Hawthorn East

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

The estimated population of the suburb of Hawthorn East is around 16,480 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,646 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,834 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 16,363 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 137 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,735 persons per square kilometer, placing Hawthorn East in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (7.4%) and the national average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 91.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to increase by 2,330 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 13.4% in total over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis, Hawthorn East averaged approximately 59 new dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 295 homes were approved, with an additional 49 approved in FY26 so far. On average, each new home attracted about 1.8 new residents annually over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this ratio has recently intensified to 19.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $1,372,000, reflecting a focus on premium market developments. This year alone, $45.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn East has roughly two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 30th percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. Recent construction comprises approximately 43% detached dwellings and 57% townhouses or apartments, demonstrating a trend towards denser development that caters to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.

The area has about 548 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established population. By 2041, Hawthorn East is projected to grow by approximately 2,213 residents, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Building activity appears to be keeping pace with these growth projections, though buyers may face increased competition as the population expands.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Bulleen to Springvale Road, Camberwell Junction Activity Centre Development, Camberwell House, and Nido Early School Hawthorn East. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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.

Employment conditions in Hawthorn East demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Hawthorn East has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.8% as of December 2025. Employment grew by an estimated 2.5% over the past year.

As of December 2025, 10,562 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9%, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation was 75.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. A high 49.6% of residents worked from home, possibly due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Professional & technical had a strong presence with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level. Construction had limited presence at 5.6%, compared to the regional 9.7%. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.6, indicating local employment opportunities above average. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 2.5% while labour force grew by 2.4%, reducing unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In Greater Melbourne, employment rose by 2.4%, but unemployment increased by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest Hawthorn East's employment could increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Hawthorn East is among the top percentile nationally. The median income is assessed at $69,652 and the average income stands at $117,834. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's figures of a median income of $57,688 and an average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $75,398 (median) and $127,555 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Hawthorn East, between the 81st and 93rd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 29.3% of residents (4,828 people), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.8% in the same category. A significant 38.5% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. Housing accounts for 14.9% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 81st percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

In Hawthorn East, as per the latest Census, 33.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 66.9% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawthorn East stood at 30.2%, similar to Melbourne metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.8% and rented ones at 41.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Hawthorn East was $415, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Hawthorn East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,500 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.4% of all households, including 25.8% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 6.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 39.6%, with lone person households at 33.2% and group households comprising 6.3%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Hawthorn East's educational attainment is notably high, with 61.6% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. This area has a significant educational advantage, with bachelor degrees being the most prevalent at 37.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.4%) and graduate diplomas (5.4%). Vocational pathways account for 16.6% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 8.9% and certificates 7.7%. Educational participation is high in the area, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.2% in tertiary education, 7.9% in primary education, and 7.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Hawthorn East has 23 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 8 routes, facilitating 6,851 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 233 meters to the nearest stop. In this predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outwards. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 71%, followed by trains at 14% and walking at 7%. The average vehicle ownership is 0.9 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 49.6% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 978 trips per day, equating to approximately 297 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hawthorn East's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Hawthorn East's health outcomes data shows exceptional results, with AreaSearch assessing mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence as very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 73% of the total population (12,051 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.9 and 7.5% of residents respectively, while 73.3% report being completely clear of medical ailments compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%.

Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 16.5% of residents aged 65 and over (2,719 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly in line with national rankings.

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

Hawthorn East, surveyed in 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 31.7% of its population born overseas and 25.0% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 38.5%. Judaism, however, was notably more prevalent in Hawthorn East at 2.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.0%.

The top three parental birth countries were England (22.7%), Australia (18.9%), and China (10.0%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French (0.8% vs regional 0.5%), Greek (2.6% vs 2.7%), and Polish (0.9% vs 0.8%) had slight overrepresentation in Hawthorn East compared to the region.

Hawthorn East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Hawthorn East's median age at 36 years nearly matches Greater Melbourne's average of 37, both being modestly under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn East has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (20.6%) but fewer aged 5-14 (9.1%). This 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 13.2% to 15.2%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.7% to 11.0% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 10.7% to 9.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Hawthorn East's age profile will evolve significantly. The 65 to 74 cohort is projected to grow by 33%, adding 430 residents to reach 1,716. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 50% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Conversely, the 15 to 24 cohort is projected to decline by 101 people.