Burnside (Vic.)

Burnside 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 ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, as of Nov 2025, Burnside (Vic.) statistical area (Lv2) has an estimated population of approximately 6,697. This reflects a growth of 897 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,800. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 6,449 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in Jun 2024, along with an additional 214 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,626 persons per square kilometer, placing Burnside (Vic.) in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The area's 15.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both national average (9.7%) and state levels, marking it as a growth leader regionally. Interstate migration contributed approximately 48.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch projections for Burnside (Vic.) are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year, while adjustments for areas not covered employ VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with weighted aggregation method to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Burnside (Vic.) is predicted to experience exceptional growth, increasing by approximately 3,602 persons, reflecting a total increase of around 50.1% over the 17-year period based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data shows Burnside had approximately 69 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 349 homes were approved, with an additional 27 approved in FY-26 to date. Over the past five financial years, an average of 2.6 people moved to the area per new home constructed, indicating strong demand supporting property values.

The average construction cost value of new homes was $573,000, suggesting developers targeted the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This year, $8.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating limited commercial development focus compared to Greater Melbourne where Burnside records 55.0% lower building activity per person. The constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties, which is substantially higher than the national average, reflecting strong developer confidence in the location. Recent development has consisted entirely of detached dwellings, preserving Burnside's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers with an average of 116 people per approval. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Burnside is projected to add 3,354 residents by 2041, maintaining a reasonable pace of construction growth despite increasing competition among buyers as the population grows.

Future projections show Burnside adding 3,354 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers could encounter growing competition as population increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Amora Estate Cairnlea, Western Freeway Upgrade from Melton to Caroline Springs, Lake Caroline Master Plan & Activation Strategy, and Modeina Estate. The following details those most relevant.

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

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The employment landscape in Burnside shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Burnside has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 5.3% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 5.0% over the past year.

This rate is 0.6% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation in Burnside is lower at 59.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing. Burnside shows strong specialization in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical services have lower representation at 5.4% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 5.0%, labour force by 6.0%, and unemployment rose by 0.9 percentage points in Burnside. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.0%, labour force expand by 3.3%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Burnside's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Burnside has a median taxpayer income of $45,747 and an average income of $53,731 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is lower than national averages, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $49,521 (median) and $58,164 (average) as of September 2025. According to census data, household income ranks at the 57th percentile ($1,871 weekly), while personal income sits at the 24th percentile. Income analysis shows that the largest segment comprises 34.9% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (2,337 residents). This is consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 32.8% in the same category. High housing costs consume 16.7% of income. However, strong earnings still place disposable income at the 57th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

In Burnside, as per the latest Census evaluation, 85.3% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 14.7% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 90.9% houses and 9.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Burnside stood at 31.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 58.4% and rented ones at 10.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,800. Median weekly rent in Burnside was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $351. Nationally, Burnside's mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 80.9% of all households, including 51.5% couples with children, 18.6% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 19.1%, with lone person households at 18.0% and group households making up 1.1%. The median household size is 3.1 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 3.0.

Burnside performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's university qualification rate is 25.0%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 18.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 30.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (19.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 33.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (11.7%), secondary education (9.7%), and tertiary education (5.3%).

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

Burnside has 20 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together provide 804 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically located 210 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 114 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 40 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Burnside is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Burnside demonstrates above-average health outcomes with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population. However, it is higher than the national average across older, at-risk cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low, found to be approximately 48% of the total population (~3,224 people), compared to 51.1% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.2 and 6.9% of residents respectively, while 73.3% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 73.7% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 16.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,084 people), which is higher than the 10.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, requiring more attention than the broader population.

Burnside is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Burnside has a culturally diverse population, with 49.3% born overseas and 56.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Burnside, comprising 60.5%. Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 5.9% of Burnside's population versus 2.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (23.0%), Australian (12.1%) and English (10.3%), all lower than regional averages. Notably, Filipino (8.3%), Maltese (5.9%) and Spanish (1.2%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Burnside compared to Greater Melbourne.

Burnside's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Burnside has a median age of 37, matching Greater Melbourne's figure and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38. The population aged 15-24 stands at 15.7%, higher than Greater Melbourne's percentage, while those aged 25-34 comprise 11.2% of Burnside's population. Between 2021 and the present day, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.9% to 15.7%, whereas the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 12.4% to 11.2%. Additionally, the 55-64 age group has fallen from 11.2% to 10.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Burnside's age distribution. Notably, the 15-24 age group is projected to grow by 59%, adding 618 individuals and reaching a total of 1,670 from its current figure of 1,051.