Golden Square

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

The population of the Golden Square statistical area (Lv2) is estimated to be around 10,039 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 819 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,220. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 9,453 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 56 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,182 persons per square kilometer. The Golden Square (SA2) experienced an 8.9% growth since the 2021 census, exceeding the SA4 region's 7.9%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this growth.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted 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 trends forecast a significant population increase in the top quartile of Australia's regional areas. The Golden Square (SA2) is expected to increase by 2,580 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 19.1% in total over the 17 years.

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

Golden Square has averaged approximately 40 new dwelling approvals annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 201 homes were approved, with an additional 15 approved so far in FY-26. Each year, about 1.5 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over the past five financial years, indicating a balanced supply and demand market that supports stable conditions.

The average construction value of new dwellings is $382,000, which is moderately above regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction. This year has seen $10.2 million in commercial approvals, signifying balanced commercial development activity. Comparatively, Golden Square shows around 60% of the construction activity per person relative to Rest of Vic., and it ranks among the 69th percentile of areas assessed nationally for construction activity. New developments consist of 62.0% standalone homes and 38.0% attached dwellings, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments offering options across different price points.

This shift reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements, marking a significant change from the current housing mix, which is predominantly houses (92.0%). Golden Square has around 196 people per dwelling approval, indicating characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Golden Square is projected to gain approximately 1,918 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Golden Square 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 26 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Crusoe College Infrastructure, Chum Street Remediation Project, Flora Hill Housing Development, and Golden Rise Bendigo, as detailed below.

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

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Employment performance in Golden Square has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Golden Square has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 5.4% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.9% over the past year.

There are 4,338 residents employed, and the unemployment rate is 1.7% higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key industries of employment among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Health care & social assistance has a particularly high employment share of 1.2 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 1.2% of local workers compared to Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census working population vs resident population data. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, labour force by 2.6%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Vic. recorded employment decline of 0.7% and labour force decline of 0.6%. State-level data to 25-Nov shows VIC employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, with a state unemployment rate of 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Golden Square's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Golden Square has lower income compared to national averages. The median income is $51,083 and the average is $59,383. This contrasts with Rest of Vic.'s median income of $50,954 and average income of $62,728. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $55,297 (median) and $64,282 (average). Census 2021 income data shows that Golden Square ranks modestly in household, family, and personal incomes, between the 23rd and 32nd percentiles. The income distribution shows that 31.7% of residents (3,182 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 30.3%. After housing costs, 84.9% of income remains, ranking at the 25th percentile nationally.

Golden Square is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Golden Square's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 91.7% houses and 8.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Golden Square stood at 31.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.8% and rented ones at 35.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. Median weekly rent in Golden Square was recorded at $295, matching Non-Metro Vic.'s figure but significantly below the national average of $375. Nationally, Golden Square's mortgage repayments were notably lower than the Australian average of $1,863.

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

Family households constitute 63.7% of all households, including 22.8% couples with children, 25.9% couples without children, and 13.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 36.3%, with lone person households at 32.4% and group households comprising 3.8% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Golden Square fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 21.6%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 37.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.5%) and certificates (26.9%). Educational participation is high, with 27.4% currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 9.6% in primary, 7.3% in secondary, and 3.6% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 7.3% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Golden Square has 65 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 8 individual routes in operation. Collectively, these routes provide 1,079 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located 272 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 154 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 16 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Golden Square is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Golden Square faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. Both younger and older age groups have high prevalence rates for common health conditions.

Approximately half of Golden Square's total population (~5055 people) has private health cover, which is lower than the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 11.7% and 10.0% of residents respectively. Conversely, 60.9% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 62.0% across the rest of Victoria. Golden Square has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (19.9%, or 1997 people) than the national average. The health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly consistent with those of the general population's health profile.

Golden Square is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Golden Square's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.8% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (89.5%), and speaking English only at home (92.5%). Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 45.0% of Golden Square's population. Notably, the 'Other' religious category was slightly overrepresented, with 0.8% compared to 0.7% in the rest of Victoria.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (31.7%), Australian (30.0%), and Irish (10.0%). Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Scottish was slightly overrepresented at 9.1%, Samoan was present at 0.1% (though negligible regionally), and Dutch were represented at 1.2%.

Golden Square's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Golden Square's median age is 38, which is lower than the Rest of Vic.'s figure of 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group makes up 16.1% of Golden Square's population compared to Rest of Vic., while the 65-74 cohort constitutes 9.9%. According to the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 12.6% to 14.0% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 11.7% to 10.6%. Demographic modeling indicates significant changes in Golden Square's age profile by 2041. The 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 48%, adding 773 people, reaching a total of 2,390 from the current 1,616. Meanwhile, population declines are anticipated for the 75 to 84 and 55 to 64 cohorts.