Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
Find a Recent Sale
Sales Detail
Harkness has an estimated 12,738 residents, up from 12,463 at the 2021 Census — a change of 275 people, or 2.2%. Growth has averaged 0.7% a year over five years, slower than 79% of areas nationally. That puts 762 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
Based on AreaSearch's evaluation of ABS demographic releases for the wider region alongside newly verified addresses, the suburb of Harkness has an estimated population of 12,738 as of May 2026. This represents an expansion of 275 individuals (2.2%) from the 2021 Census, which documented 12,463 residents. This adjustment is calculated from an estimated resident base of 12,726 determined by AreaSearch using the ABS June 2025 ERP release, combined with 33 newly validated addresses registered after the Census. This count places the local density at 762 persons per square kilometer, a figure that aligns closely with standard regional averages.
Over the past ten years, the suburb of Harkness has shown steady upward trends, recording a compound annual growth rate of 4.1%, which is quicker than the SA4 region. Demographic expansion was largely driven by natural increase, which accounted for approximately 64.0% of the overall population rise in recent times. AreaSearch incorporates projections from ABS and Geoscience Australia for individual SA2 regions published in 2024, using 2022 as the base point. For SA2 regions lacking these metrics, projections are sourced from the 2023 VIC State Government Regional/LGA releases, adjusted using a weighted aggregation method to scale growth from LGA to SA2 levels. The age structure growth patterns derived from these aggregations are applied to all regions for the years 2032 to 2041. Future projections indicate substantial demographic expansion that ranks in the top quartile of statistical areas studied by AreaSearch. Specifically, the suburb of Harkness is projected to grow by 4,245 residents by 2041 under these combined SA2 projections, representing an overall increase of 33.2% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
187 new dwellings have been approved in Harkness over the past five years, an average of 37 a year. That is 3.0 approvals per 1,000 residents. Of the 24 dwellings approved in the latest reporting year, 92% were detached houses and the rest townhouses or apartments. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 10, well below that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
According to AreaSearch's review of ABS building approvals allocated from local statistical divisions, the suburb of Harkness averages approximately 37 new residential approvals annually, amounting to roughly 187 dwellings over the previous 5 financial years. Thus far in FY-26, 10 building approvals have been logged. Over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), there has been an average of 2.2 new residents per year per dwelling, indicating solid demand that is likely to help sustain local property values. The average construction value for these new homes is $388,000.
Additionally, commercial building approvals have reached $8.4 million during the current financial year, underlining the residential focus of the neighborhood. When compared to Greater Melbourne, building activity in the suburb of Harkness is substantially quieter, sitting 88.0% below the per capita regional average. This constrained supply pipeline typically underpins demand and values for existing houses. The building rate is also lower than the national average, indicating a mature market and highlighting potential planning limits. Recent residential projects consist of 92.0% single detached homes and 8.0% medium and high-density dwellings, which helps preserve the neighborhood's classic low-density feel and focus on spacious family living. The ratio of 1505 individuals in the suburb of Harkness per single dwelling approval highlights a quiet development landscape with low construction volume. Future forecasts indicate that the suburb of Harkness will add 4,233 residents by 2041, according to the latest quarterly estimates from AreaSearch. If current building trends persist, the volume of new housing may fall short of demographic growth, which could increase competition among prospective buyers and encourage stronger price growth.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Harkness
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 8 current infrastructure and development projects inside Harkness, worth an estimated $4.53 billion. A further 71 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $28.6 billion. 39 are already under construction and 25 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, communities and communities, precincts & urban renewal. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local infrastructure projects, major works, and urban planning decisions are key drivers of regional performance. AreaSearch has tracked 19 projects that are expected to influence the local area. Significant initiatives include the Hopkins Road Level Crossing Removal - Truganina, the Harkness Memorial Park, the Western Freeway Upgrade (Melton to Caroline Springs), and the Little Creek Estate, with details on the most relevant projects provided below.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Harkness Memorial Park
The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT) is delivering a new 128-hectare memorial park and public cemetery in Harkness, City of Melton - the largest cemetery development in Victoria in over a century. The staged project includes burial and memorial plots (eventually 140,000+), internal roads, landscape planting with 2,000+ trees, a ceremonial and operations hub, community gathering spaces, walking trails, and parklands. Stage 1A covers approximately 11 hectares and includes around 4,200 interment plots, with a first stage opening targeted for early 2027.Groundbreaking occurred in May 2025 with construction now underway.
Williams Walk
Boutique residential development by Villawood Properties and Spark Property Development featuring 182 homes on 7.97 hectares with quality homes and community amenities. Located in Melbournes west growth corridor under Melton City Council, close to proposed Rockbank Town Centre, Cobblebank CBD, and natural attractions including Melton Botanic Gardens, Pinkerton Forest, and Werribee River. Proximity to schools, shopping, and 36 minutes to Melbourne CBD.
345-371 Bulmans Road Residential Development
Approximately 12.14 ha (about 30 acres) landholding marketed with an endorsed concept plan for 239 residential lots. The site is currently offered for sale and is situated within the Bulmans Road Precinct Structure Plan (PSP).
Harkness Memorial Park
A 128 hectare memorial park being developed by the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust to serve Melbourne's rapidly growing western suburbs. Stage 1 includes the Kingfisher Centre, ceremonial and function spaces, memorial areas, internal roads, extensive landscaping, Arnolds Creek restoration and thousands of new trees. Major construction is underway with opening planned for early 2027.
Hopkins Road Level Crossing Removal - Truganina
Removal of the dangerous level crossing at Hopkins Road through the construction of a new road bridge over the rail line. The project features a dedicated shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists, vibrant purple bridge facades inspired by local wildflowers, and extensive native landscaping. As of May 2026, final bridge works and asphalting are completing, with the bridge scheduled to open to traffic on May 18, 2026, followed by the permanent removal of boom gates by late May.
Little Creek Estate
A boutique house-and-land community delivering 106 homes across roughly 12 hectares in Kurunjang, within the City of Melton. The estate sits on Minns Road and features titled and settled lots across streets including Claudia Crescent, Norwood Avenue and Kinane Street, with land releases continuing into 2026 (Stage 12 titling April 2026, Stage 15 currently selling). Lots range from around 300sqm to over 600sqm, with house and land packages available through builders such as Mimosa Homes, Homebuyers Centre and Metricon.Sales and enquiries are handled by Oliver Hume.
Kurunjang Secondary College Upgrade
Comprehensive upgrade and modernisation of the co-educational secondary school built in 1986. Construction of new learning building to provide better learning spaces for students.
Melton Line Upgrade and Level Crossing Removals
A major Victorian Government rail program that combines the removal of four level crossings in Melton and Truganina (Coburns Road, Exford Road, Ferris Road and Hopkins Road) with a wider upgrade of the Melton Line. New rail bridges will carry trains over Coburns and Exford roads, while new road bridges will be built over the rail line at Ferris Road and Hopkins Road, with shared walking and cycling paths. A new elevated Melton Station with four platforms will be built to suit longer 9-car VLocity trains and accommodate Ballarat services, with an accessible pedestrian link, lifts, a relocated bus interchange, pick-up and drop-off zones, an air-conditioned waiting room and staffed ticket office.A new train stabling yard is also being built at Cobblebank near Abey Road, around 700 metres east of the new Melton Station, to house the new fleet and be future-proofed for electrification. Once complete, the upgrade is expected to lift peak passenger capacity on the line by about 50 per cent and remove boom gates from the section, easing congestion for around 73,000 vehicles a day. All four level crossings are due to be gone and the new Melton Station open in 2026, two years ahead of the original schedule, with longer 9-car VLocity trains running on the line from 2027.
6,273 residents of Harkness are employed, from a labour force of 6,809. Unemployment sits at 7.9%, with participation at 72.8%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.1% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 10,408, about 82% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The suburb of Harkness possesses a skilled labor force across multiple industries, an unemployment rate of 7.9%, and a relatively steady employment situation over the prior year, based on aggregated statistical area statistics. As of March 2026, 6,273 local citizens are employed, while the unemployment rate is 3.1% higher than the 4.8% rate observed across Greater Melbourne, pointing to potential areas of economic improvement. The workforce participation rate is typical at 72.8%, compared with 70.2% across Greater Melbourne. Census data indicates that a moderate 16.5% of working residents performed their duties from home, though this figure may have been influenced by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Local jobs are largely concentrated in the building trades, healthcare and social assistance, and retail trade sectors. The suburb of Harkness exhibits a strong employment concentration in transport, postal, and warehousing, with a representation that is 2.3 times the regional average. Conversely, professional and technical services are underrepresented, making up only 3.6% of the local workforce compared to 10.1% across Greater Melbourne. The local area appears to provide a limited number of jobs within its boundaries, as shown by the relationship between the Census working population and resident population. Aggregated data from Salm and ABS, analyzed by AreaSearch, indicates that employment grew by 0.4% and the labour force expanded by 0.6% during the year to March 2026, leading to an increase in unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 2.1%, a labour force expansion of 2.3%, and an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 provide additional context regarding potential future demand in Harkness. These projections, which cover five and ten-year periods, have been overlaid with the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. Although national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates vary significantly across industry sectors. When these sector-specific projections are applied to Harkness's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.7% over ten years. This calculation represents a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not incorporate localized population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Harkness is $1,752 a week (about $91,000 a year), with median personal income at $789 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $56,825 a year against an average of $64,667. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
The suburb of Harkness has an income level below the national average according to ATO figures compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income of local taxpayers is $56,825 and the average is $64,667, compared to Greater Melbourne figures of $57,688 and $75,164. Based on a Wage Price Index increase of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 stand at approximately $62,292 for the median and $70,888 for the average. In the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in the suburb of Harkness were all moderate, ranking between the 47th and 50th percentiles.
The data shows that 41.4% of the population (5,273 individuals) are in the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, which is similar to the wider region where 32.8% fall into this range. Financial pressure from housing is significant, with only 81.9% of income remaining after housing costs, placing the area in the 48th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Harkness had 3,763 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 94% detached houses and 2% apartments. 56% are owned with a mortgage, 28% rented and 16% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $350 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,700 a month. Rent absorbs 20.0% of household income here and mortgage repayments 22.4%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
The dwelling landscape in the suburb of Harkness at the last Census was made up of 94.0% separate houses and 6.0% other options like townhouses and apartments, compared to metro Melbourne which had 67.9% houses and 32.1% alternative dwellings. Home ownership in the suburb of Harkness stood at 16.0%, trailing the metropolitan average, with the remaining properties being purchased with a mortgage (55.9%) or rented (28.1%). The median monthly mortgage payment in the area was $1,700, which is below the metropolitan median of $2,000, while the median weekly rent was $350, compared to the Melbourne metro average of $390.
On a national level, mortgage payments in the suburb of Harkness are below the Australian median of $1,863, and rents are lower than the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Harkness counted 3,763 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 3.1 people each. 44% are couples with children, more than in 88% of areas nationally, against 18% couples without children. 17% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.7 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families make up the vast majority of households at 80.8%, consisting of couples with children at 44.2%, couples without children at 18.1%, and single-parent homes at 17.7%. Non-family households account for the remaining 19.2%, with single-person households representing 17.2% and group shared housing making up 2.0% of the total. The median household size is 3.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
18.9% of adults in Harkness hold a university qualification, including 13.0% with a bachelor degree and 3.9% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 26.9% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 778 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 995 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
The local area has notable educational gaps, with tertiary qualification rates (18.9%) sitting well below the Greater Melbourne average of 37.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common tertiary qualification at 13.0%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 3.9% and graduate diplomas at 2.0%. Vocational and technical training is common, with 38.7% of residents aged 15+ holding practical qualifications, consisting of advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (26.9%). A high percentage of residents are engaged in study, with 36.9% of the population currently enrolled in formal education.
This comprises 14.9% in primary schools, 9.5% in secondary schools, and 3.7% in tertiary institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Harkness reaches 33 stops on 4 routes, timetabled for about 1,300 services a week. The typical home sits about 310 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.6 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Analysis of local transit shows 33 active public transport stops operating in the suburb of Harkness, consisting of bus services. These stops are served by 4 different routes, which together provide 1,345 weekly passenger journeys. Accessibility is rated favorably, with residents living an average of 310 meters from their nearest transit stop. Because the area is primarily residential, most workers commute out of the suburb, with private cars being the main transport choice for 93% of commuters. Households own an average of 1.6 vehicles, which is above the metropolitan average.
About 16.5% of working residents worked from home, according to the 2021 Census, which may reflect pandemic-era arrangements. Transit service frequency averages 192 trips each day across the network, which translates to roughly 40 weekly journeys for each individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
73.6% of residents in Harkness report no long-term health condition. 5.3% need daily assistance with core activities, and 52.4% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.7 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
The suburb of Harkness faces notable health challenges based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality data and chronic illness rates, with typical health issues being common, particularly among older age groups. The rate of private health insurance is slightly ahead of the average SA2 region at approximately 52% of the population (~6,677 people). This compares to a rate of 56.7% across Greater Melbourne. The most common medical conditions recorded among local residents were asthma and mental health concerns, affecting 8.9 and 8.3% of the population respectively. Meanwhile, 73.6% of residents reported having no chronic medical conditions, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne.
Health statuses within the working-age cohort are generally average. The suburb of Harkness has 8.3% of its population aged 65 and over (1,057 people), which is lower than the 15.0% proportion in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among older residents present some difficulties, though they rank lower nationally than the broader community.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
32.4% of Harkness residents were born overseas and 33.4% speak a language other than English at home, more culturally diverse than 76% of areas nationally. The largest reported ancestries are Australian (22.0%) and English (19.4%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
The suburb of Harkness shows high levels of cultural diversity, with 32.4% of residents born outside Australia and 33.4% using a language other than English at home. Christianity is the primary religion, followed by 49.8% of the population. The most notable statistical divergence is in the Other religious category, which accounts for 5.2% of the local population compared to 2.3% across Greater Melbourne. Regarding parental country of birth, the three most common backgrounds in the suburb of Harkness are Australian at 22.0%, English at 19.4%, and Other at 17.2%. There are also distinct concentrations of specific ethnic ancestries: Maltese is notably prominent at 4.3% of the suburb of Harkness (compared to 1.1% regionally), Samoan at 2.2% (compared to 0.3%), and Serbian at 0.9% (compared to 0.4%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Harkness is 30, younger than 96% of areas nationally. 28.9% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
With a median age of 30 years, the suburb of Harkness has a population that is younger than the Greater Melbourne average of 37 and is lower than the national median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, the suburb of Harkness has a larger share of residents aged 5 - 14 (17.8%) but fewer individuals aged 55 - 64 (7.1%). The proportion of children aged 5 - 14 is higher than the national figure of 12.0%. Data since the 2021 Census shows the 15 to 24 age bracket has risen from 12.6% to 14.3% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort grew from 1.8% to 2.9%.
In contrast, the 25 to 34 age bracket declined from 16.5% to 14.6%. Population models suggest the demographic mix of the suburb of Harkness will shift by 2041. The 45 to 54 cohort is expected to grow substantially, increasing by 760 people (53%) from 1,439 to 2,200.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Harkness
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 this month all 8 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 33 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (12,463 at the 2021 Census → 12,738 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to May 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL21140). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.