Diggers Rest

Diggers Rest lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

As of November 2025, Diggers Rest's population is estimated at around 7,720 people. This reflects an increase of 2,051 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,669 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 7,324 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 651 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 113 persons per square kilometer. Diggers Rest's 36.2% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%). Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 73.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period with the suburb expected to expand by 8,728 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 109.6% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Diggers Rest was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Diggers Rest experienced around 235 dwellings receiving development approval annually over the past five financial years ending FY-25. This totals an estimated 1,179 homes. So far in FY-26, recorded approvals amount to 38. The average number of new residents gained per year for each dwelling built during this period is 2.8.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $319,000, below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options. Commercial approvals registered in FY-26 total $235,000. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Diggers Rest records 143.0% more development activity per person. New development consists of 96.0% detached houses and 4.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's low density nature. There are approximately 34 people per dwelling approval in the location.

Population forecasts indicate Diggers Rest will gain 8,464 residents by 2041, according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though increased competition among buyers is expected as the population grows.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 46 projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include Grandview Estate, Diggers Rest Station Precinct (Level Crossing Removals and Station Upgrades), Diggers Rest Town Centre (proposed mixed-use precinct), and Nightjar Estate. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch assessment positions Diggers Rest ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Diggers Rest has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 3.4% in the past year, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 4,381 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.3% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is higher at 71.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries of employment among residents include construction, health care & social assistance, and transport, postal & warehousing. The area specializes in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share 2.1 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical services have limited presence at 6.0%, compared to the regional average of 10.1%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.4% and labour force grew by 4.3%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.5 percentage point increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 offer insights into potential future demand within Diggers Rest. These projections suggest national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Diggers Rest's employment mix indicates local employment could increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.0% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that median income in Diggers Rest is $58,908 and average income stands at $65,270. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $66,071 (median) and $73,207 (average). Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Diggers Rest are at the 69th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 42.9% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, reflecting regional patterns where 32.8% fall within this range. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 64th percentile nationally. Diggers Rest's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Diggers Rest is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Diggers Rest's dwelling structure in its latest Census comprised 92.5% houses and 7.5% other dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 89.2% houses and 10.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Diggers Rest was at 21.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 57.9% and rented ones at 21.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,800, above Melbourne metro's average of $1,750. The median weekly rent in Diggers Rest was $397, compared to Melbourne metro's $369. Nationally, Diggers Rest's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Diggers Rest has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 76.7% of all households, including 35.9% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 11.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.3%, with lone person households at 21.1% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, matching the Greater Melbourne average.

The educational profile of Diggers Rest exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 25.3%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (17.3%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (26.5%). Educational participation is high at 27.0%, with 10.1% in primary, 5.6% in secondary, and 3.7% in tertiary education.

Diggers Rest Primary School serves the area, enrolling 518 students. The school's ICSEA score is 1032, indicating typical Australian school conditions. It focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. Local school capacity is limited (6.7 places per 100 residents vs 14.3 regionally), leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Diggers Rest has 31 operational public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by three distinct routes, together facilitating 2,295 weekly passenger trips. The transport accessibility in the area is deemed good, with residents generally situated 391 meters away from their nearest transport stop.

On average, service frequency stands at 327 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly 74 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Diggers Rest 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

Diggers Rest shows better-than-average health outcomes with a lower prevalence of common conditions among its general population compared to national averages.

However, it has higher prevalence among older and at-risk cohorts. Approximately 53% of Diggers Rest's total population (~4,064 people) have private health cover, slightly above the average for SA2 areas. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (9.3%) and mental health issues (8.7%), while 71.6% of residents report being free from medical ailments compared to 65.7% in Greater Melbourne. Diggers Rest has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 10.4% (802 people), than Greater Melbourne's 15.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Diggers Rest 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

Diggers Rest, surveyed in June 2021, had a higher level of cultural diversity than most local areas, with 25.0% of its population born overseas and 25.2% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 49.1% of Diggers Rest's population as of June 2021. The 'Other' religious category showed significant overrepresentation in Diggers Rest, making up 5.1% compared to Melbourne's 1.5%.

In terms of ancestry, Australians were the largest group at 23.6%, followed by English at 20.3%, which was lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 26.3%. The 'Other' ancestry category comprised 10.6%. Notable overrepresentations included Maltese (3.3% vs regional 2.8%), Croatian (1.6% vs 1.0%), and Hungarian (0.5% vs 0.3%).

Diggers Rest's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Diggers Rest has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Diggers Rest has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (20.1%), but fewer residents aged 15-24 (9.4%). This 25-34 concentration is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has grown from 16.4% to 18.8%, while those aged 5 to 14 increased from 11.8% to 13.1%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 23.4% to 20.1%. Population forecasts for Diggers Rest in the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic shifts. The 35 to 44 age group is projected to grow by 108%, adding 1,560 residents and reaching a total of 3,012 residents.