Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights' population is 22,248 as of Nov 2025. This shows an increase of 1,048 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,200. The change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 22,177 in June 2024 and an additional 261 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 694 persons per square kilometer, similar to averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 4.9% growth since the census is within 1.1 percentage points of the non-metro area's 6.0%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 51.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is forecasted to increase by 6,414 persons, a total increase of 28.4% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights has received approximately 151 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 757 homes. As of FY26, 29 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.8 people move to the area each year for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. The average construction cost per new property is $384,000.

This financial year has seen $16.3 million in commercial approvals. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights records around 67% of building activity per person and ranks among the 70th percentile nationally. Recent construction consists of 80.0% standalone homes and 20.0% townhouses or apartments.

The area has approximately 196 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Population forecasts suggest Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights will gain 6,323 residents by 2041. Construction pace is currently reasonable but may face increased competition as population grows.

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 56 projects that may affect the region. Notable initiatives include Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas, Barwon Health North, Hope & Autumn Mixed Use Development, and Geelong Ring Road - Stage 4C (Heales Road to Anglesea Road). The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment performance in Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights has been broadly consistent with national averages

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.4% as of June 2025, lower than the Rest of Vic.'s 3.8%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.9%. In total, 12,762 residents were employed by June 2025, with a workforce participation rate of 68.7%, significantly higher than Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. The dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Notably, professional & technical services have a strong presence, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.6% compared to the regional average of 7.5%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.9%, while the labour force grew by 2.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of Vic. saw an employment decline of 0.9% and a labour force decline of 0.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Geelong West-Hamlyn Heights has a high national income level based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $57,116 and the average income stands at $72,587. These figures compare to Rest of Vic.'s median income of $48,741 and average income of $60,693. With a Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Geelong West-Hamlyn Heights would be approximately $64,061 (median) and $81,414 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows personal income ranks at the 70th percentile ($918 weekly), while household income sits at the 48th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 30.3% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually (6,741 individuals). High housing costs consume 15.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 50th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights, as per the latest Census, consisted of 77.5% houses and 22.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Vic. had 84.6% houses and 15.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights stood at 30.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.3% and rented ones at 35.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,842, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,712. The median weekly rent was $335, the same as Non-Metro Vic.'s figure. Nationally, Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 62.0% of all households, including 27.0% couples with children, 24.4% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 38.0%, with lone person households at 33.5% and group households comprising 4.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights shows a significant advantage with 34.6% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to 21.7% in the rest of Victoria and 27.3% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 22.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational credentials are also prominent with 32.9% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (21.5%). Educational participation is high with 27.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 8.7% in primary, 6.5% in secondary, and 6.0% in tertiary education. Eleven schools serve a total of 4,068 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1037) offering balanced educational opportunities.

The area has six primary, four secondary, and one K-12 school. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' in enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights has 100 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes that together facilitate 1,604 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average located just 204 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages at 229 trips per day, translating to approximately 16 weekly trips per individual stop.

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights residents showed relatively positive health outcomes, with common conditions similarly distributed across age groups. Private health cover was high at approximately 56%, compared to 52.7% in Rest of Vic., covering around 12,458 people.

Mental health issues and asthma were the most prevalent conditions, affecting 9.8 and 8.8% respectively. Around 68.6% reported no medical ailments, higher than the 65.9% across Rest of Vic. The area had 14.7% residents aged 65 and over (3,270 people), lower than Rest of Vic.'s 16.8%. Health outcomes among seniors were above average, outperforming general population metrics.

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Geelong West-Hamlyn Heights showed lower cultural diversity, with 83.8% born in Australia, 89.3% being citizens, and 88.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 48.3%. The 'Other' category was slightly overrepresented at 0.9%, compared to 1.2% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were English (26.9%), Australian (24.7%), and Irish (11.2%). Notably, Croatian (1.5%) and Dutch (2.2%) were also overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.5% and 2.0%, respectively. Macedonian was slightly overrepresented at 1.0%.

Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights is 36 years, significantly below Rest of Vic.'s average of 43 and somewhat younger than Australia's 38 years. The 25-34 age group has a strong representation at 18.5%, compared to Rest of Vic., while the 65-74 cohort is less prevalent at 8.1%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group grew from 16.9% to 18.5% of the population, and the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 14.9% to 16.4%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 12.4% to 10.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 53%, reaching 6,283 people from the current 4,111. In contrast, the 55-64 cohort shows minimal growth of just 0% (2 people).