Eltham North

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

As of February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Eltham North is around 6,848, reflecting an increase of 18 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 6,830. This change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of resident population at 6,759 based on latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and an additional 17 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 1,703 persons per square kilometer, above average national levels assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 69.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate a significant increase, with the area expected to grow by 1,373 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 19.8% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Eltham North has averaged around 3 residential properties granted approval per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, approximately 17 homes were approved, with an additional 3 approved so far in FY26. Despite population decline, new supply appears to be meeting demand, offering buyers good choice.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $812,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market. Commercial approvals this financial year total $531,000, indicating minimal commercial development activity. Building activity shows 50% detached houses and 50% townhouses or apartments, a significant shift from the existing housing pattern of 98% houses, likely due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. The area has approximately 2719 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market.

By 2041, Eltham North is expected to grow by 1,355 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Four projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area: St Helena Place, Nillumbik Play Space Renewal Projects, Eltham and Diamond Creek Major Activity Centres Structure Plans, Hurstbridge Rail Line Upgrades (Watsonia-Eltham).

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

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The exceptional employment performance in Eltham North places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Eltham North has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. Its unemployment rate is 1.7%. Over the past year, it has shown relative employment stability.

As of September 2025, 4063 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation is at 74.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. According to Census responses, 39.5% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The key industries are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction.

Eltham North has a particularly strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. Meanwhile, accommodation & food services have limited presence at 3.6%, compared to the regional rate of 6.4%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 0.3% while labour force remained stable at 0.0%, resulting in a unemployment fall of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with an unemployment rise of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Eltham North's employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% 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 2023 financial year, Eltham North had median income among taxpayers at $64,225 with average level standing at $86,301. These figures are among the highest in Australia and compare to Melbourne levels 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 $69,524 (median) and $93,421 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Eltham North rank highly nationally, between 81st and 94th percentiles. Income brackets indicate largest segment comprises 30.3% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (2,074 residents). Eltham North demonstrates considerable affluence with 45.5% earning over $3,000 per week. After housing costs, residents retain 89.4% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in 9th decile.

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

Eltham North's dwellings, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 98.3% houses and 1.7% other dwellings. Compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings, Eltham North had a higher proportion of houses. Home ownership in Eltham North stood at 44.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 49.2% and rented ones at 6.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Eltham North was $512, higher than Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Eltham North's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Eltham North features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 90.1% of all households, including 52.8% couples with children, 27.9% couples without children, and 8.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 9.9%, with lone person households at 9.3% and group households comprising 0.6%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Eltham North demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 38.7%, exceeding the Australian average of 30.4% and the SA4 region's rate of 32.8%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 24.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.2%). Vocational credentials are held by 31.2% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.0% and certificates at 19.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.6% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Eltham North has 22 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that collectively facilitate 2,037 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is considered good, with residents typically residing 264 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily due to Eltham North being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation for these outward-bound journeys at 91%, while train usage accounts for 6%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 2.1, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant 39.5% of residents work from home, which may be partly attributed to COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 291 trips per day, equating to approximately 92 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Eltham North's health outcomes show excellent results according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% of the total population (4,167 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.8 and 7.2% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 72.4%, report being completely free from medical ailments, similar to the 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have notably low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.1% (1,307 people), compared to 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Eltham North records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Eltham North's cultural diversity aligns with the broader area, as 82.1% of its residents were born in Australia, 92.8% are citizens, and 89.1% speak English exclusively at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 47.2% of Eltham North's population. Notably, Judaism, though small at 0.1%, exceeds Greater Melbourne's average of 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (27.8%), Australian (24.3%), and Irish (8.9%), each exceeding regional averages. Notable differences include overrepresentation of Macedonian (1.1% vs 0.7%), Italian (7.0% vs 5.2%), and Maltese (1.1% vs 1.1%) groups in Eltham North compared to the region.

Eltham North's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Eltham North is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and also older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 55-64 age group comprises 15.0% of the population in Eltham North, compared to a lower representation of the 25-34 cohort at 6.8%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 3.6% to 5.7%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 12.7% to 14.0%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has decreased from 8.5% to 6.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Eltham North. Notably, the 55 to 64 age group is projected to grow by 31%, adding 321 people and reaching a total of 1,349 from its current figure of 1,027. In contrast, the 0 to 4 cohort is forecast to show minimal growth of just 1%, adding only 1 person.