Corio
At Greater Geelong's northern gateway, Corio stands out for entry pricing rather than rapid growth: a $495,000 median house price, 91.5% separate houses and 41.3% renters shape a practical, detached market. Household income sits in the 22nd percentile, below the state average, so affordability matters more here than in many Geelong suburbs such as Lara. The trade-off is clear because the crime rate is 177.0 per 1,000 and growth is slow at 0.27% a year.
Population
15,497
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,152/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
26
Median House
$495K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers get a low-barrier house market compared with much of Greater Geelong, with the Apr-Jun 2024 median at $495,000 and still 4.8% below the 2022 peak of $520,000. The stock suits family buyers because 91.5% of dwellings are separate houses, apartments are only 0.8%, and 72.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms. Mortgage costs absorb 26.1% of income, so price remains the main draw, while the 177.0 per 1,000 crime rate needs careful street-level due diligence.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a low-barrier house market compared with much of Greater Geelong, with the Apr-Jun 2024 median at $495,000 and still 4.8% below the 2022 peak of $520,000. The stock suits family buyers because 91.5% of dwellings are separate houses, apartments are only 0.8%, and 72.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms. Mortgage costs absorb 26.1% of income, so price remains the main draw, while the 177.0 per 1,000 crime rate needs careful street-level due diligence.
For Investors
Corio's rental pool is large, with renters at 41.3%, higher than outright owners at 29.7% or mortgaged households at 29.0%. Weekly rent is $280 and rent-to-income is 24.3%, supporting affordability, but the 5.6% vacancy rate is a caution because it sits above what investors usually want in tight markets. Development is active with 21 applications in 12 months, while overseas migration adds 202 people a year against internal outflow of 292.
Development Activity
Total DAs
48
Last 12 Months
26
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+160.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$2.4M
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Corio iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Geelong Grammar School
Prep-12 · 1422 students
St Francis Xavier School
Prep-6 · 177 students
Northern Bay P-12 College
Prep-12 · 1726 students
Demographics
Corio is younger and less degree-led than the national profile: the median age is 35, which is 5.0 years below national, and university attainment is 15.4%, or 14.7 percentage points below national. Overseas-born residents are 27.8%, 6.2 points above national, with Punjabi, Croatian, Serbian, Mandarin and Urdu among the listed languages. English ancestry is the largest group at 4,951, and Christianity accounts for 6,002 people, reflecting a broad working household base because average household size is 2.5.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.5%
Houses
6.5%
Townhouse
0.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is strongly detached and renter-heavy compared with apartment-oriented markets. The median rose from $230,000 in 2013 to $495,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 115.2% gain and 5.6% CAGR across 14 years, but remains 4.8% below the 2022 peak. Tenure is split between 29.7% owned outright, 29.0% mortgaged and 41.3% renting. With household income at $1,152 weekly, the median house price is about 8.3 times annual household income, so repayments matter even at an affordable headline price.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$280
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$537
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.6%
Unoccupied
334
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.5%
Couples, no children
11,416
Total families
Economy & Employment
Corio's economy is service and trade-based rather than professional-office heavy, which aligns with lower SEIFA scores. Healthcare leads at 20.4% of workers, followed by construction 11.0%, education 10.3%, retail 9.7% and manufacturing 8.9%. Labourers number 1,212, community and personal workers 862, and machinery drivers 795. Unemployment is 9.3% with participation at 46.2%. IEO 847, IER 909, IRSD 849 and IRSAD 849 are all decile 1, below state average and consistently signalling disadvantage rather than a single anomaly.
Unemployment
13.0%
Labour Force
8,739
Unemployed
1,132
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.0%
Part-time
31.7%
Participation
46.2%
Employed
5,282
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.4%
Postgraduate
3.8%
Born Overseas
27.8%
Dwellings
5,589
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented because 85.2% drive to work, while public transport and walking or cycling are each 3.1%. School choice is unusually mixed for the area, with 3 local schools across Independent, Catholic and Government sectors and ICSEA scores from 877 to 1149; Geelong Grammar is the academic outlier at 1149, with St Francis Xavier at 937 and Northern Bay P-12 at 877. Livability is pulled lower by a 177.0 per 1,000 crime rate and IRSAD decile 1, below the state average for advantage.
Drive
85.2%
Public Transport
3.1%
Walk / Cycle
3.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.27%/yr
(+49 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is modest rather than expansion-led. The trend adds 0.27% a year, or 49 people, with the medium scenario rising from 18,595 in 2026 to 18,841 in 2031. Migration is mixed because overseas migration contributes 202 people annually, while internal movement removes 292 a year, making overseas migration the primary driver. The shift profile shows a declining young share of 3.3 points and senior share up 2.9 points. Gentrification is scored 10 and labelled Not gentrifying, lower than the earlier early-signs shift score of 34.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+202
Net Internal / yr
-292
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -292/yr, Strong overseas inflow +202/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,743
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
177.0
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Corio compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Corio a good suburb to live in?
Corio can suit budget-focused buyers wanting a detached home, with 91.5% separate houses and a $495,000 median. It ranks below state average on IRSAD decile 1 and has a crime rate of 177.0 per 1,000, so street choice is important.
What is the median house price in Corio?
The median house price in Corio is $495,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 4.8% below the 2022 peak of $520,000, but still 115.2% higher than the 2013 median of $230,000.
What schools are in Corio?
Corio has 3 listed schools: Geelong Grammar School, St Francis Xavier School and Northern Bay P-12 College. ICSEA scores range from 877 to 1149, with Independent, Catholic and Government options represented.
Is Corio safe?
Corio records 2,743 offences and a crime rate of 177.0 per 1,000 people, which is a key livability concern. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 1,448, higher than crimes against the person at 433.
Is Corio good for property investment?
Corio has a large renter base at 41.3% and a low median of $495,000, which can help entry yields. The vacancy rate is 5.6%, higher than a tight rental market, so investors should check leasing depth before buying.
How is Corio's population changing?
Corio is growing slowly, with a forecast trend of 0.27% a year or 49 people. The medium scenario moves from 18,595 in 2026 to 18,841 in 2031, while overseas inflow of 202 a year is offset by internal outflow of 292.
Is there much development in Corio?
There is a moderate level of activity, with 21 development applications in the past 12 months. Recent examples include a 5 lot subdivision and a second dwelling proposal, which is higher than a quiet no-growth suburb but not a major apartment pipeline.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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