About
Bells Beach (VIC 3228): population 151, median age 48, median household income $2,600/week, SEIFA IRSD decile 10. Victorian suburb guide with housing, jobs and community insights.
Bells Beach is a small locality in Surf Coast, Victoria (postcode 3228), located in the Geelong & Bellarine region. At the ABS Census 2021 it had a population of 151 people.
At a glance
Age distribution
Housing tenure
Key statistics
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Postcode | 3228 |
| Population (2021) | 151 |
| Males | 66 (43.7%) |
| Females | 78 (51.7%) |
| Median age | 48 years |
| Average household size | 2.9 |
| Median weekly household income | $2,600 |
| Median weekly family income | $2,750 |
| Median weekly rent | $525 |
| Median monthly mortgage | $2,600 |
| Labour force | 77 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% |
| Participation rate | 68.1% |
| Born overseas | 15.2% |
| Separate houses | 61.1% |
| Worked at home | 28.4% |
| SEIFA IRSD decile | 10 of 10 |
| Bachelor degree or higher | 63.1% |
| Completed Year 12 or equivalent | 87.0% |
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander residents | 0.0% |
| Residents needing assistance with core activities | 6.6% |
| Households with 2+ vehicles | 79.5% |
| Distance from Melbourne CBD | 87.8 km (straight line) |
Age profile
Median age: 48 years. Residents under 15: 15.9%. Residents aged 65 and over: 26.5%.
| Age group | People | Share of population |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 8 | 5.3% |
| 5-14 | 16 | 10.6% |
| 15-19 | 9 | 6.0% |
| 20-24 | 3 | 2.0% |
| 25-34 | 8 | 5.3% |
| 35-44 | 16 | 10.6% |
| 45-54 | 25 | 16.6% |
| 55-64 | 21 | 13.9% |
| 65-74 | 29 | 19.2% |
| 75-84 | 11 | 7.3% |
| 85 and over | 0 | 0.0% |
Households and families
| Household type | Count | Share of households |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 44 | |
| Average household size | 2.9 | |
| One person | 3 | 6.8% |
| Two persons | 16 | 36.4% |
| Three persons | 5 | 11.4% |
| Four persons | 4 | 9.1% |
| Five persons | 0 | 0.0% |
| Six or more persons | 5 | 11.4% |
| Family type | Count | Share of families |
|---|---|---|
| Total families | 35 | |
| Couples with children | 3 | 8.6% |
| Couples without children | 12 | 34.3% |
| One-parent families | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other families | 0 | 0.0% |
Housing
| Dwellings | Count | Share of dwellings |
|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings | 72 | |
| Occupied | 44 | 61.1% |
| Unoccupied | 31 | 43.1% |
| Dwelling structure | Count | Share of dwellings |
|---|---|---|
| Separate house | 44 | 61.1% |
| Semi-detached or townhouse | 0 | 0.0% |
| Flat or apartment | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other dwelling | 0 | 0.0% |
| Tenure | Count | Share of households |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 25 | 56.8% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 14 | 31.8% |
| Rented | 4 | 9.1% |
| Other tenure | 0 | 0.0% |
Employment
| Labour force status | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 77 | |
| Employed | 74 | 96.1% |
| Unemployed | 3 | 3.9% |
| Not in the labour force | 36 | |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | |
| Participation rate | 68.1% |
Household income
Household incomes in Bells Beach are distributed across the following weekly bands.
| Weekly household income | Share of households |
|---|---|
| Under $650 | 0.0% |
| $650 to $1,499 | 19.5% |
| $1,500 to $2,999 | 39.0% |
| $3,000 or more | 41.5% |
For residents aged 15 and over, personal weekly income is distributed as follows.
| Weekly personal income | Share of residents 15+ |
|---|---|
| Under $500 | 24.8% |
| $500 to $999 | 20.5% |
| $1,000 to $1,999 | 30.8% |
| $2,000 or more | 23.9% |
Travel to work
| Method | Count | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Car driver | 38 | 51.4% |
| Car passenger | 5 | 6.8% |
| Train | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bus | 0 | 0.0% |
| Tram | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bicycle | 0 | 0.0% |
| Walked only | 0 | 0.0% |
| Worked at home | 21 | 28.4% |
Religious affiliation
| Religion | Count | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Christianity | 34 | 22.5% |
| No religion | 96 | 63.6% |
| Islam | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hinduism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Buddhism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Judaism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other or not stated | 21 | 13.9% |
Socio-economic profile (SEIFA 2021)
SEIFA deciles run from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (least disadvantaged) nationally.
| Index | Score | Decile | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRSD (disadvantage) | 1125 | 10 | 100 |
| IRSAD (advantage and disadvantage) | 1137 | 10 | |
| IER (economic resources) | 1181 | 10 | |
| IEO (education and occupation) | 1182 | 10 |
Where residents were born
87.5% of residents were born in Australia and 12.5% were born overseas. The most common overseas birthplaces in Bells Beach are listed below.
| Country of birth | People | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| England | 10 | 7.4% |
| United States of America | 3 | 2.2% |
Languages spoken at home
91.7% of residents speak only English at home. The most common other languages in Bells Beach are listed below. Across all households, 0.0% of residents speak English not well or not at all.
| Language | People | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Polish | 5 | 3.4% |
| German | 3 | 2.1% |
Ancestry
Residents of Bells Beach most commonly report the following ancestries.
| Ancestry | Responses | Share of responses |
|---|---|---|
| Australian | 68 | 33.7% |
| English | 53 | 26.2% |
| Irish | 28 | 13.9% |
| Scottish | 23 | 11.4% |
| Dutch | 9 | 4.5% |
| Italian | 6 | 3.0% |
Work and industry
The largest employment sectors for Bells Beach residents are listed below.
| Industry of employment | Workers | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 9 | 16.4% |
| Retail Trade | 8 | 14.5% |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 12.7% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 5 | 9.1% |
| Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services | 4 | 7.3% |
| Public Administration and Safety | 4 | 7.3% |
The most common occupations among Bells Beach residents are listed below.
| Occupation | Workers | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Professionals | 26 | 35.1% |
| Managers | 15 | 20.3% |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 8 | 10.8% |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 8 | 10.8% |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 7 | 9.5% |
| Sales Workers | 7 | 9.5% |
Education
87.0% of residents aged 15 and over have completed Year 12 or equivalent.
The most common fields of study among Bells Beach residents with qualifications are listed below.
| Field of study | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Society and Culture | 19 | 24.4% |
| Education | 16 | 20.5% |
| Engineering and Related Technologies | 9 | 11.5% |
| Creative Arts | 8 | 10.3% |
| Natural and Physical Sciences | 6 | 7.7% |
| Health | 6 | 7.7% |
Long-term health conditions
62.4% of residents report no long-term health condition. The most commonly reported conditions in Bells Beach are listed below.
| Health condition | People | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Asthma | 12 | 8.5% |
| Mental health condition (including depression or anxiety) | 11 | 7.8% |
| Cancer (including remission) | 8 | 5.7% |
| Heart disease (including heart attack or angina) | 5 | 3.5% |
| Arthritis | 4 | 2.8% |
| Stroke | 0 | 0.0% |
| Dementia (including Alzheimer's) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Diabetes (excluding gestational diabetes) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kidney disease | 0 | 0.0% |
| Lung condition (including COPD or emphysema) | 0 | 0.0% |
23.2% of residents report one condition, 0.0% report two, and 5.1% report three or more.
Community and care
How residents of Bells Beach contribute to their community (share of residents aged 15 and over).
| Community activity | Share |
|---|---|
| Volunteers for an organisation or group | 26.6% |
| Provides unpaid assistance to a person with a disability or health condition | 18.8% |
| Provides unpaid child care | 64.8% |
| Does 15 or more hours of unpaid domestic work | 30.5% |
| Has served or is serving in the Australian Defence Force | 0.0% |
Moving and stability
| Mobility | Share of residents |
|---|---|
| Same address 1 year ago | 88.8% |
| Moved within Victoria in the last year | 6.7% |
| Moved interstate in the last year | 0.0% |
| Moved from overseas in the last year | 0.0% |
| Same address 5 years ago | 76.0% |
| Moved within Victoria in the last 5 years | 12.8% |
| Moved interstate in the last 5 years | 0.0% |
| Moved from overseas in the last 5 years | 0.0% |
Photo: Bells Beach, Victoria. Credit: Michael J Fromholtz / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Crime and safety
Victoria Police recorded 10 offences in Bells Beach in the 12 months to March 2026.
| Offence division | Recorded offences |
|---|---|
| A Crimes against the person | 3 |
| B Property and deception offences | 5 |
| C Drug offences | 0 |
| D Public order and security offences | 1 |
| E Justice procedures offences | 1 |
| F Other offences | 0 |
Population too small for a reliable rate.
For context, the Surf Coast local government area recorded 3,099 offences per 100,000 residents in the same period. That figure is the official Crime Statistics Agency rate for the LGA.
Five-year trend
13
16
18
8
10
Recorded offences count crimes reported to Victoria Police in this locality, not crimes committed by or against its residents. Areas with shopping centres, transport hubs, hospitals or entertainment precincts record more offences regardless of how safe they are for people who live there. Counts are revised as investigations progress.
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, Data tables - Recorded offences, Year ending March 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates per 1,000 residents are calculations by My Victoria AU using ABS Census 2021 population and are not CSA figures. View the source dataset.
Location
<iframe src="https://www.openstreetmap.org/export/embed.html?bbox=144.2484%2C-38.3857%2C144.2724%2C-38.3677&layer=mapnik&marker=-38.376738%2C144.260388" width="100%" height="320" style="border:0;border-radius:12px;max-width:100%;" loading="lazy" title="Map of Bells Beach, Victoria"></iframe>Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby suburbs
Browse more suburbs in Surf Coast, or explore the wider Geelong & Bellarine region of Victoria.
Data disclaimer: The statistics on this page are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Census of Population and Housing 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (ASGS Edition 3), and are used under the ABS CC BY 4.0 licence. This directory is an independent community resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the ABS.
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