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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
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Population
An assessment of population growth drivers in Black Hill reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends
As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Black Hill (Vic.) is around 2,084 people. This reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census figure of 2,124 people, indicating a drop of 40 individuals or approximately 1.9%. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses since the Census date and their examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025. This results in a population density ratio of 1,184 persons per square kilometer, which aligns with averages observed across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth in Black Hill (Vic.) during recent periods was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 43.0% of overall population gains.
However, all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors. AreaSearch is utilising 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 employs the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Looking ahead, demographic trends suggest a significant population increase in the top quartile of locations outside capital cities. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Black Hill (Vic.) is expected to grow by 594 persons by 2041, reflecting an overall increase of approximately 28.0% over the 16-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
The level of residential development activity in Black Hill is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch
Black Hill has had minimal residential development activity with less than one dwelling approval annually over the past five years (one approval in total). This low level of development reflects the rural nature of the area, where housing needs are typically specific and locally driven rather than broad market demand. It should be noted that yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably based on individual projects due to such low approval numbers.
Black Hill has substantially lower development levels compared to Rest of Vic.. This activity level is similarly below national patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Black Hill (Vic.)
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Black Hill has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects that could impact this region: Central Neighbourhood Activity Centre (Ballarat North), Eastwood Community Hub, Ballarat Station Upgrade, and Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment. The following details those likely to be most relevant.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
St John of God Ballarat Hospital Expansion
An $80.5 million expansion of St John of God Ballarat Hospital, featuring a new five-level medical services building. The project delivered a 10-bed ICU/CCU, four new operating theatres, a 30-bed in-patient ward, and an expanded Cardiovascular Intervention Laboratory. The redevelopment also included a new Central Sterile Services Department and upgraded pathology facilities to meet the growing healthcare needs of the Ballarat and Grampians region.
Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment
The $655 million Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment is in its third and final stage, building a new seven-level hospital tower delivered by Built in partnership with the Victorian Health Building Authority and Grampians Health. The tower will include a new main entrance off Sturt Street, a new emergency department with an integrated mental health, alcohol and other drugs hub, a women and children's hub, a state-of-the-art operating theatre suite, an expanded critical care floor, a new helipad, and around 100 extra inpatient and short stay beds. As of late 2025, structural works on the new tower are well advanced, with vertical concrete pours progressing and four tower cranes operating on site. Earlier stages have already delivered a six-storey central energy plant and support services building on Drummond Street, and an expanded multi-deck carpark adding 400 spaces. Once complete, the upgraded hospital will treat at least 18,000 more emergency patients and 14,500 additional inpatients per year, supporting around 4,000 extra surgeries annually. The project is on track for completion in 2027.
Central Neighbourhood Activity Centre Ballarat North
A core component of the Ballarat North Precinct Structure Plan (PSP), this Neighbourhood Activity Centre (NAC) is designed to serve a future community of approximately 5,600 households. The centre is planned to support 8,000-12,000 sqm of supermarket floorspace, providing for two to three full-line supermarkets. The broader precinct development includes two government primary schools, a government secondary school, two sporting reserves, and a local convenience centre to support a projected population of up to 19,000 residents.
Sovereign Hill Master Plan: Gold Vault
The Gold Vault is a proposed 1,000 square metre immersive visitor experience and the hero project of Sovereign Hill's 20-year Master Plan. Designed to attract up to 100,000 additional visitors annually, the new pavilion will combine high-security displays of Victoria's most significant gold collection items with interactive digital installations, dramatic lighting and curated artefacts from Sovereign Hill, the Victorian State Collection and partner institutions. The project will also deliver a redesigned arrival and orientation zone with new Welcome to Country experiences, retail and amenities. Sovereign Hill received 500,000 dollars from the Victorian Enabling Tourism Fund in 2024 to develop the schematic design, and the 17.9 million dollar build is currently the headline ask in the Ballarat. Now and Into the Future: Enabling Growth 2026 advocacy campaign ahead of the 2026 Victorian state election. The project is forecast to create between 124 and 168 construction jobs and 21 to 37 ongoing jobs, and will incorporate solar panels and energy-efficient design as part of Sovereign Hill's transition to net zero energy, waste and water.
Victorian Renewable Energy Zones
The Victorian Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) represent a strategic 15-year roadmap to upgrade the state electricity grid as it transitions from coal to renewable energy. Managed by VicGrid, the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan identifies six onshore zones (Central Highlands, Central North, Gippsland, North-West, South-West, and Western/Grampians) and a Gippsland Shoreline zone for offshore wind. The plan coordinates the connection of approximately 25GW of new solar, wind, and storage capacity by 2035, requiring nearly 800km of transmission upgrades. As of early 2026, VicGrid is finalizing the declaration of these zones following extensive community consultation on draft REZ orders, which closed in March 2026.
Ballarat Line Upgrade
Upgrade of the Ballarat regional rail line between Deer Park West/Melton and Ballarat completed in early 2021. Works delivered 18 km of duplicated track between Deer Park West and Melton, new Cobblebank Station, upgrades at Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, Rockbank and Wendouree, passing loops at Ballan and Millbrook, new stabling at Maddingley, and signalling and track improvements. The upgrade enabled around 135 extra weekly services across the line with peak services about every 20 minutes and off-peak about every 40 minutes.
Eastwood Community Hub
A $17.54 million redevelopment of the Eastwood Leisure Complex in central Ballarat, replacing the 1940s-era facility with a contemporary, fully accessible multipurpose community hub. The new facility will feature a main hall accommodating 275 people that can be configured into three activity rooms, three training rooms, a dedicated community meeting room, a medium-sized conference and events space, fully accessible toilets including a Changing Places facility, and modern office and administration areas. The existing basketball stadium will be retained and reclad. The hub serves over 100 groups annually with 60,000 visits and 14,000 hours of programmed activity, supporting education, training, social services, physical activity, arts, culture, and community events.
Western Renewables Link
Proposed 190km overhead 500kV double circuit high-voltage electricity transmission line from Bulgana in western Victoria to Sydenham in Melbourne's north-west. The project is currently in the EES public exhibition process (30 June to 25 August 2025).
Employment
Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.5%, Black Hill has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally
Black Hill has an educated workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 3.5%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 1,089 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.2% lower than Regional Vic.'s 3.7%.
Workforce participation stands at 64.7%, slightly higher than Regional Vic.'s 61.0%. Census responses indicate that 23.7% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts may have influenced this figure. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Notably, the area has a strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.
Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence, with only 0.5% of residents employed in these sectors compared to Regional Vic.'s 7.5%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.1% while employment declined by 1.9%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Regional Vic. saw an employment decline of 0.6%, a labour force contraction of 0.7%, and a reduction in unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Black Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though these estimates are illustrative and do not account for localized population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment
The suburb of Black Hill's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Black Hill is $49,702 and the average income stands at $63,815. These figures compare to those of Regional Vic., which are $50,954 (median) and $62,728 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Black Hill's median income would be approximately $54,483 and average income would be around $69,954 as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census figures, personal income in Black Hill ranks at the 50th percentile ($805 weekly), while household income sits at the 34th percentile. The largest segment of income distribution comprises 31.6% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (658 residents). After housing, 86.3% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Black Hill is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
As per the latest Census evaluation, 84.2% of dwellings in Black Hill were houses, with the remaining 15.8% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. In comparison, Regional Vic. had 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Black Hill stood at 33.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.8% and rented ones at 35.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,393, lower than Regional Vic.'s average of $1,430. Weekly rent in Black Hill was recorded at $290, compared to Regional Vic.'s $285. Nationally, Black Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Black Hill features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 60.4% of all households, including 22.8% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 10.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 39.6%, with lone person households at 34.7% and group households comprising 4.3%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Regional Vic. average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
The educational profile of Black Hill exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics
Black Hill has a higher proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications than the broader benchmarks. Specifically, 32.3% of its residents have such qualifications, compared to 21.7% in the Rest of Vic. and 24.6% in the SA4 region. This educational advantage is largely due to a high number of residents holding bachelor degrees (19.5%), postgraduate qualifications (8.3%), and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 32.3% of residents aged 15 and above possessing them.
This includes advanced diplomas held by 11.6% of residents and certificates held by 20.7%. Educational participation in the area is notably high, with 29.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (9.3%), secondary education (7.2%), and tertiary education (5.6%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Black Hill has 13 active public transport stops. These are served by 3 routes offering a total of 451 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is rated excellent with residents typically living 197 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward, primarily using cars at a rate of 93%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.2, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 23.7% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions.
Service frequency averages 64 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 34 weekly trips per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Black Hill is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Black Hill faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment.
Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high among both younger and older age groups. Approximately 52% (~1,085 people) of Black Hill residents have private health cover, slightly lower than the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (affecting 12.5% of residents) and asthma (9.1%). About 61.4% of residents claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to 63.4% in Regional Vic. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to high chronic condition rates. Black Hill has 19.4% of residents aged 65 and over (404 people), lower than the 23.9% in Regional Vic. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly similar to those of the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Black Hill ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Black Hill's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.2% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (86.5%), speaking English only at home (91.1%). Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 41.7% of Black Hill's population. The most notable overrepresentation was in the 'Other' category, which made up 0.8% compared to Regional Vic.'s 0.8%.
Regarding ancestry, the top three groups were English (32.1%), Australian (23.0%, lower than the regional average of 29.6%), and Irish (13.0%). Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Dutch was overrepresented at 2.8% compared to the regional 1.7%, Scottish at 9.0% versus 8.8%, and Maltese at 0.6% compared to 0.5%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Black Hill's population is slightly older than the national pattern
The median age in Black Hill is 40, which is slightly below Regional Vic.'s average of 43 but above the Australian median of 38. Compared to Regional Vic., the 35-44 cohort is notably higher at 16.5% locally, while the 75-84 age group is lower at 5.7%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 35-44 age group has grown from 15.1% to 16.5%, and the 75-84 cohort has increased from 4.4% to 5.7%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has declined from 12.8% to 11.6%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Black Hill. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to grow by 172 people (59%), from 289 to 462. The 55-64 group is expected to grow more modestly at 8%, adding only 19 residents.