The three-bedroom house at 1A Darter Way, Armstrong Creek, is listed for sale with $599,000 to $639,000 price expectations.
The urban growth areas of Geelong’s northern and southern fringes are offering homebuyers the biggest choice in affordable housing options, new figures reveal.
Analysis of homes on the market by price bracket shows Armstrong Creek and Lara delivered the most homes in reach of buyers across urban Geelong.
The suburbs, where vast tracts of land were under development, deliver one third of homes priced between $500,000 and $700,000 in urban Geelong, and 40 per cent in the bracket between $700,000 and $1m, according to the PropTrack data.
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The analysis of property listings figures followed anecdotal evidence that homes priced between $600,000 and $800,000 were the most in demand for hopeful buyers.
A new report by FoundIt Property revealed choice – or the lack of it – is the biggest factor driving where buyers end up purchasing a home.
It found that in many parts of Australia buyers are forced to choose between location, dwelling type and lifestyle, rather than simply progressing up a traditional housing ladder.
“The ability to buy under $500,000 or $750,000 now varies sharply by location – and increasingly depends on what buyers are willing to trade off,” report author Found It Property analyst Kent Lardner said.
The four-bedroom townhouse at 7 Longreach Rd, Armstrong Creek, is listed for sale with $649,000 price hopes.
Under $500,000: Top 5 suburbs by share of stock
| Suburb | Proportion |
| Geelong | 14% |
| Leopold | 12% |
| Norlane | 10% |
| Highton | 8% |
| Belmont | 7% |
Source: PropTrack. Total listings: 136.
$500,000-$700,000: Top 5 suburbs by share of stock
| Suburb | Proportion |
| Armstrong Creek | 18% |
| Lara | 16% |
| Corio | 7% |
| Charlemont | 7% |
| Mount Duneed | 7% |
Source: PropTrack. Total listings: 458.
He said many people in capital cities such as Melbourne were moving to the outer suburbs, or regional areas such as Geelong where more affordable homes were on the market.
“Once you go below $750,000 your options for housing go off a cliff,” he said.
Mr Lardner said buyers were increasingly choosing where they bought based on affordability alone.
“It’s becoming ‘what can I borrow?’ and that dictates the area they select,” Mr Lardner said.
The report found high-density apartments dominate the under $500,000 price bracket in Melbourne, which are often located closer to employment and amenities.
Under $750,000 restores some townhouse and fringe-suburb choice, while regional Victoria continues to offer detached housing at both thresholds.
6/17A The Esplanade, Geelong, is on the market for $499,000 to $545,000.
$700,000-$1m: Top 5 suburbs by share of stock
| Suburb | Proportion |
| Lara | 20% |
| Armstrong Creek | 19% |
| Mount Duneed | 12% |
| Leopold | 7% |
| Highton | 6% |
Source: PropTrack. Total listings: 573.
$1m-$1.5m: Top 5 suburbs by share of stock
| Suburb | Proportion |
| Highton | 15% |
| Mount Duneed | 15% |
| Newtown | 12% |
| Geelong | 10% |
| Lara | 8% |
Source: PropTrack. Total listings: 143.
Regional cities, such as Geelong that has seen the biggest increase in buyers leaving Melbourne were helping underpin demand for homes.
The region’s median dwelling value gained $32,000 in 2025 to reach $762,000 in January, according to PropTrack’s Home Price Index.
Nearly 70 per cent of the homes on the market across Geelong are in the price brackets between $500,000 and $1m.
New data shows that 51 per cent of house and unit sales in Geelong in the past 12 months were priced between $500,000 and $750,000.
More established suburbs such as Highton and Leopold emerge with some volume of listings in the $700,000 to $1m bracket, but Highton has the most properties listed for sale in the $1m-$2m category.
The three-bedroom house at 8 Moorhen Drive, Lara, is listed for sale with $670,000 to $730,000 price expectations.
$1.5m-$2m: Top 5 suburbs by share of stock
| Suburb | Proportion |
| Highton | 20% |
| Newtown | 16% |
| Leopold | 8% |
| Geelong | 6% |
| Geelong West | 6% |
Source: PropTrack. Total listings: 51.
$1.5m-$2m: Top 5 suburbs by share of stock
| Suburb | Proportion |
| Geelong | 26% |
| Newtown | 24% |
| Highton | 12% |
| Rippleside | 10% |
| Lara | 8% |
Source: PropTrack. Total listings: 51.
PropTrack senior economist Angus Moore said development was delivering more affordable housing.
“Typically more affordable brackets are going to be – though not exclusively – outlying areas,” Mr Moore said.
“Those high-development but more outlying areas tend to be more affordable, which is one of the reasons they can be quite attractive for people.
The three-bedroom house at 2 Badenoch Court, Highton, is listed for sale with $1.195m to $1.295m price expectations.
“But the data shows there are still homes at more affordable price points in inner city areas, though the trade-off will be they tend to be smaller apartments.
“For many people that might be exactly what they are looking for and having that proximity to the CBD is very valuable.”
The juxtaposition is evident in central Geelong, which offers the biggest volume of homes on the market for less than $500,000, and over $2m.
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