Drysdale
A median age of 52, fully 12 years above the national figure, defines Drysdale more than any other number, and it explains the rest of the suburb. Half the households (50.7%) own their home outright, a rate that only an established, older population reaches. Household income sits in the 28.9th percentile nationally, below the national midpoint, and 1,832 residents are out of the labour force, consistent with a retirement and pre-retirement base spread thinly across 39.46 km2 at just 126 people per km2.
Population
4,976
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,273/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Median House
$696K
October to December 2025
Buyers shopping in Drysdale are almost always buying a detached house, because 88.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.6% are apartments. Stock skews to family-sized homes, with 43.5% three-bedroom and 35.9% four-bedroom or larger, so smaller buyers face a thinner two-bedroom segment at 19.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, but because household income ranks in only the 28.9th percentile, the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 31.4%, above the 30% stress threshold. That gap between modest prices and modest incomes is the central affordability tension here.
For Buyers
Buyers shopping in Drysdale are almost always buying a detached house, because 88.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.6% are apartments. Stock skews to family-sized homes, with 43.5% three-bedroom and 35.9% four-bedroom or larger, so smaller buyers face a thinner two-bedroom segment at 19.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, but because household income ranks in only the 28.9th percentile, the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 31.4%, above the 30% stress threshold. That gap between modest prices and modest incomes is the central affordability tension here.
For Investors
Investors face a small rental pool, since only 17.0% of residents rent compared with the 50.7% who own outright. The 7.0% vacancy rate is higher than tight metro markets, signalling that tenant demand is not deep. Development is minimal at 12 applications in 12 months, so new supply is not a near-term threat, but neither is there a growth catalyst. Rent-to-income for tenants sits at 26.7%, below the 30% stress line, which caps how far rents can push.
Development Activity
Total DAs
17
Last 12 Months
8
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Drysdale
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Drysdale Primary School
St Thomas Primary School
Bellarine Secondary College
St Ignatius College Geelong
Demographics
The defining demographic fact is age: at a median of 52, Drysdale runs 12.0 years older than the national figure, one of the widest gaps you will see. The population is overwhelmingly Anglo, led by English (2,399), Irish (668) and Scottish (646) ancestry, and only 15.3% were born overseas, which is 6.3 points below national. University qualification at 25.3% sits 4.8 points under the national rate, reflecting an older cohort that finished schooling before degrees became common. Average household size is 2.3, just 0.2 below national, and couples without children make up 35.5% of families (1,400 households), slightly outnumbering couples with children at 1,364. The result is a settled, low-turnover community, with 81.9% of residents staying put year to year.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.7%
Houses
9.7%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tells the clearest story: 50.7% own outright, 32.4% carry a mortgage and only 17.0% rent, a distribution that points to long-held, debt-free homes rather than a churning buyer market. The stock is 88.7% separate houses, with three-bedroom homes at 43.5% and four-bedroom-plus at 35.9%, classic family detached housing. Mortgage-to-income at 31.4% exceeds the stress threshold while rent-to-income stays lower at 26.7%, a divergence that shows buying is harder than renting here because purchase prices have outrun the suburb's below-median incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$340
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$645
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.0%
Unoccupied
151
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.4% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.9%
Couples with children
49.4%
Couples, no children
12.7%
Single parent
1,425
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce leans heavily on Healthcare, which employs 23.2% of working residents (318 people), nearly double the next sector, Construction at 12.8% (175), with Education at 11.2% and Public Admin at 8.0%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 378, followed by Community and Personal Service workers at 303, a mix that fits the healthcare concentration and the aging population it serves. Unemployment is moderate at 4.6%, but the participation rate is low at 47.4% because 1,832 residents are out of the labour force, the direct consequence of a median age of 52. Full-time employment among workers is 55.9%. The economy here is service-oriented and locally focused rather than driven by commuting professionals, which separates it from higher-income metro suburbs.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
2,147
Unemployed
92
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.0%
Part-time
41.1%
Participation
50.8%
Employed
2,055
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.3%
Postgraduate
5.2%
Born Overseas
15.3%
Dwellings
2,001
Transport to Work
Drysdale is built around the car: 90.4% of commuters drive while public transport carries just 0.9%, a reflection of its low density of 126 residents per km2 and distance from rail. Crime runs at 35.0 offences per 1,000 residents from 174 total incidents, with property and deception offences (82) the largest category and crimes against the person second at 41, a profile weighted toward lower-harm property matters. The community is settled and engaged, with 17.6% volunteering and 81.9% of residents staying year to year, though 8.9% (423 people) need daily assistance, above what a younger suburb would show, consistent with the median age of 52. No schools are recorded inside the 39.46 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on neighbouring centres.
Drive
72.0%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
3.0%
Work from Home
20.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
174
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
35.0
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 Drysdale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Drysdale a good suburb to live in?
Drysdale suits settled and older residents, with a median age of 52, fully 12 years above the national figure, and a high 50.7% outright home-ownership rate. Crime is moderate at 35.0 per 1,000 residents. The main trade-offs are below-median household income at the 28.9th percentile and heavy reliance on cars, with 90.4% of commuters driving.
What schools are in Drysdale?
No schools are recorded inside the 39.46 km2 Drysdale boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is older, with a median age of 52 and university qualifications at 25.3%, which is 4.8 points below the national figure.
Is Drysdale safe?
Drysdale recorded 174 offences in the period, a rate of 35.0 per 1,000 residents. The largest category is property and deception offences at 82, followed by crimes against the person at 41, so most incidents are lower-harm property matters rather than violent crime, typical of an established, low-turnover area.
How is Drysdale's population changing?
Drysdale's population of 4,976 is aging, with a median age of 52, which is 12 years above the national figure. Turnover is low at 18.1% and 81.9% of residents stay year to year. Couples without children make up 35.5% of families, slightly more than the 1,364 couples with children, reflecting a downsizing trend.
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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