What is the population of Warrnambool, Victoria?

The population of Warrnambool on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is 35,523, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That makes Warrnambool roughly as big as Albany or Geraldton in Western Australia.

Working out the population in Australia is trickier than you might think. This is mainly because the definition of a city is often loosely defined. Some, such as Sydney, have dozens of local government areas. This leads to several different ‘cities’ within what most would reasonably define as Sydney. Then there are cities like Brisbane, which is largely consumed by one local government area.

It doesn’t help that the Australian Bureau of Statistics tots up regional population by five different measurements. One is Statistical Area Level 2, which is effectively a neighbourhood or cluster of neighbourhoods. This is more useful when subdividing large cities, and practically useless anywhere else. There are also population counts by electoral area, local government area and remoteness area, which are all similarly flawed.

Pick the right Great Ocean Road tour from Melbourne

For wildlife and nature focus: One day tour with koalas and guided forest walk.
To beat the crowds: Reverse direction Great Ocean Road day tour.
For adventure: Two day camping and surfing trip.
For backpackers: One day highlights tour aimed at younger travellers.
For exclusivity and flexibility: Private tour where you can pick the sights you want to see.
For an extended trip: Three day Melbourne to Adelaide tour.

Perhaps the most useful measure of a city’s population is significant urban area. This is essentially what most reasonable people would see as the city. It’s the cluster of neighbourhoods and suburbs that naturally gravitate towards a certain urban centre.

Top Warrnambool experiences to book before arriving

Take a geologist-led tour of Budj Bim National Park – discover the Aboriginal cultural connections to the ancient volcano.
Relax in the rockpools – at the geothermally-fed Deep Blue Hot Springs.
Tandem skydive near the 12 Apostles – jump from a plane over the Shipwreck Coast.

Population of Warrnambool

So let’s use the significant urban area measurement to work out the population of Warrnambool, shall we? This Victorian city marks the end of the Great Ocean Road. There are plenty of things to do in Warrnambool. These include land-based whale watching, the Tower Hill nature reserve in Koroit and Flagstaff Hill. The latter is one of Australia Travel Questions’ 21 best museums to visit in Australia in 2021.

Logan Beach in Warrnambool, Victoria — Logans Beach in Warrnambool is one of the best places on earth for land-based whale-watching.

According to the regional population statistics released in March 2020, Warrnambool has a population of 35,523. That’s really a medium-sized town by British standards, but in Australia, this makes Warrnambool a city.

It’s a steadily-growing city, too. In 2009, the population of Warrnambool was 32,334.

7 fantastic Great Ocean Road experiences
1. Crowd-beating reverse direction tour. 2. Surfing lessons in Anglesea. 3. Split Point Lighthouse climb. 4. Shockwave Zip-Coaster. 5. Guided wildlife walk. 6. Budj Bim National Park tour. 7. Great Ocean Road by motorbike.

Warrnambool population comparisons

For rough comparisons, other cities in Australia with approximately the same population as Warrnambool include Albany and Geraldton in Western Australia. Nowra-Bomaderry and Bathurst in New South Wales have similar populations, too.

If visiting, the Warrnambool weather is best in January and February.

The best Warrnambool accommodation options

The top places to stay in Warrnambool are:

For a family-friendly holiday park with a kids’ club: Discovery Parks Warrnambool.
For luxury with a full service spa: Deep Blue Hotel and Hot Springs.
For waterfront location: Lady Bay Resort.
For high quality apartments with a pool: Gallery Apartments.
For a good value motel: Mid City Motel.