Ocean Grove
A coastal town of 17,714 people, Ocean Grove reads more like an owner-occupied family and retiree market than a visitor strip. The median age is 43, 3 years above national, while overseas-born residents are 11.9%, 9.7 points below national. Compared with nearby Barwon Heads and Point Lonsdale, its scale makes it the Bellarine's larger service hub.
Population
17,714
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,837/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
27
Median House
$900K
October to December 2025
The family-house tilt is clear: 46.7% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 40.9% have 4 or more. The trade-off is car dependence and limited apartments, with only 0.3% apartment stock.
For Buyers
The family-house tilt is clear: 46.7% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 40.9% have 4 or more. The trade-off is car dependence and limited apartments, with only 0.3% apartment stock.
For Investors
Only 19.1% of households rent, below the 42.4% owned-outright share and 38.6% mortgage share, so the tenant pool is narrower than in commuter suburbs. Weekly rent is $420 (2021 Census) and rent-to-income is 22.9%, leaving affordability headroom, but vacancy is high at 21.0% because non-permanent coastal stock lifts empty dwellings. There is activity to watch, with 22 applications in 12 months and rent growth of 50.0% in the shift metrics.
Development Activity
Total DAs
55
Last 12 Months
27
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+125.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$453K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ocean Grove
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Ocean Grove Primary School
Our Lady Star of the Sea School
Surfside Primary School
Demographics
Ocean Grove skews older and more locally born than Australia overall. The median age is 43, which is 3.0 years above national, and only 11.9% of residents were born overseas, 9.7 points below national. Education levels are stronger, with 36.8% university qualified, 6.7 points above national. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts of 7,706, 2,978 and 2,339 shape the population, while Italian and Mandarin language counts are small at 34 and 21, so daily community life is less migrant-led than in metropolitan growth areas.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.5%
Houses
6.0%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is detached, mature and tightly owner-occupied. Ownership is the main stabiliser: 42.4% own outright and 38.6% have a mortgage, compared with 19.1% renting. Large homes dominate because 87.6% have 3 or more bedrooms.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $420.
$570
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $550 · units $468
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$856
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
21.0%
Unoccupied
1,749
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.4%
Couples, no children
14,254
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local economy is weighted to population-serving work rather than a single CBD industry. Healthcare employs 1,261 people, or 20.3%, followed by education at 989 and construction at 796, because an older and family-heavy catchment needs services and building trades. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 2,380, ahead of managers at 1,225. Unemployment is low at 2.9%, while participation is 56.5% because 4,860 people are outside the labour force. SEIFA is consistently above average: IRSD decile 9, IRSAD 8, IEO 8 and IER 9.
Unemployment
2.0%
Labour Force
10,808
Unemployed
213
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Mar-26
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.4%
Part-time
40.7%
Participation
56.5%
Employed
7,770
Occupations
Top Industries
University
36.8%
Postgraduate
8.4%
Born Overseas
11.9%
Dwellings
6,564
Transport to Work
Daily life is convenient if you drive. Car drivers make up 90.0% of commuting, far higher than public transport at 0.8%, while 4.1% walk or cycle, so access depends on local roads rather than rail. School choice is primary-focused, with 3 local schools spanning ICSEA 1075 to 1105. Ocean Grove Primary leads at 1105 with 619 students, and the Catholic Our Lady Star of the Sea has 1092 with 593. Safety is a plus: 507 offences equal 28.6 per 1,000, and IRSAD decile 8 ranks above many Victorian areas.
Drive
64.0%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.9%
Work from Home
28.9%
Population Forecast
+2.12%/yr
(+440 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth remains active for an established coastal town. The annual trend is 2.12%, or about 440 people a year, and the medium path reaches 23,438 residents by 2031. Migration is led by internal moves, with +228 net internal residents a year, higher than +91 net overseas, showing pull from Victorian relocators. The gentrification score is 55 and stage is Active, while the shift metrics show an aging trajectory, senior share up 6.2 points and working share down 3.9. Demand is rising, but not primarily from overseas migration.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+91
Net Internal / yr
+228
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +44% since 2011, Net internal migration +228/yr, Accelerating: 12% → 28%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
507
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
28.6
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 Ocean Grove compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ocean Grove a good suburb to live in?
Yes, Ocean Grove suits buyers who want a coastal, owner-occupied setting with 93.5% separate houses, 3 local schools and a low 28.6 offences per 1,000 rate. It is less suited to car-free living, with 90.0% driving to work.
What schools are in Ocean Grove?
Ocean Grove has 3 local primary schools: Ocean Grove Primary School with ICSEA 1105 and 619 students, Our Lady Star of the Sea School with ICSEA 1092 and 593 students, and Surfside Primary School with ICSEA 1075 and 545 students.
Is Ocean Grove safe?
Ocean Grove records 507 offences, equal to 28.6 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 257, followed by justice procedures at 131 and crimes against the person at 89.
Is Ocean Grove good for property investment?
Ocean Grove can work for selective investors, but the numbers are mixed. Rent is $420 (2021 Census) a week and rent-to-income is 22.9%, while only 19.1% of households rent. Vacancy is high at 21.0%, so asset selection matters despite 22 development applications and strong internal migration.
How is Ocean Grove's population changing?
Ocean Grove is growing at an annual trend of 2.12%, or about 440 people a year. The medium path reaches 23,438 residents by 2031, with migration led by +228 net internal moves a year compared with +91 net overseas.
Is there much development in Ocean Grove?
There is moderate local development, with 22 applications recorded in 12 months. Recent examples include a 2 dwelling proposal, a $550,000 alteration and addition, and a 2 lot subdivision, pointing to infill rather than high-rise change.
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), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), 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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