Essendon North

Population growth drivers in Essendon North are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

As of May 2026, the population of Essendon North is estimated at around 3,982, reflecting an increase of 911 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,071. This growth represents a 29.7% increase and is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population as 3,981 following their examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025, along with an additional 261 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 5,454 persons per square kilometer, placing Essendon North in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate exceeded both its SA3 area (9.0%) and the state level, driven primarily by overseas migration contributing approximately 93.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 adjusted to SA2 levels for areas not covered by the former data. Future population trends project an above median growth for Essendon North, with an expected expansion of 634 persons by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 15.9% over the 16-year period.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising 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 from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. As we examine future population trends, an above median population growth of national statistical areas is projected, with the area expected to expand by 634 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting reflecting an increase of 15.9% in total over the 16 years.

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

Essendon North has received approximately 23 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 115 homes. In FY-26 to date, 20 approvals have been recorded. Each new dwelling built in Essendon North between FY-21 and FY-25 has resulted in an average of 2.2 new residents per year. The average construction cost value for new dwellings is $1,178,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment.

This financial year, Essendon North has registered $33,000 in commercial approvals. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Essendon North records around three-quarters of the building activity per person and ranks at the 69th percentile nationally. New building activity consists of approximately 45.0% detached dwellings and 55.0% townhouses or apartments. Essendon North has around 194 people per dwelling approval, suggesting characteristics of a growth area.

Population forecasts indicate Essendon North will gain approximately 633 residents by 2041. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

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 modifications to nearby infrastructure, major undertakings, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has recognized zero projects that are predicted to impact this area. Key projects include LUMA Sunshine North, Airport Toyota Expansion, Textron Aviation Hangar 83, and Niddrie (Keilor Road) Activity Centre Structure Plan, with the following list outlining those most likely to be relevant.

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

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

Essendon North has a highly educated workforce. Professional services are strongly represented with an unemployment rate of 4.5%. Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 9.2%.

As of December 2025, 2,469 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.3% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation in Essendon North is fairly standard at 74.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 33.2% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and construction.

The area shows strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, retail trade is under-represented at 8.2% compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.8%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 9.2% while labour force increased by 9.0%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Essendon North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Essendon North's median taxpayer income is $65,049 and average is $102,481. This places it in the top percentile nationally compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 are approximately $71,307 (median) and $112,340 (average). Census data reveals individual earnings rank at the 81st percentile nationally ($1,031 weekly), while household income ranks at the 47th percentile. Income distribution shows the $1,500 - 2,999 band captures 33.2% of individuals (1,322). Housing affordability pressures are severe with only 83.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 47th percentile. 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

Essendon North's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 30.8% houses and 69.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Essendon North stood at 27.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.0% and rented ones at 46.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, aligning with Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $360, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390 respectively. Nationally, Essendon North's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were lower 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 comprise 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 account for 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 2.6.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 39.0%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 57.1%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 25.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational credentials are held by 27.3% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 16.9%. Educational participation is high, with 26.3% currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 7.8% in primary education, 6.8% in tertiary education, and 6.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 11 active public transport stops in Essendon North, offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 7 individual routes, collectively facilitating 3097 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 182 meters from the nearest stop. In this predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the dominant mode at 76%, while 10% use trains. Average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 0.8, below the regional average.

Notably, 33.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census). Service frequency averages 442 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 281 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

Health data for Essendon North shows positive outcomes, aligning with national benchmarks for mortality rates and health conditions. Prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population but higher among older, at-risk cohorts compared to national averages. Private health cover is exceptionally high in Essendon North, with 67% of residents having it, compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 8.7% and 7.5% of residents respectively, while 71.6% report no medical ailments, close to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (732 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

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 had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 32.1% of its residents born overseas and 30.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Essendon North, comprising 53.8% of the population. Hinduism, however, showed significant overrepresentation at 5.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 4.4%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (18.9%), Australian (16.3%), and Italian (12.0%), which was substantially higher than the regional average of 5.2%. Notably, Hungarian (0.5% vs 0.3%), Polish (1.2% vs 0.8%), and Maltese (2.1% vs 1.1%) ethnic groups were also overrepresented in Essendon North compared to regional averages.

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

The median age in Essendon North is close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years, equivalent to Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Essendon North has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (18.3%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.6%). Between the 2016 and 2021 Census, the population aged 55-64 grew from 10.2% to 11.6%, while those aged 75-84 increased from 4.5% to 5.9%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 decreased from 16.1% to 14.5%, and those aged 45-54 dropped from 13.7% to 12.4%. By 2041, Essendon North's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 55-64 age group is projected to grow by 30%, reaching 602 people from 461. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising half of the projected growth. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 35-44 and 0-4 age cohorts.