Heidelberg

Heidelberg lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Heidelberg's population, as estimated by AreaSearch based on ABS updates and new addresses validated since Nov 2025, is around 7,955. This reflects an increase of 595 people from the 2021 Census figure of 7,360. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 7,902 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in Jun 2024 and 61 additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,715 persons per square kilometer, placing Heidelberg (SA2) in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's 8.1% growth rate since the 2021 census exceeded its SA3 region's 8.0%, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during this period.

AreaSearch employs 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 utilise VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels and applying growth rates by age group for years 2032 to 2041. According to these trends, Heidelberg (SA2) is predicted to experience exceptional population growth over the period until 2041, with an expected increase of 3,587 persons, reflecting a total gain of 42.6%.

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

Heidelberg has seen approximately 34 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 171 homes received approval, with an additional 15 approved in FY-26. This results in an average of 1.1 people moving to the area per dwelling built over these years.

The market exhibits a balanced supply and demand, indicating stable conditions. The average construction value for new properties is $465,000, slightly above the regional average. Commercial approvals this financial year totalled $7.9 million. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Heidelberg has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person but ranks in the 73rd percentile nationally.

Recent years have seen an acceleration in building activity, with medium and high-density housing comprising 71% of new development. This trend caters to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. Heidelberg has around 171 people per dwelling approval, suggesting growth area characteristics. By 2041, AreaSearch estimates a population increase of 3,393 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects that may impact this region. Notable projects are Austin Hospital Emergency Department Expansion, The Austin Heidelberg, Heidelberg Structure Plan Implementation, and Bulle Apartments. Below is a list of the most relevant ones.

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.

Heidelberg ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Heidelberg has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.4% as of September 2025, showing relative employment stability over the past year.

As of this date, 4658 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.3 percentage points lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation in Heidelberg was fairly standard at 66.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, health care & social assistance employed 150% more residents than the regional average.

In contrast, retail trade employed only 7.3% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.8%. The area hosted 1.4 jobs per resident as at the Census, functioning as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels in Heidelberg increased by 0.4% while the labour force grew by 0.3%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points. This contrasted with Greater Melbourne where employment rose by 3.0%, the labour force grew by 3.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from Victoria as of 25-Nov showed employment growth of 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Heidelberg's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not consider localised population projections.

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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Heidelberg's median income among taxpayers is $65,899. The average income in the suburb is $94,378. This places Heidelberg among the highest income suburbs in Australia, compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since June 2023, current estimates for Heidelberg would be approximately $71,336 (median) and $102,164 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, individual earnings in Heidelberg stand out at the 85th percentile nationally ($1,086 weekly). The majority of residents, 32.9%, fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly earnings bracket (2,617 people), which is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.8% in the same category. High housing costs consume 15.6% of income in Heidelberg, however strong earnings still place disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Heidelberg's housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 42.5% houses and 57.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Melbourne metro had 76.0% houses and 24.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Heidelberg was at 28.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.8% and rented ones at 42.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Heidelberg was $2,150, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent figure in Heidelberg was $400, similar to Melbourne metro's $399. Nationally, Heidelberg's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,150 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $400 against the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 63.0% of all households, including 27.3% couples with children, 25.9% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.0%, with lone person households at 33.4% and group households making up 3.8%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

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

Heidelberg's educational attainment exceeds broader averages: 51.9% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA4 region's 32.8%. This high level positions Heidelberg favourably for knowledge-based opportunities, with bachelor degrees leading at 31.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Vocational pathways account for 22.5% of qualifications among those aged 15+, comprising advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (13.0%). Educational participation is notably high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.2% in primary, 7.2% in tertiary, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.2% in primary education, 7.2% in tertiary education, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Heidelberg's public transport system operates 30 active stops, served by a mix of trains and buses along 11 routes. These routes facilitate 4,224 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 263 meters, indicating good accessibility.

Daily service frequency averages 603 trips across all routes, translating to about 140 weekly trips per individual stop.

Heidelberg's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Heidelberg's health metrics are close to national benchmarks. The level of common health conditions among its general population is somewhat typical but higher than the national average among older cohorts. Approximately 64% (5,090 people) have private health cover, which is exceptionally high compared to Greater Melbourne's 60.9% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (8.9%) and asthma (7.1%). About 69.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 69.3%. Heidelberg has 17.9% (1,423 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Melbourne's 19.8%. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Heidelberg's population showed high cultural diversity with 29.3% born overseas and 24.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 46.4%. Judaism, however, was similarly represented at 0.2%, matching Greater Melbourne's figure.

The top three ancestry groups were English (21.1%), Australian (20.6%), and Other (10.5%). Notably, Italian ancestry was slightly overrepresented at 8.2% compared to the regional average of 7.7%. Hungarian ancestry also showed higher representation at 0.4%, compared to the region's 0.3%. Macedonian ancestry was marginally underrepresented at 1.0% versus the regional figure of 1.1%.

Heidelberg's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Heidelberg is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and close to the national average of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, the 75-84 age cohort is over-represented in Heidelberg at 6.4%, while the 15-24 age group is under-represented at 10.1%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 45-54 age group has grown from 12.3% to 13.4% of Heidelberg's population. Conversely, the 5-14 age cohort has declined from 11.3% to 10.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Heidelberg. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 58%, adding 617 people and reaching a total of 1,683. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow by 10%, adding 41 residents.