Torquay (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Torquay sits on Victoria's Surf Coast about 21 kilometres south of Geelong, marking the eastern start of the Great Ocean Road. It is widely regarded as the home of Australian surfing: nearby Bells Beach hosts a long-running professional contest, and the surf brands Rip Curl and Quiksilver were both founded in the town. The area is Wadawurrung country, part of the Kulin nation around Port Phillip Bay. The town takes its name from Torquay in Devon, England, the home of an early settler, and was formally adopted in 1892. Today it draws holidaymakers to its patrolled beaches, the Surf Coast Walk, and the national surfing museum at the town's heart.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Torquay (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1091, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Torquay (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 18,534
- Median age
- 39
- Median weekly household income
- $2,295
- SEIFA score
- 1091
- Coordinates
- -38.3127, 144.3245
Torquay (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Torquay (Vic.) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 27%, 21% of homes are rented, and 14% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 4,153 | 22% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,832 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,927 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,584 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,040 | 16% |
Share of the 18,536 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,103 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,720 | 43% |
| Rented | 1,359 | 21% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 5,778 | 91% |
| Townhouses & semis | 536 | 8% |
| Flats & apartments | 40 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 6,373 occupied private dwellings in Torquay (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $500
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Average household size
- 2.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,627
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,018
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,477 (14%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 873 (5%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 118 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 9,309 (68%)
- Labour-force participation
- 67.5%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.2%
- Employed full-time
- 5,337
- Employed part-time
- 3,347
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Torquay (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Torquay (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 23.8°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.8°C). The area receives roughly 567 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.8°C | 14.8°C | 46 mm |
| Feb | 23.2°C | 14.6°C | 31 mm |
| Mar | 21.9°C | 13.9°C | 36 mm |
| Apr | 19.1°C | 11.5°C | 47 mm |
| May | 15.9°C | 9.3°C | 47 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 7.5°C | 45 mm |
| Jul | 12.8°C | 6.8°C | 40 mm |
| Aug | 13.4°C | 6.9°C | 45 mm |
| Sep | 15.6°C | 7.9°C | 58 mm |
| Oct | 18.1°C | 9.3°C | 67 mm |
| Nov | 19.7°C | 10.9°C | 53 mm |
| Dec | 21.9°C | 12.7°C | 52 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Torquay (Vic.)
Where is Torquay (Vic.)?
Torquay (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Torquay (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Torquay (Vic.) had a population of about 18,534.
Is Torquay (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Torquay (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1091, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 94 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Torquay (Vic.)?
Torquay (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 18.2°C and overnight lows of about 10.5°C, with roughly 567 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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