Newtown, Geelong Property Report 2025

Suburb background — why Newtown stays premium

Newtown is Geelong’s established, blue-chip suburb on the river side. Tree-lined streets, older character homes, proximity to the CBD and the “school belt” keep it above the LGA median. Buyers who were originally looking at Highton or Belmont will often stretch here for school and lifestyle reasons, which keeps pressure on quality stock. If you want to compare suburb-by-suburb reports, see our Highton, Geelong property report and our Belmont, Geelong property report for family-friendly alternatives.

Being this close to central Geelong, Kardinia Park, and the river also means out-of-area buyers from Melbourne short-list Newtown quickly. That extra buyer pool is another reason prices hold even when the market softens.

How Newtown grew — and why it matters to buyers

Newtown didn’t arrive as a masterplanned estate. The older pockets close to Skene Street, Aphrasia Street and the Queens Park side carry period homes and larger blocks, which is where big-ticket sales show up. Later infill brought in some townhouses and more manageable family homes. For you, that means real variety: renovators and character homes at the top, solid family stock in the middle, and townhouses/units as entry points.

Location, connections and real-world travel times

Geelong CBD: 4–7 minutes in normal traffic — you’re right there.

Melbourne CBD: about 75–77 km via the M1. On a good run, allow an hour. A lot of Newtown buyers park at Geelong and take V/Line to Southern Cross.

Avalon Airport: ~23–25 km (under 30 minutes). Melbourne Airport: ~88–90 km, so allow a good hour.

Ring Road: close enough to be practical, but Newtown’s appeal is really CBD, river, schools and lifestyle first.

Schools, colleges and zoning

This is where Newtown really wins. You’ve got fast access to The Geelong College, Sacred Heart College, St Joseph’s, Newtown Primary, Chilwell Primary and nearby central Geelong options. That cluster is why families will push their budget for Newtown — it keeps school runs short and lets kids grow through one system.

Because the mix of Catholic, independent and government schools is so strong, we always tell buyers to check zoning and enrolment rules the week they buy — things change as demand cycles.

Lifestyle, landmarks and day-to-day amenity

Newtown gives you river walks, easy access to Queens Park, cafes and small services. The CBD and Waterfront are minutes away, Kardinia Park is close enough to do Cats games easily, and Pakington Street is nearby for dining/shopping. For buyers coming down from Melbourne who still want a “proper” Geelong lifestyle, Newtown is usually first or second on the list.

Market and housing in 2025

Premium family homes and renovated character properties are commonly in the $1.1m–$1.4m range, with top-tier streets trading higher again. Townhouses and units give you sub-$900k options but move quickly when presented well. Days on market are often 2–4 weeks for the good stuff because the buyer pool is ready to act.

Finance, deposits and lender appetite

At a $1.2m purchase price, a 10% deposit is $120,000. With VIC stamp duty, legals and a sensible buffer, most Newtown buyers we see are working with $160,000–$200,000. That often pushes the deal into high-80s LVR territory, which is still workable — but it’s where lender choice, LMI and structure start to matter. If you’re working with a smaller deposit or trying to line up incentives, run the numbers through our First-Home Buyer Scheme Calculator before you commit.

This is where we run a proper rate challenge across 35+ lenders and look for who is actually sharp for Geelong right now. Local borrower profiles, property type and LVR can all nudge pricing, so we don’t just take the headline rate. The aim is to get you approved and keep repayments sensible for a premium suburb.

Investors should accept that Newtown’s appeal is lifestyle + school + scarcity, not high yield. You can still find solid tenants quickly, so we just pick lenders with good rental shading and keep future borrowing power alive.

Nearby suburbs to compare

Most Newtown buyers are also looking at Highton (elevated, family, a touch cheaper) and Belmont (family, clearly cheaper), plus central Geelong if they want to be in town. Keep those pages interlinked so people don’t bounce out to REA or Domain just to compare.