Hazelwood North

An assessment of population growth drivers in Hazelwood North reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of May 2026, the estimated population of Hazelwood North is around 1,526, showing a decrease of 26 people since the 2021 Census. This decline represents a 1.7% change from the previous population count of 1,552. The current resident population estimate of 1,525 comes from AreaSearch's examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and validation of six new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of approximately 22 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed about 46.0% to overall population gains recently, with all migration factors including overseas and interstate migration also being positive influences.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, they employ the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using a weighted aggregation method to reach SA2 levels. Future population projections indicate an above median growth for regional areas nationally. By 2041, Hazelwood North is expected to increase by 225 persons, reflecting a total increase of 14.7% over the 16-year period based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Hazelwood North, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, Hazelwood North has recorded around 5 residential properties granted approval per year between FY-21 and FY-26. Approximately 27 homes were approved over the past 5 financial years, with an additional 2 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 1.6 people have moved to the area annually for each dwelling built over these years. However, this figure has increased to 4.7 people per dwelling over the past 2 financial years, indicating growing popularity and potential supply constraints.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $440,000, focusing on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This year, $2.5 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to residential. Compared to Rest of Vic., Hazelwood North has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 16th percentile nationally, indicating somewhat limited buyer options while strengthening demand for established homes. Recent development has been entirely comprised of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The estimated count of 1043 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. Looking ahead, Hazelwood North is expected to grow by 224 residents through to 2041, with development keeping reasonable pace with projected growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Hazelwood North has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects that may affect this region. Notable ones include Hazelwood North Solar Farm, Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) Recycling Facility at Hazelwood North, Wooreen Energy Storage System, and another ULAB Recycling Facility at Hazelwood North. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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The exceptional employment performance in Hazelwood North places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Hazelwood North has a skilled workforce with notable representation in the construction sector. Its unemployment rate was 1.8% as of December 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.9%.

As of December 2025797 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9%, lower than Regional Vic.'s rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is high at 66.1%, compared to Regional Vic.'s 61.0%. About 16.0% of residents work from home. Major industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and public administration & safety.

The area has a particularly high concentration in electricity, gas, water & waste services, with employment levels at 5.9 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 4.2% of local workers, below Regional Vic.'s 7.5%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census data comparison between working population and resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.9%, labour force by 3.6%, leading to a unemployment rate decrease of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Regional Vic. saw employment decline by 0.6% and labour force decline by 0.7%. 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 Hazelwood North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not consider localised population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Hazelwood North had a median income among taxpayers of $59,826 and an average income of $72,799. These figures are higher than the national averages of $50,954 and $62,728 respectively for Regional Vic. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% from financial year ended June 2023 to March 2026, estimated median income would be approximately $65,581 and average income $79,802 as of March 2026. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data for 2021, Hazelwood North's household incomes rank at the 81st percentile with a weekly income of $2,261. The predominant income cohort consists of 38.3% of locals (584 people) earning between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, similar to regional levels where 30.3% fall within this range. After housing costs, residents retain 90.7% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Hazelwood North is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Hazelwood North's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was entirely houses with no other dwellings. This contrasts with Regional Vic.'s 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hazelwood North stood at 47.3%, with mortgaged properties at 50.2% and rented ones at 2.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,755, higher than Regional Vic.'s average of $1,430. Median weekly rent in Hazelwood North was $235, lower than Regional Vic.'s $285. Nationally, Hazelwood North's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $375 compared to the national figure.

Hazelwood North features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 88.5% of all households, including 40.9% couples with children, 41.3% couples without children, and 6.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 11.5%, with lone person households at 10.2% and group households comprising 0.9%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Regional Vic average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 17.5%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. This disparity presents both challenges and opportunities for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 13.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 45.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (34.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 26.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 10.7% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 2.7% in tertiary education.

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

Hazelwood North has seven active public transport stops serving seven different routes. These routes facilitate a total of 234 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is limited, with residents generally living 1541 meters away from the nearest stop. Most Hazelwood North residents commute outward daily. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 98% of residents. On average, there are 2.5 vehicles per dwelling in the area, higher than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 16.0% of Hazelwood North's residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, an average of 33 trips are made daily, translating to approximately 33 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hazelwood North's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Hazelwood North. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups.

Private health cover was found to be very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~848 people), compared to 50.5% across Regional Vic. The most common medical conditions were arthritis (8.9%) and asthma (8.1%). 69.0% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% across Regional Vic. The under-65 population demonstrated better than average health outcomes. As of 2021, the area had 20.7% of residents aged 65 and over (315 people), which was lower than the 23.9% in Regional Vic. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

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

Hazelwood North, as per the findings, had a low level of cultural diversity with 90.2% of its population born in Australia, 93.2% being citizens, and 96.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Hazelwood North, accounting for 47.1% of people, which is similar to Regional Vic's 47.3%. The top three ancestral groups were Australian (31.7%), English (29.1%), and Scottish (9.4%).

Notably, Dutch ancestry was overrepresented at 3.4%, compared to the regional average of 1.7%, Maltese at 2.3% versus 0.5%, and Spanish at 0.6% against 0.2%.

Hazelwood North hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Hazelwood North's median age is 44 years, similar to Regional Vic.'s 43 and above the national average of 38 years. Compared to Regional Vic., Hazelwood North has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (14.0%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (8.5%). Between the 2016 and 2021 Census, the population aged 35-44 increased from 11.9% to 13.5%, while those aged 55-64 decreased from 17.1% to 15.0% and those aged 15-24 dropped from 10.0% to 8.5%. By 2041, Hazelwood North's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 45-54 group is projected to grow by 26%, reaching 270 people from the current 213. Meanwhile, the 65-74 and 55-64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.