Ascot (Greater Bendigo - Vic.)

Ascot lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, Ascot (Greater Bendigo - Vic.) SA2's population is estimated at around 2,688. This reflects an increase of 117 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,571. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 2,528 following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release (June 2024), along with an additional 22 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 254 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Ascot SA2 demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 4.0%. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth (approximately 44.0% of overall gains), although all drivers including interstate migration and overseas migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, exceptional growth is predicted over the period with Ascot SA2 expected to increase by 1,656 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 65.5% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Ascot when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Ascot recorded approximately six residential properties granted approval annually. Around 30 homes were approved between financial years FY21 and FY25, with three approved so far in FY26.

This results in an average of 12.6 new residents per year for every home built over the past five financial years. Demand significantly outpaces supply, typically putting upward pressure on prices and increasing competition among buyers. New properties are constructed at an average value of $315,000. Compared to Rest of Vic., Ascot has significantly less development activity, 69.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new properties strengthens demand and prices for existing properties.

However, development activity has picked up in recent periods. Nationally, Ascot's development activity is also under the average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. Recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, preserving the area's low density nature. This attracts space-seeking buyers, with around 263 people per dwelling approval. Future projections show Ascot adding approximately 1,761 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Ascot has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include Victory Christian College Epsom Campus, Maiden Gully Road/Calder Highway Intersection Upgrade, Epsom Village Shopping Centre Redevelopment, and Maiden Gully Growth Area. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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AreaSearch assessment positions Ascot ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Ascot has a skilled workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 2.9%.

Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 2.2%. As of September 2025, 1,330 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.8% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Ascot is higher at 64.7% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

Notably, mining has a high concentration with employment levels at 5.4 times the regional average. However, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence with only 2.2% employment compared to the regional average of 7.5%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. In the past year, employment increased by 2.2% while labour force rose by 2.8%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where employment contracted by 0.7%. State-level data from November 25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest a potential future demand within Ascot. These projections estimate national employment growth by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ascot's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not account for localized population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Ascot has an income level comparable to national averages, per latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Ascot is $55,054, with an average income of $67,473. These figures compare to Rest of Vic.'s median and average incomes of $50,954 and $62,728 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated current incomes as of September 2025 are approximately $59,596 (median) and $73,040 (average). Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Ascot cluster around the 58th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 40.7% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (1,094 residents), aligning with broader trends across the broader area showing 30.3% in the same category. After housing costs, residents retain 88.2% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Ascot is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Ascot's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.9% houses and 1.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Vic.'s dwelling structure was 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ascot stood at 35.4%, similar to Non-Metro Vic., with the rest being mortgaged (48.1%) or rented (16.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. The median weekly rent figure in Ascot was $350, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $295. Nationally, Ascot's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were lower at $350 compared to the national figure of $375.

Ascot features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 82.3% of all households, consisting of 36.8% couples with children, 31.9% couples without children, and 13.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 17.7%, with lone person households at 15.8% and group households comprising 1.9% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Educational achievement in Ascot places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

The area's university qualification rate is 22.0%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 15.1%, followed by graduate diplomas (4.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (2.9%). Vocational credentials are held by 39.2% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 28.1%. Educational participation is high, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.9% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 3.1% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis shows three active public transport stops in Ascot. These stops are served by two different bus routes, offering a total of 253 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents typically located 592 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 36 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 84 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Ascot is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Ascot faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 54% of the total population (~1,438 people), compared to 50.4% across Rest of Vic..

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 9.2 and 9.1% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 66.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 62.0% across Rest of Vic.. The area has 15.0% of residents aged 65 and over (403 people), which is lower than the 18.9% in Rest of Vic.. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Ascot is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Ascot's population showed low cultural diversity, with 91.7% citizens and 90.6% born in Australia. English was spoken at home by 92.6%. Christianity dominated religiously at 46.7%, while Judaism was slightly overrepresented at 0.2% compared to 0.1% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.3%), Australian (31.2%), and Irish (9.8%). Notable differences existed for Welsh (0.6% vs regional 0.4%), Dutch (1.3% vs 1.1%), and German (3.5% vs 3.2%) groups.

Ascot's population is younger than the national pattern

Ascot has a median age of 34, which is lower than the Rest of Vic's figure of 43 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Vic's average, Ascot has an over-representation of the 25-34 cohort at 16.2% locally, while the 45-54 age group is under-represented at 8.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 25 to 34 age group grew from 14.1% to 16.2%, and the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 14.4% to 16.0%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group declined from 10.2% to 8.3%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 11.6% to 10.2%. Demographic modeling indicates that Ascot's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041, with the 25 to 34 age cohort projected to grow substantially, expanding by 423 people (97%) from 435 to 859.