Essendon

Essendon has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, Essendon's estimated population as of Nov 2025 is around 22,742. This reflects an increase of 1,502 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,240. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 22,391 residents following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 227 validated new addresses since the Census date. Essendon's population density ratio is 3,691 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Essendon's growth of 7.1% since census positions it within 2.6 percentage points of the national average (9.7%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 91.0%.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch uses VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, Essendon is expected to grow by just below the median of Australian statistical areas, with an increase of 2,650 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 11.2% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Essendon when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, Essendon has averaged around 116 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an estimated 580 homes were approved, with a further 38 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 0.6 new residents arrive per new home annually over the past five financial years.

New supply has kept pace with or exceeded demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction value of new properties is $852,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. This year, there have been $2.0 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Essendon shows approximately 60% of the construction activity per person and places among the 56th percentile nationally. New development consists of 25.0% standalone homes and 75.0% attached dwellings, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

This represents a significant change from the current housing mix, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 276 people per dwelling approval, Essendon shows a developing market. Looking ahead, Essendon is expected to grow by 2,543 residents through to 2041, with new housing supply comfortably meeting demand at current development rates, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

"Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 24 projects potentially impacting the region. Notable projects include LUMA Sunshine North, Buckley Street Level Crossing Removal, 881 Mt Alexander Road Essendon, and Moonee Valley Racing Club Grandstand & Clubhouse Redevelopment.".

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The employment environment in Essendon shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Essendon's workforce is highly educated with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 3.8% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.7%.

As of September 2025, 13,895 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%, and workforce participation at 69.0%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area specializes in public administration & safety, with employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Manufacturing is under-represented, at 4.9% compared to Greater Melbourne's 7.2%.

Employment opportunities appear limited locally based on Census data. Between September 2024 and 2025, employment levels increased by 4.7%, labour force by 4.9%, raising unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.0% and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Essendon's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Essendon had a median taxpayer income of $64,219 and an average income of $103,276. Nationally, these figures place Essendon in the top percentile. Comparing with Greater Melbourne's averages of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. By September 2025, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $69,517 and $111,796, accounting for an 8.25% Wage Price Index growth since June 2023. Census 2021 data shows Essendon's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 74th and 84th percentiles nationally. Income distribution in Essendon sees 30.3% (6,890 individuals) earning $1,500-$2,999 weekly, similar to metropolitan trends at 32.8%. Notably, 34.6% earn above $3,000 weekly. Housing expenses consume 14.0% of income, with residents ranking in the 76th percentile for disposable income. Essendon's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Essendon's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 47.2% houses and 52.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 42.6% houses and 57.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Essendon stood at 33.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.3% and rented ones at 36.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,275, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,200. Median weekly rent in Essendon was $380, compared to Melbourne metro's $370. Nationally, Essendon's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,275 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375 at $380.

Essendon features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 63.8% of all households, including 31.3% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.2%, with lone person households at 32.3% and group households making up 4.0%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.3.

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

Educational attainment in Essendon is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 45.1% have university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 29.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 24.0% of qualifications in this age group, with advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 12.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.1% in primary education, 8.0% in tertiary education, and 7.7% pursuing secondary education.

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

Essendon has 120 active public transport stops. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 20 routes operating in total, providing 8,789 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 162 meters. Services run an average of 1,255 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 73 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Essendon is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Essendon demonstrates above-average health outcomes for both young and old age cohorts, with low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (15,341 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 7.8 and 7.5% of residents respectively, while 71.9% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 72.0%. The area has 18.0% of residents aged 65 and over (4,093 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 16.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Essendon's population shows significant cultural diversity, with 25.5% born overseas and 24.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Essendon, practiced by 57.0%, compared to 50.0% across Greater Melbourne. The top three ancestry groups are English (19.8%), Australian (17.6%), and Italian (12.1%).

Notably, Maltese (1.9%) and Croatian (1.2%) populations are higher than regional averages of 1.6% and 1.0%, respectively. Greek population is also notably high at 3.7%.

Essendon's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Essendon is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Essendon has a notably higher proportion of people aged 65-74 (9.7% locally) and a lower proportion of those aged 35-44 (13.2%). Post-2021 Census data shows the 75 to 84 age group grew from 4.5% to 5.6% of Essendon's population, while the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 10.9% to 10.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Essendon. The 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 67%, reaching 2,133 people from 1,273. Residents aged 65 and older will represent 57% of anticipated population growth. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age groups are projected to experience population declines.