Burwood East

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

By May 2026, the population of the suburb of Burwood East is estimated at around 12,465. This reflects an increase of 1,790 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,675. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 12,460 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 482 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,926 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth of 16.8% since the 2021 census exceeded both its SA4 region (8.9%) and the state, marking it as a growth leader in the area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 74.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

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 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is forecast to grow by 3,027 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 24.2% in total over the 16 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Burwood East experienced around 127 dwellings receiving development approval per year. Over the past five financial years between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 639 homes were approved, with an additional 42 approved so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling built over these years resulted in around 2.2 new residents annually, indicating healthy demand that supports property values.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $729,000, reflecting a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This financial year has seen $18.5 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Burwood East has experienced slightly more development activity, at 36.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods. This is well above the national average, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New development consists of 26.0% standalone homes and 74.0% medium and high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix, which is currently 74.0% houses. The location has approximately 311 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. Looking ahead, Burwood East is expected to grow by 3,022 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include SRL East - Works Package F - Stations - 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 most relevant.

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

Burwood East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 5.0% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.0%. As of December 2025, 6,407 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.1%, which is 0.3% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation in Burwood East was 62.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 34.2% of residents worked from home. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and professional & technical services. The area has a high specialization in accommodation & food services, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction is under-represented at 7.1% compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between May-24 and May-25, employment increased by 2.0%, labour force grew by 2.7%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 2.4% and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. 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 only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Burwood East suburb has a median taxpayer income of $45,312 and an average of $60,119 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is lower than Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. By March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $49,671 (median) and $65,902 (average), based on a Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023. In the 2021 Census, household income ranked at the 42nd percentile ($1,610 weekly), while personal income was at the 24th percentile. The earnings profile showed that 30.2% of locals (3,764 people) fell into the $1,500 - 2,999 category. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 83.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 42nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Burwood East, as per the latest Census, comprised 73.9% houses and 26.1% other dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Burwood East was at 44.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.2% and rented ones at 26.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,147, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,000. The median weekly rent in Burwood East was $439, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Burwood East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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 make up the remaining 27.7%, consisting of 22.5% lone person households and 5.1% group households. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne 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 exceeds national and state averages. Among residents aged 15+, 42.5% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 26.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational pathways account for 22.6% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 11.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.0% 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 active public transport stops, a mix of light rail and bus. These are served by 15 routes offering 4326 weekly passenger trips. Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 224 meters. Most commute outward; car use dominates at 82%, with 8% using trains. Average vehicle ownership is 1.3 per dwelling. In 2021 Census, 34.2% of residents worked from home.

Daily service averages 618 trips across all routes, about 67 weekly trips per 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. The rate of private health cover was relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~6,312 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 and asthma, impacting 7.2 and 6.2% of residents respectively, while 73.6% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. As of 2019, 22.3% of Burwood East residents were aged 65 and over (2,779 people), higher than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were 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 a language other than English at home, with 53.5% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 43.5%. Buddhism is notably higher in Burwood East at 8.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.2%.

In terms of ancestry, Chinese is highest at 25.3%, English is lower at 13.5%, and Other is at 11.9%. Greek (7.8%), Sri Lankan (1.5%) and Hungarian (0.4%) groups are overrepresented compared to regional averages.

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 average of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 75-84 age cohort is notably over-represented in Burwood East at 8.3%, while the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 9.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 14.9% to 17.3% of the population, and the 85+ cohort has increased from 3.5% to 4.6%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has declined from 12.8% to 10.8%, and the 55-64 age group has dropped from 11.1% to 10.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that Burwood East's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 25-34 age cohort projected to expand by 567 people (26%), growing from 2,156 to 2,724.