Burwood East

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Burwood East is around 12,386, reflecting a 16.0% increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,675 people. This increase is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 12,366 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release (June 2024) and an additional 481 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,907 persons per square kilometer, placing Burwood East in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth exceeded the national average (9.9%) and was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 74.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as 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 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is forecasted to grow by 3,455 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 27.7% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Burwood East among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Burwood East has seen approximately 127 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 639 homes were approved, with a further 29 approved in FY-26. Each dwelling built over these years has attracted an average of 2.2 new residents.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $729,000, indicating a focus on premium properties. This financial year has seen $18.5 million in commercial approvals. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Burwood East has experienced 35.0% more development per person over the past five years. New development consists of 26.0% standalone homes and 74.0% medium to high-density housing. The location currently has approximately 311 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, Burwood East is projected to grow by 3,435 residents.

Current development appears well-suited to meet future needs, supporting stable market conditions.

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

AreaSearch has identified seven infrastructure projects that could impact the area's performance. Key projects include SRL East - Works Package F - Stations from Glen Waverley to Box Hill, Tally Ho Activity Centre Structure Plan, East Burwood Reserve Master Plan, and Mirrabooka Reserve Pavilion Redevelopment. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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.

Burwood East shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Burwood East has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 5.0% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.0%. As of December 2025, 6,407 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.3% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation lagged at 62.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. According to Census responses, 34.2% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment among residents were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and professional & technical services. The area had a significant specialization in accommodation & food services, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction was under-represented at 7.1% of Burwood East's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents appeared to commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending in December 2025, employment increased by 2.0%, labour force grew by 2.7%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.7 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4% and a smaller unemployment increase of 0.3 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Burwood East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% 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 Burwood East had a median taxpayer income of $45,312 and an average income of $60,119 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than the national average, with Greater Melbourne having a median income of $57,688 and an average income of $75,164 during the same period. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth suggest the median income could be approximately $49,050 and the average income around $65,079. The 2021 Census data shows Burwood East's household income ranked at the 42nd percentile ($1,610 weekly) and personal income at the 24th percentile. In terms of earnings profile, 30.2% of locals (3,740 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which is similar to the metropolitan region's pattern where 32.8% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Burwood East, with only 83.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 42nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Burwood East's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 73.9% houses and 26.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Burwood East stood at 44.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.2% and rented ones at 26.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,147, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Burwood East was $439, higher than Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Burwood East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Burwood East features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households compose 72.3% of all households, including 33.7% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.7%, with lone person households at 22.5% and group households comprising 5.1%. The median household size is 2.6 people, aligning with Greater Melbourne's average.

Burwood East shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Burwood East is notably high with 42.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4%. In Victoria, this figure stands at 33.4%. The area's educational advantage is evident in its distribution of qualifications: bachelor degrees lead at 26.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational pathways account for 22.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas making up 10.8% and certificates 11.8%.

Educational participation is significantly high, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.2% in tertiary education, 7.2% in primary education, and 6.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Burwood East has 64 operational public transport stops, offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These stops are served by 15 different routes, facilitating a total of 4,326 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents' average proximity to the nearest stop being 224 meters. Predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation at 82%, while train use stands at 8%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant 34.2% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 618 trips daily, translating to approximately 67 weekly trips per individual stop.

Burwood East's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Burwood East. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low across both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover was found to be relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~6,272 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were arthritis (7.2%) and asthma (6.2%), while 73.6% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 23.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,848 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Burwood East has a population where 56.5% speak languages other than English at home and 53.5% were born overseas, as of the latest data. Christianity is the predominant religion in Burwood East, with 43.5%. Buddhism is more prevalent here compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 8.5% versus 4.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese at 25.3%, English at 13.5%, and Other at 11.9%. Notably, Greek (7.8%) and Sri Lankan (1.5%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Burwood East compared to regional averages of 2.7% and 0.8% respectively. Hungarian ethnicity is also slightly more prevalent here at 0.4%, compared to the region's 0.3%.

Burwood East's median age exceeds the national pattern

Burwood East has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, Burwood East has an over-representation of the 75-84 age cohort (8.7% locally) and an under-representation of the 5-14 age group (9.2%). Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has increased from 14.9% to 16.3% of the population, while the 85+ cohort has risen from 3.5% to 4.7%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 12.8% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Burwood East's age profile, with the 25-34 cohort projected to expand by 609 people (30%), growing from 2,018 to 2,628.