Camberwell (Vic.)

Camberwell is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Camberwell (Vic.) is around 23,595. This reflects an increase of 1,630 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,965. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 23,392 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 238 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,108 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Camberwell has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.4%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth is anticipated across statistical areas nationally. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of Camberwell (Vic.) is expected to expand by 393 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 0.8% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Camberwell recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Camberwell recorded approximately 123 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 617 homes. As of FY-26, 75 approvals have been recorded. Despite population decline in the area, development activity has remained adequate relative to other regions, which is positive for buyers. Developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments, as evidenced by an average construction cost value of $1,274,000 per dwelling.

This financial year, there have been $21.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Camberwell maintains similar construction rates per person, supporting market stability aligned with regional patterns. Recent construction comprises 42.0% detached houses and 58.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing composition of 60.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles. With around 202 people per dwelling approval, Camberwell exhibits characteristics of a growth area.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Camberwell is projected to add approximately 190 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Bulleen to Springvale Road, Highfield Park Residential Estate, Glyndon Residences, and Camberwell House. The following list details those 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.

AreaSearch analysis places Camberwell well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Camberwell has a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 2.7% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.8%. As of December 2025, 13,008 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.1%, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation was 66.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. A high 49.9% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training sectors. The area has a particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction is under-represented, with only 5.1% of Camberwell's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.8%, labour force by 2.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Camberwell. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with variations between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Camberwell's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Camberwell suburb's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Its median income among taxpayers is $62,035 and average income stands at $114,931, compared to Greater Melbourne's figures of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $67,153 (median) and $124,413 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Camberwell, between the 82nd and 89th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 32.8% of residents (7,739 people), differing from patterns across the broader area where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 32.8%. The substantial proportion of high earners (43.3% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the area. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 90th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Camberwell's dwelling structures, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 60.3% houses and 39.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 60.3% houses and 39.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Camberwell stood at 43.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.1% and rented ones at 26.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Camberwell was recorded as $486, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Camberwell's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 73.0% of all households, including 36.6% couples with children, 26.6% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.0%, with lone person households at 23.4% and group households making up 3.6%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which matches the Greater Melbourne average.

Educational achievement in Camberwell places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Camberwell has a notably high level of educational attainment among residents aged 15 and above, with 56.2% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian state average of 33.4%, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent type of qualification, held by 34.8% of residents in this age group, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 16.4% and graduate diplomas at 5.0%. Vocational pathways account for 17.4% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 9.9% and certificates 7.5%.

Educational participation is notably high in Camberwell, with 31.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.2% enrolled in tertiary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 8.3% pursuing primary education.

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

Camberwell has 142 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 14 routes, collectively facilitating 8,854 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 204 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 77%, while trains account for 11% and walking for 5%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,264 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 62 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Camberwell's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Camberwell. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low, especially among younger cohorts. Private health cover is high at approximately 72% of the total population (16,988 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.8 and 6.6% of residents respectively. 72.3% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to the 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Camberwell has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.0% (5,426 people), compared to 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are strong but rank lower nationally than those of the broader population.

Camberwell 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

Camberwell's population showed high cultural diversity, with 32.3% born overseas and 26.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 46.2%. Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.6% of Camberwell's population versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (23.4%), Australian (18.3%), and Chinese (11.6%), the latter being substantially higher than the regional average of 6.5%. Other ethnic groups with notable divergences included French at 0.8% in Camberwell versus 0.5% regionally, Sri Lankan at 0.8% (equal to the regional average), and Greek at 3.2% compared to 2.7% regionally.

Camberwell hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Camberwell is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 75-84 years make up 8.5% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise 10.9%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of those aged 15-24 has increased from 14.1% to 16.0%, and the 75-84 age group has risen from 6.8% to 8.5%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 13.9% to 12.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Camberwell's age structure. The number of those aged 85 and above is projected to rise by 528 people (57%), from 920 to 1,449. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 90% of total population growth. Conversely, the 35-44 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.