Lara
VICLara is a growing suburb in VIC with 19,014 residents.
- SAL code
- 21469
- SA2
- 203021043
- Population
- 19,014
Lara, VIC had 19,014 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 16.4% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 37. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,733 a month. Around 76.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 45.6%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 89.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 52 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Lara, VIC at a glance
Lara is a commuter township between Geelong and Melbourne in the City of Greater Geelong, ~18 km north-east of central Geelong and ~60 km south-west of the Melbourne CBD. Larger lots, an established town centre, and an own train station give it a half-country, half-suburb feel — with the Lara West growth area now layering ~4,000 future homes onto the western edge. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Lara reads like a country town with a Geelong commute attached. Lots are bigger than the Geelong average, the streetscape mixes older brick homes with newer estate stock (Austin, Coridale, Lara Views), and there's a working town centre with both Coles and Woolworths, a butcher, greengrocer and the usual services. The train into Geelong takes about 11 minutes and into Southern Cross around an hour, with services every 30 minutes. The You Yangs Regional Park sits on the doorstep for walking and mountain biking, Avalon Airport is 5 minutes up the highway, and the Bellarine and Surf Coast beaches are 30-40 minutes away. Schools include Lara Secondary College (~900 students, Years 7-12) and three primaries — Lara, Lara Lake and St Anthony's. In short: a settled commuter town with country-edge lifestyle, an own train station, and a growth corridor unfolding to the west.
For investors
Lara is a steady regional-Geelong market with a deep transaction base. Median house sale $690,000 against $580/week rent gives a 3.98% gross yield; units sit at $515,000 / $485 rent for 4.74% (Your Investment Property + htag, January 2026). 12-month house growth a modest +2.45%, but units +11.96%. 459 house sales and 63 unit sales in the past 12 months — easy stock to enter. Days-on-market 35 (houses) / 24 (units).
Strengths
- Deep, liquid market — 459 house sales in 12 months (htag Jan 2026) makes entry and exit straightforward.
- Own railway station with ~30-minute service to Geelong and Melbourne — a structural commute advantage over inland Geelong suburbs.
- Lara West PSP underwrites long-run population growth — ~4,000 new homes and ~11,000 residents planned over the next 30 years (City of Greater Geelong).
- Unit segment outperforming on growth (+11.96% YoY) with the higher 4.74% yield.
Trade-offs
- House capital growth modest at +2.45% YoY (Your Investment Property May 2026) — not a momentum play.
- Yield only 3.98% (houses) — middling for regional Victoria.
- Days-on-market 35 (houses) signals a slower, negotiation-friendly market vs metro Geelong tightness.
- Lara West rollout (Coridale ~1,100 homes underway, plus follow-on stages) means ongoing greenfield supply that competes with established stock.
What's coming
The Lara West growth area (Amendment C246) continues to build out, with Villawood's Coridale estate (~1,100 homes on 89 ha) leading the rollout and additional precincts queued. The PSP also commits ~$37 million to roads, community infrastructure and sporting grounds, three new schools and a Lara station upgrade to a modern transport interchange. Greater Geelong delivered $207.7 million of capital works in 2024/25 across the LGA.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a country-edge commuter town with established services and a long growth runway to the west. For investors: a deep, steady market with moderate yield and modest house growth — units are the brighter line.
Population
?19,014
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+16.4%
3yr: +12.2% · 10yr: +33.1%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,969/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
37
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.8%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
3
2 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?12
6 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?52
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?56
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Lara (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Lara suburb alone is ~19,014 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 13,075 to 23,952 over 24 years, averaging 2.6% per year.
Schools
4 in suburbSector
3 public · 1 private
Type
3 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
2,634
Avg per school
659
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.4%Almost entirely detached houses (89.7%), owner-occupied (76.1%), built for families (43% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
19 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZ | Farming ZoneRural | 55.8% | 49.86 km² |
| RLZ | Rural Living ZoneRural | 17.2% | 15.34 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 6.0% | 5.35 km² |
| UGZ6 | UGZ6Other | 4.5% | 4.02 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 3.6% | 3.23 km² |
| IN2Z | Industrial 2 ZoneIndustrial | 3.0% | 2.68 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 1.9% | 1.66 km² |
| SUZ9 | Special Use Zone Schedule 9Special use | 1.4% | 1.27 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 1.3% | 1.17 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 1.0% | 0.88 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.8% | 0.72 km² |
| LDRZ1 | Low Density Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.8% | 0.68 km² |
| SUZ17 | Special Use Zone Schedule 17Special use | 0.7% | 0.60 km² |
| GRZ4 | General Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 0.4% | 0.38 km² |
| LDRZ2 | Low Density Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 0.4% | 0.37 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.4% | 0.33 km² |
| PUZ5 | Public Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.3% | 0.26 km² |
| UGZ | UGZOther | 0.2% | 0.20 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 0.1% | 0.13 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.