.7% Bus ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Motor vehicles per home

41.1% 2 vehicles ◂ +4.2 pts 36.9%
35.3% 1 vehicle +2.2 pts ▸ 37.5%
12.0% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.0 pts 11.0%
5.1% No vehicle +3.6 pts ▸ 8.7%
6.6% 4 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 5.9%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Geelongin Melbourne +1.9 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
42.9% 70th pct 41.0% 55th pct
Recent arrivals in Geelongin Melbourne +1.7 pts higher in Melbourne gap narrowing
14.2% 55th pct 15.9% 66th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Geelongin Melbourne +1.1 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
4.3% 32nd pct 5.3% 67th pct
Participation in Geelongin Melbourne +2.5 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
61.6% 74th pct 64.1% 85th pct
Full-time in Geelongin Melbourne +4.6 pts higher in Melbourne gap steady
55.6% 32nd pct 60.2% 70th pct

Industries people work in

17.1% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.6 pts 13.5%
11.3% Construction ◂ +2.2 pts 9.1%
10.5% Retail trade ◂ +1.1 pts 9.4%
10.0% Education & training ◂ +1.3 pts 8.7%
6.3% Professional & technical +3.4 pts ▸ 9.7%
6.9% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.8 pts 6.1%
6.0% Manufacturing +0.9 pts ▸ 6.9%
6.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.1 pts 5.4%
3.8% Transport & warehousing +1.0 pts ▸ 4.9%
2.9% Finance & insurance +1.8 pts ▸ 4.7%
3.4% Other services even 3.4%
2.8% Administrative & support +0.4 pts ▸ 3.3%

Occupations people work in

23.5% Professionals +3.5 pts ▸ 27.0%
14.3% Technicians & trades ◂ +2.3 pts 12.0%
12.1% Managers +1.7 pts ▸ 13.8%
13.4% Community & personal service ◂ +2.9 pts 10.5%
11.3% Clerical & administrative +1.6 pts ▸ 12.9%
9.3% Labourers ◂ +1.5 pts 7.8%
8.8% Sales workers ◂ +0.5 pts 8.3%
5.7% Machinery operators & drivers +0.1 pts ▸ 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Geelongin Melbourne +1.2 higher in Melbourne
6.0 84th pct 7.2 100th pct
Types ≤15 min in Geelongin Melbourne +1.0 more in Melbourne
5.6 83rd pct 6.7 99th pct
15-min city in Geelongin Melbourne +16.7 pts higher in Melbourne
66.8% 77th pct 83.5% 98th pct
Walk to shops in Geelongin Melbourne +16.2 pts higher in Melbourne
66.7% 79th pct 82.9% 100th pct
Walk to transit in Geelongin Melbourne +5.4 pts higher in Melbourne
86.3% 64th pct 91.7% 84th pct
Walk to school in Geelongin Melbourne +17.4 pts higher in Melbourne
70.7% 69th pct 88.0% 100th pct
Walk to a park in Geelongin Melbourne +1.8 pts higher in Melbourne
96.1% 89th pct 97.9% 97th pct
Walk to health in Geelongin Melbourne +16.9 pts higher in Melbourne
57.0% 88th pct 73.9% 100th pct
Amenities/1k in Geelongin Melbourne +6.9 more in Geelong
20.9 78th pct 13.9 43rd pct
Intersections/km² in Geelongin Melbourne +68 higher in Melbourne
37 76th pct 105 100th pct
Mean slope in Geelongin Melbourne +0.6 pts higher in Melbourne
4.1% 31st pct 4.7% 42nd pct

Compare Geelong with nearby areas

Bacchus Marsh Gisborne Ballarat Colac Castlemaine Melbourne Bendigo Warragul - Drouin Not in any Significant Urban Area Warrnambool Shepparton - Mooroopna Echuca - Moama

Compare Melbourne with nearby areas

Warragul - Drouin Gisborne Bacchus Marsh Geelong Traralgon - Morwell Moe - Newborough Castlemaine Ballarat Shepparton - Mooroopna Bendigo Colac Sale

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Geelong vs Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/2008/geelong/vs/2011/melbourne