Ocean Grove
VICOcean Grove is a growing suburb in VIC with 17,714 residents.
- SAL code
- 22005
- SA2
- 203031490
- Population
- 17,714
Ocean Grove, VIC had 17,714 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 10.8% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 5-14 years, and the median age sits at 43. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,000 a month. Around 78.5% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 41.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 93.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 32 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
Ocean Grove, VIC at a glance
Ocean Grove is the largest town on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula, ~20 km east of Geelong and ~95 km from Melbourne, in the City of Greater Geelong. It mixes a working surf-coast main street with steady residential build-out behind the dunes; the population is a blend of long-term locals, retirees and tree-changers. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Ocean Grove is a coastal town built around the surf beach and the Barwon River mouth — a working main street (The Terrace), a deep band of residential streets, and golf, river and ocean within minutes of each other. Mostly detached houses on standard lots; newer estates push north toward Wallington. Ocean Grove Primary, Surfside Primary, Our Lady Star of the Sea (Catholic) and Bellarine Secondary College's Ocean Grove campus cover schooling on the peninsula. Recreation anchors include the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, the Ocean Grove Golf Club, the indoor pool / leisure complex, and the skate park / bowl. Geelong CBD is ~25 minutes by car; Melbourne is ~90 minutes via the Geelong Ring Road and the M1. In short: a beach-town address with proper services and an easy run into Geelong, but you're paying a coastal premium for it.
For investors
Ocean Grove is a lifestyle market that has cooled on houses but firmed on units. Median house $930,000 against $600/week rent gives a ~3.11% gross yield; median unit $789,000 against $530/week gives ~3.26% (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth -4.12%, but units +5.91%. 389 house and 42 unit sales in 12 months — deep volume for a suburb this size. Days-on-market 60 (houses), 70 (units).
Strengths
- Deep transaction market (~431 sales in 12 months) — easy to enter and exit at scale.
- Unit segment outperforming on growth (+5.91% YoY) and slightly stronger yield (~3.26%) — a play for downsizer / holiday-let demand.
- Lifestyle-anchored demand (surf beach, river, golf, schools) underpins owner-occupier interest beyond the immediate cycle.
- City of Greater Geelong is committing $207.7m to capital works in 2025/26, including $10m for the Ocean Grove Principal Pedestrian Network.
Trade-offs
- House yields are thin (~3.11%) and 12-month house growth is negative (-4.12%) — not a cashflow play and the cycle hasn't turned.
- Days-on-market 60-70 is materially slower than metro benchmarks; pricing discipline matters.
- Amendment C394 introduces a new Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (LSIO2) across ~1,614 coastal Bellarine properties including parts of Ocean Grove — check overlays before buying.
- Distance from Melbourne (~90 min) caps weekday commuter demand; the buyer pool leans Geelong + lifestyle relocators.
What's coming
City of Greater Geelong's 2025/26 capital program funds the $10m Ocean Grove Principal Pedestrian Network (under construction). The $1.6m Epworth Street drainage upgrade connects Blue Waters Lake to Presidents Avenue to cut overland flooding. Council's 10-year flood-mitigation program continues with the Ocean Grove Stormwater Study covering the wider catchment (Ocean Grove, Wallington, Marcus Hill, Point Lonsdale).
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a proper coastal town with services, schools and a short run to Geelong. For investors: a lifestyle market with deep volume but soft house growth and thin yields — the unit segment is the firmer story right now.
Population
?17,714
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+10.8%
3yr: +4.9% · 10yr: +33.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,837/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
43
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?9/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.0%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
3
3 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?9
5 long day, 3 OSHC
Parks & green space
?32
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?47
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 — Ocean Grove (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Ocean Grove suburb alone is ~17,714 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 12,208 to 20,792 over 24 years, averaging 2.2% per year.
Schools
3 in suburbSector
2 public · 1 private
Type
3 primary
Total enrolment
1,756
Avg per school
585
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 (93.7%), owner-occupied (78.5%), built for families (47% 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
21 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 30.3% | 5.60 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 12.8% | 2.36 km² |
| FZ | Farming ZoneRural | 9.1% | 1.69 km² |
| LDRZ1 | Low Density Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 7.1% | 1.31 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 6.2% | 1.14 km² |
| GRZ2 | General Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 6.1% | 1.13 km² |
| NRZ4 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 4.9% | 0.91 km² |
| RGZ3 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 3Residential | 4.1% | 0.77 km² |
| SUZ8 | Special Use Zone Schedule 8Special use | 4.0% | 0.74 km² |
| NRZ5 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 5Residential | 3.8% | 0.71 km² |
| RCZ11 | Rural Conservation Zone Schedule 11Rural | 3.6% | 0.66 km² |
| RLZ | Rural Living ZoneRural | 1.8% | 0.33 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 1.3% | 0.24 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 1.1% | 0.20 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 1.0% | 0.19 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 1.0% | 0.18 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 0.7% | 0.12 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.4% | 0.08 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 0.4% | 0.07 km² |
| GRZ3 | General Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 0.2% | 0.04 km² |
| RCZ9 | Rural Conservation Zone Schedule 9Rural | 0.2% | 0.04 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.