Geelong vs WerribeeTwo suburbs compared for a home loan
Geelong (VIC 3220) is approximately 75 km south-west of the Melbourne CBD. Werribee (VIC 3030) is approximately 30 km south-west of the Melbourne CBD. At the 2021 Census, Geelong had 5,811 residents with a median age of 40, and Werribee had 50,027 residents with a median age of 35.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 25% of occupied dwellings in Geelong and 1% in Werribee, while 44% of Geelong households rented compared with 34% in Werribee. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
VIC 3220 · Greater Geelong
Geelong
Geelong 3220 is the waterfront centre of Victoria's second city, mixing Victorian houses, townhouses and apartments close to the station and hospital.
City of Greater Geelong. Approximately 75 km south-west of the Melbourne CBD.
Read the full Geelong guideVIC 3030 · Outer West Melbourne
Werribee
Werribee is the historic centre of the City of Wyndham in outer south-west Melbourne, dominated by detached houses, with a rail terminus and hospital.
City of Wyndham. Approximately 30 km south-west of the Melbourne CBD.
Read the full Werribee guide
What buying in Geelong and Werribee would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Geelong and Werribee.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
- Loan amount
- $829,670
- Loan to value ratio
- 89.1%
- Transfer duty, Victoria
- $49,970
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $14,670
- Upfront cash needed
- $152,970
- Loan amount
- $553,850
- Loan to value ratio
- 84.6%
- Transfer duty, Victoria
- $34,070
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $3,850
- Upfront cash needed
- $137,070
- At these prices, Geelong costs $1,671 more a month than Werribee and needs $15,900 more cash upfront.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Geelong and Werribee: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Geelong | Werribee |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 5,811 | 50,027 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 40 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,670 | $1,645 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $370 | $330 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,000 | $1,733 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 44% | 34% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 20% | 39% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 34% | 26% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 52% | 85% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 21% | 14% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 25% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 47% | 13% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 17% | 35% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 18% | 7% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Geelong and Werribee
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Geelong
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Lenders may reduce the maximum loan-to-value ratio for small apartments or buildings with a high concentration of investor-owned lots.
- Off-the-plan apartments are valued at completion, so the valuation can differ from the contract price agreed earlier.
- Heritage controls restrict demolition and external alterations to many period houses, which valuers take into account.
- Auction purchases are unconditional, so finance approval and building inspections need to be arranged before bidding.
- Owners corporation fees, special levies and defect or cladding issues affect serviceability and can influence a lender's view of the security.
- Short-stay rental income is often excluded or heavily discounted in serviceability assessments.
Werribee
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- House-and-land purchases typically involve a construction loan with progress payments, and interest is charged on the amount drawn.
- Delays in land titling can outlast a finance approval, requiring reassessment before settlement.
- Valuations in new estates can vary from contract prices where similar stock is plentiful or incentives have been offered.
- Small deposits are common in growth corridors, and lenders mortgage insurance generally applies at high loan-to-value ratios.
- Small unit developments still involve an owners corporation, and lenders may require evidence of common property insurance before settlement.
- Lenders value older houses on large allotments on their existing use, so subdivision potential is not normally reflected in the loan amount.
Housing stock in Geelong and Werribee compared
Geelong
- Victorian and Edwardian houses
- Weatherboard cottages and brick villas on modest allotments, many affected by heritage controls.
- Townhouses and villa units
- Infill dwellings and older unit developments in the southern streets, usually within a small owners corporation.
- Apartments
- Older walk-up flats and newer multi-storey buildings near the waterfront and commercial core.
Werribee
- Established detached houses
- Post-war and late twentieth century weatherboard and brick veneer homes, often on larger allotments near the town centre and river.
- Newer estate homes
- Single and double storey houses by volume builders on compact allotments at the edges of the suburb.
- Villa units and townhouses
- Small multi-dwelling developments on subdivided older blocks, usually single level and within a small owners corporation.
Official sale price and rent figures for Geelong and Werribee
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Geelong
- Median house price, 2025
- $915,000
- Median unit price, 2025
- $635,000
- Median weekly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2025 Q3 (Geelong-Newcombe)
- $480
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat, 2025 Q3 (Geelong-Newcombe)
- $460
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), State of Victoria; Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Homes Victoria).
Werribee
- Median house price, 2025
- $650,000
- Median unit price, 2025
- $460,000
- Median weekly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2025 Q3 (Werribee-Hoppers Crossing)
- $460
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat, 2025 Q3 (Werribee-Hoppers Crossing)
- $405
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), State of Victoria; Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Homes Victoria).
Transport, schools and amenities in Geelong and Werribee
Geelong
Transport
- Geelong Station (train)
- South Geelong Station (train)
- Geelong Station bus interchange (bus)
- Ryrie Street (road)
Schools and campuses
- Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College (secondary, government)
- Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront campus (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- University Hospital Geelong
- Westfield Geelong
- Eastern Beach
- Geelong Gallery
- Geelong Arts Centre
- Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre
Werribee
Transport
- Werribee Station (train)
- Werribee Station bus interchange (bus)
- Princes Highway (Synnot Street) (road)
- Princes Freeway (Maltby Bypass) (road)
- Cherry Street overpass (road)
Schools and campuses
- Werribee Primary School (primary, government)
- Werribee Secondary College (secondary, government)
- Suzanne Cory High School (secondary, government)
- MacKillop College (secondary, catholic)
Amenities
- Werribee Mercy Hospital
- Watton Street town centre
- Chirnside Park
- Werribee Outdoor Olympic Pool
- Wyndham Cultural Centre
- Werribee River Trail
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Victoria education department.
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