Blackburn

Blackburn has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Blackburn's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 15,903 people. This reflects an increase of 1,425 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,478 in the suburb. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 15,723 following their examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 511 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,695 persons per square kilometer, placing Blackburn in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 9.8% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (8.3%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 96.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, Blackburn is expected to grow by just below the median of national areas, with an increase of 1,865 persons projected by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total gain of 8.4% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Blackburn among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Blackburn has seen approximately 154 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 770 homes from FY-21 to FY-25. As of FY-26, 56 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.5 new residents arrive per year for each new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25.

The supply of dwellings has met or exceeded demand during this period. New properties are being constructed at an average expected cost of $781,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. Blackburn has registered $134.5 million in commercial approvals this financial year, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Blackburn shows moderately higher development activity, with 21.0% more approvals per person over the past five years. This preserves buyer options while sustaining existing property demand.

Recent construction comprises 42.0% detached dwellings and 58.0% attached dwellings, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 66.0% houses. This trend suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and affordability needs. Blackburn has approximately 106 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Blackburn is forecasted to gain 1,343 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Blackburn has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 28 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include 104 Main Street Blackburn townhouses, Blackburn Activity Centre, 33 Esdale Street townhouses, and Whitehorse Housing Target Implementation. 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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The labour market in Blackburn demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Blackburn's workforce is highly educated with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 4.2% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.7%.

As of June 2025, 8,828 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.1%, which is 0.5% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries included professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Blackburn had a notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average.

However, construction was under-represented, with only 6.5% of Blackburn's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending Sep-22, employment increased by 3.7% and labour force by 2.9%, decreasing the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Blackburn's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, Blackburn had a median income among taxpayers of $57,251 with the average level standing at $83,123. Nationally, this is extremely high compared to levels of $54,892 and $73,761 across Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year ended June 2022, current estimates would be approximately $64,213 (median) and $93,231 (average) as of September 2025. Census data from 2021 shows household, family and personal incomes in Blackburn cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. Distribution data shows 28.8% of the population fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring the broader area where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Economic strength emerges through 33.4% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000. Housing accounts for 13.4% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 74th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Blackburn displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Blackburn's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 66.0% houses and 34.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 60.2% houses and 39.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Blackburn stood at 40.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.2% and rented ones at 26.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,208, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,300. Median weekly rent in Blackburn was $411, slightly higher than Melbourne metro's $412. Nationally, Blackburn's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Blackburn has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 69.1% of all households, including 33.9% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 8.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 30.9%, with lone person households at 27.2% and group households comprising 3.6%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Blackburn demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Blackburn's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 50.9% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 30.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.7%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Vocational pathways account for 20.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.1% and certificates at 10.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.7% in secondary education, 8.4% in primary education, and 8.0% pursuing tertiary education. Blackburn's five schools have a combined enrollment of 3,170 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1137. Educational provision is balanced, with four primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 19.9 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.4, indicating Blackburn serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Blackburn has 85 active public transport stops, serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 19 different routes, facilitating 9,476 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 179 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 1,353 trips per day, equating to around 111 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Blackburn is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Blackburn demonstrates above-average health outcomes with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (9,479 people), compared to 56.0% across Greater Melbourne.

Mental health issues impact 7.5%, while asthma impacts 7.2% of residents in Blackburn. A total of 71.5% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.9% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 19.2% of residents aged 65 and over (3,053 people), higher than the 17.7% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Blackburn was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Blackburn's population showed high cultural diversity, with 33.4% born overseas and 28.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Blackburn as of 2016, accounting for 42.2%. Buddhism, however, was more prevalent in Blackburn at 3.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 6.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (23.5%), Australian (20.4%), and Chinese (13.3%), the latter being lower than the regional average of 22.0%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Sri Lankan at 0.5% in Blackburn versus 0.8% regionally, Indian at 3.6% versus 3.7%, and Korean at 0.5% versus 0.7%.

Blackburn hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Blackburn's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and slightly above Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Blackburn has an over-representation of the 55-64 age cohort at 12.7% and an under-representation of the 25-34 age group at 12.3%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 13.3% to 14.7%, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 11.9% to 10.3%. By 2041, Blackburn's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 65-74 age group is expected to grow by 26%, adding 402 residents to reach 1,945. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 60% of the population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.