Curlewis
Curlewis stands out on the Bellarine Peninsula as a young, family-oriented suburb where 68% of homes have four or more bedrooms, a figure well above state averages for metropolitan fringes. With 4,175 residents across 20.25 square kilometres, the population density of 206 people per square kilometre keeps the suburb spacious. Household income sits at the 66th percentile nationally, and the workforce skews toward healthcare and construction, two sectors underpinning the rapid residential development visible in recent subdivision approvals for 151 and 52-lot stages.
Population
4,175
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,830/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
7
Median House
$728K
October to December 2025
The market is almost entirely detached houses, with 98.9% separate dwellings and only 1.1% semi-detached, so competition for detached stock is concentrated. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 68% of the mix, meaning buyers seeking a family home will find plentiful choice. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,777, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, which means affordability here is stronger than in many VIC coastal markets.
For Buyers
The market is almost entirely detached houses, with 98.9% separate dwellings and only 1.1% semi-detached, so competition for detached stock is concentrated. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 68% of the mix, meaning buyers seeking a family home will find plentiful choice. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,777, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, which means affordability here is stronger than in many VIC coastal markets.
For Investors
Vacancy runs at 5.5%, above the typical 3% investor comfort zone, which suggests some oversupply pressure relative to demand. On the positive side, the development pipeline is active, with 5 planning applications in the past 12 months including two major subdivision approvals covering more than 200 lots, pointing to ongoing population growth that should gradually absorb rental stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
7
Last 12 Months
7
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure of 40, confirming Curlewis as a suburb anchored by younger families. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national average, consistent with the high proportion of couples with children: 1,615 couple-with-children families compared to 975 couples without children. Overseas-born residents make up 14.9%, which is 6.7 percentage points below the national proportion, reflecting an Anglo-leaning community. English ancestry leads at 1,756 residents, followed by Scottish (498) and Irish (482). University qualifications reach 27.9%, which is 2.2 percentage points below the national figure, indicating a workforce that leans toward trades and services rather than graduate professions.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.9%
Houses
1.1%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Curlewis is one of the most detached-house-dominant suburbs in Victoria, with 98.9% of dwellings being separate houses and virtually no apartment stock, well above the national average for suburban areas. Tenure is split 25.7% owned outright, 43.4% with a mortgage, and 30.8% renting, a mortgage-belt pattern consistent with an active buying cohort. The bedroom profile skews large: 68% of homes have four or more bedrooms, 30.6% have three, and only 1.4% have two, which tells buyers they are entering a family-sized market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,777
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$405
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$848
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
86
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.9%
Couples with children
39.3%
Couples, no children
17.5%
Single parent
1,224
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local employment mix at 22.6% of workers (324 people), well above construction at 13.6% (195) and education at 10.1% (145). This healthcare concentration is higher than typical for a peri-urban suburb and likely reflects employment in nearby Geelong hospital and aged-care facilities. By occupation, Professionals lead at 382 workers, followed by Community/Personal (277) and Managers (244), a pattern consistent with a suburb drawing professionals who commute to Geelong. Unemployment stands at 5.0% with a labour force participation rate of 62.4%, modestly lower than the national average, partly because 958 residents are not in the labour force, which aligns with the suburb's family-with-young-children demographic. Full-time employment accounts for 62.2% of workers.
Unemployment
4.7%
Labour Force
2,132
Unemployed
100
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.6%
Part-time
35.0%
Participation
67.1%
Employed
2,032
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.9%
Postgraduate
5.6%
Born Overseas
14.9%
Dwellings
1,478
Transport to Work
Curlewis is a car-dependent suburb, with 91.8% of residents driving to work and only 1.3% using public transport, compared to the national public transport average of around 8-9%. This is expected given the 20.25 square kilometre spread and limited rail connectivity on the Bellarine Peninsula. Crime rates recorded 46 offences per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences accounting for 104 of the 192 total incidents, a profile typical of coastal growth areas. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Drysdale and Clifton Springs. Rent-to-income at 22.1% and mortgage-to-income at 22.4% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes.
Drive
73.9%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.0%
Work from Home
19.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
192
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
46.0
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 Curlewis compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Curlewis a good suburb to live in?
Curlewis suits families seeking spacious detached houses at a price more accessible than Geelong's inner suburbs. The median age of 34 is 6 years below national, indicating a young family community. The main trade-offs are car dependency at 91.8% of commuters and a 5.5% vacancy rate.
What schools are in Curlewis?
No schools are recorded inside the Curlewis suburb boundary in this dataset, so children attend schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Drysdale and Clifton Springs. The suburb's 27.9% university qualification rate is 2.2 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a workforce that emphasises trades and services.
Is Curlewis safe?
Curlewis recorded 192 total offences at a rate of 46 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 104 incidents, the largest category, followed by justice procedures at 38 and crimes against the person at 35. This rate of 46 per 1,000 is broadly in line with coastal growth suburbs in Victoria.
How is Curlewis's population changing?
Curlewis is growing through greenfield subdivision. Two major subdivision approvals in 2026 cover more than 200 new lots, indicating continued land release. Residential turnover of 34.2% is high relative to established suburbs, showing strong in-migration. The suburb's population of 4,175 sits at a density of 206 per square kilometre across its 20.25 square kilometre footprint.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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