The Geelong is a metropolitan area in the Australian state of Victoria. It is the largest non-capital city and the second-most populated area in the state. Geelong is located about 47 miles southwest of the state capital city of Melbourne near the Corio Bay and the Barwon River. The name is derived from a local Wathaurong Aboriginal name for the region, Jillong. In 2014, the City of Greater Geelong had an estimated population of 225,000.
Geelong has an estimated population of 225,000, which includes the City of Greater Geelong municipality, the urban and surrounding areas. The region has a population density of 1,873 people per square kilometer or 4,851 per square mile. The city takes up a total surface area of approximately 918 square kilometers
More than 78% of the people in the city were born in Australia. The most common overseas birthplaces are: England (3.6%), Italy (1.1%), Croatia (1.0%), Netherlands (0.9%) and Scotland (0.8%). The city has a large Croatian community; many descended from immigrants who came to the region in the 1850s and through World War II. Today, Geelong has the largest Croatian community in the country. There is also a large German population. German settlers founded Germantown — now Grovedale — in 1849 to escape repression in Prussia for their religion.
29% of people in Geelong are Catholic, which is the largest religious affiliation. Following this are those who have no religion (20.5%), Anglican (14.6%), United Church (7.9%), and Presbyterian and Reformed (4.3%).
Geelong had a brief boom period during the gold rush and became the main port to the goldfields. It then went into manufacturing and became the largest manufacturing center in the country. In the 1960s, the city grew to over 100,000 people, with population growth now due to the service industries rather than manufacturing. Gentrification of the former working-class inner suburbs has occurred in the last twenty years, and most of the population growth is now in the suburbs, with a growth rate higher than that of the national average.
The City of Greater Geelong is expected to grow from 225,000 in 2014 to 298,000 by 2031, or more than 32%. During this time, the population under working age will increase by 21% while the people of retirement age will grow by 30%. By 2050, an additional 210,000 people are expected to live in Geelong and its surrounding areas, 170,000 of which will be in the City of Greater Geelong. Unfortunately, more people are moving to the area to enjoy the coastal lifestyle, but the government has not kept up with the growth and soon the region will be dealing with traffic congestion and reduced services.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 5,464,920 | 1.35% |
| Sydney | 5,312,640 | 1.22% |
| Brisbane | 2,599,740 | 1.23% |
| Perth | 2,195,090 | 1.19% |
| Adelaide | 1,407,600 | 1.05% |
| Gold Coast | 762,290 | 1.29% |
| Canberra | 488,541 | 1.15% |
| Newcastle | 474,766 | 1.06% |
| Wollongong | 321,908 | 1.06% |
| Hobart | 178,009 | 1.01% |
| Townsville | 168,729 | 1.01% |
| Cairns | 144,730 | 1.02% |
| Darwin | 118,456 | 1.03% |
| Toowoomba | 100,032 | 1.01% |
| Ballarat | 93,759 | 1.02% |
| Bendigo | 92,379 | 1.02% |
| Maitland | 78,015 | 1.03% |
| Mackay | 75,710 | 1% |
| Launceston | 75,329 | 1% |
| Bunbury | 71,090 | 1.02% |
| Rockhampton | 61,214 | 1% |
| Melton | 54,456 | 1.04% |
| Hervey Bay | 52,073 | 1.01% |
| Bundaberg | 50,148 | 1% |
| Wagga Wagga | 48,263 | 1.01% |
| Coffs Harbour | 48,225 | 1.01% |
| Albury | 47,974 | 1.01% |
| Port Macquarie | 44,814 | 1.02% |
| Orange | 37,182 | 1.01% |
| Queanbeyan | 36,248 | 1% |
| Wodonga | 35,130 | 1.02% |
| Sunbury | 34,425 | 1.01% |
| Dubbo | 34,339 | 1.01% |
| Tamworth | 33,885 | 0.99% |
| Bathurst | 33,587 | 1.01% |
| Mildura | 33,444 | 1.01% |
| Gladstone | 33,418 | 1.01% |
| Geraldton | 31,982 | 1% |
| Warrnambool | 30,709 | 1.01% |
| Albany | 29,373 | 1.02% |
| Lismore | 27,569 | 1% |
| Gawler | 26,472 | 1.02% |
