Essendon North

Population growth drivers in Essendon North are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population updates for the broader area, the estimated population of Essendon North as of November 2025 is around 3,559. This reflects an increase of 488 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,071 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 3,555, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest Education and Workforce (ERP) data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 262 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,875 persons per square kilometer, placing Essendon North in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Essendon North's 15.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 93.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, with adjustments made employing a method of 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. Future population trends project an above median growth rate for the suburb, with an expected expansion of 460 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 5.5% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Essendon North recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, Essendon North has received approximately 22 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years from FY-18 to FY-22. This totals an estimated 114 homes. As of FY-26, six approvals have been recorded. On average, about 0.4 people moved into the area per year for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings in Essendon North is $1,178,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $352,000, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Essendon North has 19.0% less building activity per person but ranks among the 85th percentile of areas assessed nationally. Building activity has accelerated in recent years, with new dwelling types consisting of approximately 48.0% detached dwellings and 52.0% townhouses or apartments.

This shift towards higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 108 people per dwelling approval, Essendon North exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to increase by 196 residents through to 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, or planning initiatives. As of AreaSearch's findings, zero projects have been pinpointed as potentially impacting this area. Notable projects comprise LUMA Sunshine North, Airport Toyota Expansion, Textron Aviation Hangar 83, and Niddrie (Keilor Road) Activity Centre Structure Plan, with the following list detailing those most likely to be pertinent.

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

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The labour market in Essendon North demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Essendon North has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 4.3% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 6.4%.

As of June 2025, 2,046 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, 0.3% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was 68.6%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and construction. The area had a strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Retail trade was under-represented, at 8.2% compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.8%. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the past year, employment increased by 6.4%, while labour force grew by 7.1%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 projected national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Essendon North's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Essendon North's median income among taxpayers is $65,049. The average income in the area was $102,481 during this period. This places Essendon North in the top percentile nationally. In comparison, Greater Melbourne had a median income of $54,892 and an average income of $73,761 during the same year. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Essendon North's median income would be approximately $72,959 as of September 2025, with an average estimated at around $114,943 during this month. Census data indicates that individual earnings in Essendon North stand out at the 81st percentile nationally, with a weekly earning of $1,031. However, household income ranks lower at the 47th percentile. Distribution data shows that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.2% of the community in Essendon North (1,181 individuals), which aligns with the broader area where this cohort likewise represents 32.8%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in the area, with only 83.2% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 47th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Essendon North, as per the latest Census, consisted of 30.8% houses and 69.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metropolitan area had 42.6% houses and 57.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Essendon North was at 27.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.0% and rented ones at 46.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,000, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,200. The median weekly rent figure for Essendon North was recorded at $360, compared to Melbourne metro's $370. Nationally, Essendon North's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Essendon North features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 56.3% of all households, including 23.9% couples with children, 21.4% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 43.7%, with lone person households at 39.9% and group households comprising 3.6%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.3.

Essendon North shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area faces educational challenges with university qualification rates at 39.0%, significantly below the SA4 region average of 57.1%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 27.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (16.9%).

Educational participation is high at 26.3%, including 7.8% in primary education, 6.8% in tertiary education, and 6.1% pursuing secondary education. Essendon North Primary School serves the area with an enrollment of 627 students as of a recent date. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (17.6 places per 100 residents vs 12.4 regionally), indicating it serves as an educational center for the broader region. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1123).

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

Essendon North has 11 active public transport stops operating. These are a mix of light rail and bus services. There are 7 individual routes serving these stops, providing a total of 2,421 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 183 meters to the nearest stop. The service frequency averages 345 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 220 weekly trips per individual stop.

Essendon North's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Essendon North residents show positive health trends with low prevalence of common conditions despite being higher than national averages for older cohorts. Private health cover stands at 67%, above the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are most prevalent, affecting 8.7% and 7.5% respectively. 71.6% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 72.0%. The area has 17.6% residents aged 65 and over, higher than Greater Melbourne's 16.0%. Health outcomes for seniors require more attention.

Essendon North 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

Essendon North's population showed significant cultural diversity, with 32.1% born overseas and 30.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Essendon North, accounting for 53.8%, though Hinduism had higher representation here compared to Greater Melbourne (5.7% vs 3.0%). Top ancestry groups were English (18.9%), Australian (16.3%), and Italian (12.0%).

Notable differences existed in Hungarian (0.5% vs regional 0.3%), Polish (1.2% vs 0.9%), and Maltese (2.1% vs 1.6%) representation.

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

The median age in Essendon North is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Essendon North has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (18.6%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.6%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the 75-84 age group has increased from 4.5% to 5.5%, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 9.7% to 8.6%. The 35-44 group has also dropped from 16.1% to 15.1%. By 2041, Essendon North's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 75-84 group is projected to grow by 51%, reaching 296 people from 195. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 69% of the population growth. Conversely, declines are projected for the 15-24 and 0-4 age groups.