East Melbourne

An assessment of population growth drivers in East Melbourne reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, East Melbourne's population is estimated at around 5,261. This reflects a growth of 365 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,896. AreaSearch estimates the resident population as 5,222 based on latest ERP data release by ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,828 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. East Melbourne's growth rate of 7.5% since census is within 2.4 percentage points of the national average (9.9%). Overseas migration was the primary driver for this population increase.

AreaSearch uses 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 VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, East Melbourne is projected to have an above median population growth with an increase of 819 persons, reflecting a total increase of 14.8% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in East Melbourne is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

East Melbourne has received approximately 13 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years ending June 2025. This totals an estimated 66 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26.

The population has declined recently, but housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. Commercial development approvals reached $541.8 million this financial year, indicating strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, East Melbourne shows significantly reduced construction activity, at 81.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. The area's activity is also below the national average, suggesting its established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent building activity consists entirely of townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living that creates more affordable entry points and caters to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

East Melbourne has approximately 3441 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Population forecasts suggest the area will gain 780 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 49 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Punt Road Oval Redevelopment, Simpson Street Residential Development, 250 Albert Street, and Elizabeth Street North Richmond Social Housing. 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.

Employment conditions in East Melbourne demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

East Melbourne has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate is 3.4% and there was an estimated employment growth of 3.8% in the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 3631 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.3% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation stands at 76.0%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. Census responses indicate that 54.1% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. East Melbourne shows a strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share 2.1 times the regional level, while construction has limited presence at 3.8% compared to the regional 9.7%.

There are 3.9 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. In the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.8% and labour force increased by 4.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%, labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that East Melbourne's employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released on 28 June 2023, East Melbourne had a median income among taxpayers of $78,074 and an average level of $175,491. Nationally, these figures place East Melbourne in the top percentile. In comparison, Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes were $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates for East Melbourne would be approximately $84,515 (median) and $189,969 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in East Melbourne rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 97th percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that 30.1% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (1,583 people), similar to the metropolitan region's pattern at 32.8%. A substantial proportion of high earners (41.7%) in East Melbourne indicates strong economic capacity. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 85th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

East Melbourne features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In East Melbourne, as per the latest Census, 3.2% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 96.7% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Melbourne stood at 27.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.3% and rented ones at 54.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,383, higher than the Melbourne metro average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in East Melbourne was $480, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, East Melbourne's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,383 against Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher at $480 versus the national figure of $375.

East Melbourne features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 49.9% of all households, consisting of 9.6% couples with children, 35.5% couples without children, and 3.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 50.1%, with lone person households at 43.1% and group households comprising 7.1%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

East Melbourne has a higher educational attainment than national and state averages. As of 2016 data, 67.4% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. The area's most common qualification is the Bachelor degree (39.8%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (21.8%) and graduate diplomas (5.8%). Vocational pathways account for 15.8%, with advanced diplomas at 9.5% and certificates at 6.3%.

As of May 2021, 20.7% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 10.6% in tertiary education, 3.1% in primary education, and 2.8% in secondary education.

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

East Melbourne has 37 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These stops are served by 38 individual routes that facilitate 24,868 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 156 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. The dominant mode of transport is car at 46%, followed by walking at 28% and train at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.6 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 54.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 3,552 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 672 weekly trips per individual stop.

East Melbourne's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

East Melbourne's health outcomes show remarkable results according to AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 96% of the total population (5,029 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 8.8 and 7.2% of residents respectively. A total of 69.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. The under-65 population has better than average health outcomes. East Melbourne has 24.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,299 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.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in East Melbourne was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

East Melbourne, as per data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, exhibited higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas. Specifically, 14.9% of its residents spoke a language other than English at home, and 29.1% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in East Melbourne, accounting for 39.7% of the population.

However, Judaism showed notable overrepresentation with 0.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.0%. In terms of ancestry, English heritage dominated at 27.3%, significantly higher than the regional average of 20.1%. Australian and Irish heritages followed, comprising 16.7% and 12.8% respectively, both exceeding regional averages (Australian: 14.5%, Irish: 6.5%). Other ethnic groups with notable divergences included Scottish at 9.9% (regional average: 5.6%), French at 0.7% (regional average: 0.5%), and Polish at 0.9% (regional average: 0.8%).

East Melbourne's median age exceeds the national pattern

East Melbourne's median age is 41 years, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and slightly above Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, East Melbourne has a notably higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (24.8% locally vs. an average of 16.9%) and a lower percentage of residents aged 5-14 (3.2% vs. an average of 10%). The national percentage for the 25-34 age group is 14.4%. Post-2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 6.6% to 9.5%, while the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 23.4% to 24.8%. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 11.3% to 8.8%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 13.6% to 11.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in East Melbourne's age profile. The 45 to 54 cohort is expected to grow by 48%, adding 224 residents to reach a total of 687. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to contribute to 59% of the population growth, while declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 age groups.