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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Diggers Rest has an estimated 7,972 residents, up from 5,669 at the 2021 Census — a change of 2,303 people, or 40.6%. Growth has averaged 9.1% a year over five years, faster than 96% of areas nationally. 694 new addresses have been validated here since Census night. Interstate and internal migration accounts for 73.0% of that increase. That puts 118 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
According to ABS demographic updates and quarterly validation of new addresses, the suburb of Diggers Rest has an estimated population of 7,972 as of May 2026. This indicates a rise of 2,303 people (40.6%) compared to the 2021 Census, which registered 5,669 residents. The figure is derived from an estimated resident population of 7,876 calculated from the ABS June 2025 ERP release, combined with an additional 694 validated new addresses added since the Census. This population level translates to a density of 117 persons per square kilometer, which leaves ample physical space and opportunity for future expansion.
The 40.6% rate of growth since the 2021 Census outpaced the state average of 9.3% as well as the national benchmark, establishing the suburb as a primary growth corridor. This expansion was mostly fueled by interstate migration, which accounted for approximately 73.0% of the overall population increases, though natural increase and overseas migration also contributed positively. Future projections are based on 2024 releases from the ABS and Geoscience Australia using 2022 as a baseline, supplemented where necessary by 2023 Victorian State Government projections adjusted using a weighted aggregation method from local government areas to statistical areas. Growth rates by age brackets from these models are extended from 2032 to 2041. Looking forward, the suburb of Diggers Rest is expected to experience exceptional growth that ranks in the top 10 percent of statistical areas nationwide. Aggregated projections indicate the suburb of Diggers Rest will add 7,676 persons by 2041, representing a total population increase of 95.1% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
1,180 new dwellings have been approved in Diggers Rest over the past five years, an average of 236 a year. That places the area in the 96th percentile for residential development activity nationally, about 30 approvals per 1,000 residents a year. Of the 229 dwellings approved in the latest reporting year, 96% were detached houses and the rest townhouses or apartments. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 135, well below that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Analysis of building approval statistics indicates that Diggers Rest averages about 236 residential approvals annually, resulting in an estimated 1,180 new homes over the last 5 financial years. In the current financial year of FY-26, there have been 124 approvals registered. The ratio of new residents to completed dwellings stood at 2.4 between FY-21 and FY-25, pointing to healthy underlying demand that supports property values. The average construction cost for these new dwellings is $319,000. In addition, commercial approvals have reached $235,000 this financial year, highlighting the predominantly residential character of the locality.
Per capita development activity in Diggers Rest is 121.0% higher than the average for Greater Melbourne, offering home buyers a broader range of options despite a recent moderation in construction velocity. The rate of building activity is significantly above the national benchmark, reflecting high developer confidence. Single family detached homes make up 96.0% of the new supply, while townhouses and apartments constitute the remaining 4.0%, maintaining the low-density profile of the suburb and appealing to buyers seeking space. Currently, there are about 36 people for every dwelling approval, pointing to a growing market. Demographic projections suggest that Diggers Rest will add 7,580 residents to its population by 2041 relative to the most recent quarterly estimates. While construction volumes are tracking in line with these projections, home buyers may face increased competition as the population expands.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Diggers Rest
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 6 current infrastructure and development projects inside Diggers Rest, worth an estimated $1.83 billion. A further 104 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $55.8 billion. 42 are already under construction and 32 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, communities, precincts & urban renewal and transport & logistics. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local infrastructure projects and planning changes play a key role in regional performance. AreaSearch has identified 43 active or planned developments likely to influence the local area. Principal projects include the Diggers Rest Town Centre, Grandview Estate, Nightjar Estate, and the Mary St development, with details of the most significant initiatives listed below.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Diggers Rest Town Centre
The Diggers Rest Town Centre is a planned mixed-use hub integrated within the Diggers Rest Precinct Structure Plan. It features a full-line Coles supermarket, Liquorland, and approximately 40 specialty retail stores. The precinct includes medical facilities, a town square, and a civic community hub. Infrastructure facilitation was recently enhanced by the 2025 completion of the Golden Way and Watsons Road bridges, which removed local level crossings to support the forecast population of 12,000 residents.
Grandview Estate
Large-scale masterplanned residential estate by Satterley Property Group delivering over 900 lots, a future town centre, sporting reserves and open space, integrated with the new Diggers Rest train station precinct. Civil works and home builds are actively progressing as of 2024-2025, with an approved entry statement design and ongoing stage releases. The estate benefits from the 2025 completion of the Golden Way and Watsons Road road bridges which removed the area's dangerous level crossings and improved access.
The Village Diggers Rest Retail and Entertainment Precinct
Neighbourhood retail and lifestyle precinct at 9 Banks Drive anchored by FoodWorks, Jump Swim School, Bottle Mart and Village Dental Clinic. The development continues to lease remaining tenancies for retail, medical, hospitality and service businesses, with the precinct substantially established and additional fit-outs continuing.
Diggers Rest Station Precinct (Level Crossing Removals and Station Upgrades)
The project involved removing two dangerous level crossings at Old Calder Highway and Watsons Road in Diggers Rest by constructing two new road bridges. The Old Calder Highway crossing was replaced by the Golden Way road bridge in June 2025, while the Watsons Road bridge opened in November 2025. This made the Sunbury Line level crossing-free. Station precinct upgrades included two new community spaces, longer bus bays, improved walking and cycling paths with a dedicated raised bike path on the bridges, and enhanced safety features like upgraded lighting and CCTV.
Vantage Bloomdale by AVID Property Group
Vantage Bloomdale is AVID Property Group's over-50s land lease community within the established Bloomdale masterplanned estate at Diggers Rest. The project includes architect-designed homes, display homes, extensive open space and walking links, and resort-style resident facilities including The Clubhouse, indoor pool, private dining spaces, games room, tennis and pickleball courts, bowling green, bocce court and community garden. The wider Bloomdale masterplan also includes a future town centre with medical services, dining, entertainment and a supermarket, plus wetlands and community parks.
Mary St, Diggers Rest
71-storey residential tower with 527 apartments offers extensive communal spaces like pools, wellness areas, dining rooms, gyms, cinemas, and golf simulators. Designed by Koichi Takada, focusing on a 5-star Green Star rating and features subtropical landscaping.
Nightjar Estate
A masterplanned residential community by Villawood Properties delivering over 1,200 homes, parks, a future school site and direct connection to the new Diggers Rest Station precinct.
Civic St, Diggers Rest
Medium-density development site for sale, located adjacent to the future Bloomdale town centre, offering 31 lots with potential increase subject to council approval.
4,506 residents of Diggers Rest are employed, from a labour force of 4,635. Unemployment sits at 2.8%, with participation at 75.2%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.3% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth, so in an area growing as fast as this one it understates the likely rise in local jobs. The working-day population is estimated at 6,012, about 75% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Diggers Rest features a capable labor pool with varied industry representation, a 2.8% joblessness rate, and steady employment conditions throughout the previous year according to AreaSearch compiled data from statistical areas. As of March 2026, 4,506 residents are employed while the joblessness rate sits at 2.0% lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.8% figure, and workforce participation remains fairly typical at 75.2% versus Greater Melbourne's 70.2%. Census data indicates that a substantial 25.6% of residents were working from home, although the influence of Covid-19 lockdown measures should be taken into account. The primary employment sectors for residents are construction, health care & social assistance, and transport, postal & warehousing.
The local workforce is highly concentrated in transport, postal & warehousing, representing 2.1 times the proportion seen across the metropolitan area. Conversely, the professional and technical services sector is underrepresented, employing 6.0% of working residents compared to 10.1% across the region. The comparison between the number of local jobs and the resident working population suggests that local employment opportunities within the suburb are limited. Analysis of employment and labor force data reveals that in the year leading up to March 2026, the local labor force contracted by 0.7% and total employment fell by 0.4%, leading to a 0.3 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate. Over the same period, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 2.1% and its labor force expand by 2.3%, resulting in a 0.2 percentage point increase in unemployment. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia issued in May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though trends vary by sector. Mapping these national projections onto the local industrial profile suggests that employment for residents could grow by 6.3% over five years and 13.0% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Diggers Rest is $1,991 a week (about $104,000 a year), with median personal income at $970 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $59,008 a year against an average of $65,440. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
The latest ATO statistics for the 2023 financial year show that incomes in the suburb are slightly below the national average, with a median of $59,008 and an average of $65,440. This compares to a median of $57,688 and an average of $75,164 across Greater Melbourne. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since the 2023 financial year, current estimates for March 2026 stand at roughly $64,685 for the median and $71,735 for the average. Census data places household, family, and individual incomes in the 69th percentile nationwide. The largest income bracket consists of weekly earnings between $1,500 and $2,999, accounting for 42.9% of households (3,419 residents), which is higher than the regional average of 32.8%.
Servicing housing costs absorbs 16.3% of income, leaving disposable income at the 64th percentile nationally, while the SEIFA index ranks the suburb in the 6th decile for income.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Diggers Rest had 2,056 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 93% detached houses and 0% apartments. 58% are owned with a mortgage, 21% rented and 21% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $397 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,800 a month. Rent absorbs 19.9% of household income here and mortgage repayments 20.9%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the time of the latest Census, the local housing stock consisted of 92.5% separate houses and 7.5% semi-detached, apartment, or other dwelling types, contrasting with Greater Melbourne where separate houses made up 67.9% and alternative dwellings 32.1%. Outright home ownership stood at 21.0%, lower than the metropolitan average, with the remaining properties occupied by mortgaged owners (57.9%) or renters (21.1%). The median monthly mortgage payment was $1,800 and the median weekly rent was $397, compared to metropolitan medians of $2,000 and $390 respectively. Nationally, local mortgage payments are below the Australian median of $1,863, while weekly rents exceed the national median of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Diggers Rest counted 2,056 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 2,891 today, averaging 2.6 people each. 36% are couples with children, against 28% couples without children. 21% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.4 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families comprise the vast majority of households at 76.7%, consisting of couples with children at 35.9%, couples without children at 28.1%, and single parent households at 11.1%. Non-family households account for 23.3% of the total, with single person households representing 21.1% and group households making up 2.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, matching the metropolitan average.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
25.3% of adults in Diggers Rest hold a university qualification, including 17.3% with a bachelor degree and 5.2% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 26.5% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 518 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,032 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Educational attainment levels present a specific profile, with the proportion of residents holding a university degree standing at 25.3%, which is lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 37.0%. Among university graduates, bachelor degrees are the most common at 17.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 5.2% and graduate diplomas at 2.8%. Vocational education is highly prevalent, with 39.3% of residents aged 15 and over holding technical qualifications, consisting of advanced diplomas at 12.8% and certificates at 26.5%. Engagement in learning is strong, with 27.0% of the population enrolled in formal studies.
This cohort includes 10.1% in primary school, 5.6% in secondary school, and 3.7% enrolled in tertiary programs.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Diggers Rest reaches 33 stops on 3 routes, timetabled for about 1,400 services a week. The typical home sits about 390 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.6 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transport infrastructure consists of 33 active bus stops operating locally. These stops are served by 3 distinct routes, which accommodate 1,427 passenger trips per week. The average distance to a transit stop is 388 meters, indicating good accessibility. The suburb is primarily residential, resulting in high levels of outward commuting; private vehicles are the primary mode of travel for 89% of workers, while 9% commute by train. Household vehicle ownership averages 1.6 cars, exceeding the regional norm. Additionally, 25.6% of residents worked from home according to the 2021 Census, which was likely affected by pandemic restrictions.
Bus services run at an average frequency of 203 daily trips across all active routes, which translates to roughly 43 weekly trips at each individual transit stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
71.6% of residents in Diggers Rest report no long-term health condition. 4.1% need daily assistance with core activities, and 52.7% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.2 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators point to outcomes that are slightly below average, with the prevalence of common health conditions being relatively typical for the broader population but elevated among older demographics. The proportion of residents with private health insurance stands at approximately 53% (~4,202 people), which is just ahead of the average statistical area but lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 56.7%. Asthma and mental health conditions are the most prevalent reported illnesses, affecting 9.3% and 8.7% of residents respectively. Conversely, 71.6% of the population reported no chronic health conditions, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne.
Health profiles for working-age residents are generally typical. Residents aged 65 and older make up 10.4% of the population (829 people), which is lower than the metropolitan average of 15.0%. While senior health outcomes present challenges, they rank lower nationally relative to the rest of the local population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
25.0% of Diggers Rest residents were born overseas and 25.2% speak a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are Australian (23.6%) and English (20.3%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
The suburb displays a higher level of cultural diversity than most comparable areas, with overseas-born residents making up 25.0% of the population and 25.2% using a non-English language at home. Christianity is the most common religious affiliation, represented by 49.1% of the population. The most notable statistical divergence is in the category of Other religions, which accounts for 5.1% of the population compared to 2.3% across Greater Melbourne. The primary ancestral backgrounds reported are Australian at 23.6% (above the metropolitan average of 18.4%), English at 20.3%, and Other ancestries at 10.6%.
There are specific concentrations of certain ethnic backgrounds, including Maltese at 3.3% of the population (compared to 1.1% across the region), Croatian at 1.6% (compared to 0.7%), and Hungarian at 0.5% (compared to 0.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Diggers Rest is 33, younger than 86% of areas nationally. 29.4% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The median age of the population is 33, making it younger than Greater Melbourne at 37 and Australia as a whole at 38. The suburb has a higher proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 (19.4%) compared to the metropolitan average, but a lower share of 15 to 24 year-olds (9.8%). The concentration of 35 to 44 year-olds is also higher than the national benchmark of 14.3%. Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 cohort grew from 16.4% to 19.4%, and the 5 to 14 cohort rose from 11.8% to 13.1%, while the 25 to 34 age bracket decreased from 23.4% to 19.6%.
Projections for 2041 indicate that the 35 to 44 cohort will experience the highest growth rate, expanding by 90% to add 1,391 residents and reach a total of 2,938.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Diggers Rest
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Jun 2026 2 months ago all 6 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Jun 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 694 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (5,669 at the 2021 Census → 7,972 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to May 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL20754). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.