Blackburn

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

Blackburn's population is estimated at around 15,954 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,476 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,478. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 15,775 residents following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release (June 2024) and an additional 511 validated new addresses since the Census date. Blackburn's population density ratio is 2,704 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Blackburn's growth of 10.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.7%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 96.0%.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing 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. Blackburn is expected to grow by 1,869 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 8.1% in total over the 17 years.

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

Blackburn has received approximately 154 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 773 homes. In FY26 so far, 71 approvals have been recorded. Each new home attracts an average of 0.5 new residents per year between FY21 and FY25. This indicates that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, offering more buyer choices while supporting potential population growth above projections.

The average construction value for these properties is $781,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment. Additionally, $126.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating 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 reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. Recent construction comprises 43.0% detached dwellings and 57.0% 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 housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 106 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Population forecasts estimate Blackburn will gain 1,296 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

Twenty-eight infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. 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 expected to have the most significance.

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 has a highly educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 4.1% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.5%.

As of September 2025, 8,875 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.6% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries among Blackburn's residents comprise professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area demonstrates particularly notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, construction is under-represented, with only 6.5% of Blackburn's workforce compared to 9.7% in Greater Melbourne.

Many Blackburn residents commute elsewhere for work, as indicated by the count of Census working population relative to local population. Between September 2024 and 2025, employment increased by 3.5%, while labour force grew by 2.8%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% during the same period, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data from Victoria as of 25-Nov shows employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year (adding 41,950 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within Blackburn. These projections suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Blackburn's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years. However, it is important to note that this extrapolation does not take into account localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Blackburn had a median income among taxpayers of $57,251 and an average income of $83,123. Nationally, these figures are high compared to median and average incomes of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively in Greater Melbourne. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated median income for Blackburn would be approximately $61,974 as of September 2025, with average income projected at around $89,981 by the same date. Census 2021 data shows that incomes in Blackburn cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. Income distribution indicates that 28.8% of Blackburn's population (4,594 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to the broader area where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Economic strength is evident with 33.4% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. 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 structures, 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. Blackburn's home ownership level was 40.4%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (33.2%) or rented (26.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Blackburn was $2,208, below Melbourne metro's average of $2,300. The median weekly rent figure in Blackburn was recorded at $411, compared to Melbourne metro's $412. Nationally, Blackburn's median monthly mortgage repayments were 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 constitute 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 comprise the remaining 30.9%, with lone person households at 27.2% and group households comprising 3.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches 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 residents aged 15 and above have a higher proportion with university qualifications (50.9%) compared to Australia (30.4%) and Victoria (33.4%). Bachelor degrees are the most common (30.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.7%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Vocational pathways account for 20.8%, 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.

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

Blackburn has 86 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These consist of a mix of train and bus services. There are 21 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 6,973 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 179 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 996 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 81 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. Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (9,510 people), compared to 55.8% across Greater Melbourne. Mental health issues impact 7.5% of residents, while asthma impacts 7.2%. Seventy-one point five percent declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.9% across Greater Melbourne. Nineteen point two percent of residents are aged 65 and over (3,063 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 was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 33.4% born overseas and 28.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Blackburn, comprising 42.2% of its population. However, Buddhism was notably overrepresented, making up 3.6% compared to Greater Melbourne's 6.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (23.5%), Australian (20.4%), and Chinese (13.3%), which was lower than the regional average of 22.0%. There were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Sri Lankan at 0.5% (vs regional 0.8%), Indian at 3.6% (vs 3.7%), and Korean at 0.5% (vs 0.7%).

Blackburn's median age exceeds the national pattern

Blackburn's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and somewhat older than Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Blackburn has a notably over-represented cohort of 55-64 year-olds (12.7%) and an under-represented group of 25-34 year-olds (12.3%). Post the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group increased from 13.3% to 14.7%, while the 5-14 cohort declined from 11.9% to 10.3%. By 2041, Blackburn's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 65-74 cohort is expected to grow by 26%, adding 397 residents to reach 1,945. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 61% of the population growth. Conversely, declines are projected for the 15-24 and 0-4 age cohorts.