Huntly

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

As of Nov 2025, Huntly's population is estimated at around 5,026, reflecting an increase of 1,441 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,585. This growth is inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and analysis of ABS ERP data released in June 2024, showing a resident population of 4,708 for Huntly. The suburb's population density is approximately 114 persons per square kilometer. Between the 2021 Census and recent periods, natural growth contributed around 44% to overall population gains, with other factors such as interstate migration also being positive. AreaSearch projects future population dynamics using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 are used with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods.

Exceptional growth is predicted for Huntly over the period to 2041, with an expected expansion of 2,661 persons and a total increase of 30.2%.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Huntly among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Huntly granted around 156 residential properties per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 783 homes were approved, with a further 43 approved in FY-26. On average, 0.6 new residents arrive per new home annually over the past five financial years.

This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth. The average value of new dwellings is $315,000, below the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, $21.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Rest of Vic., Huntly records 507.0% more new home approvals per person, providing buyers with ample choice and suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. New building activity comprises 99.0% detached dwellings and 1.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

With around 23 people per approval, Huntly reflects a developing area. Looking ahead, Huntly is expected to grow by 1,517 residents through to 2041, with current development rates comfortably meeting demand and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Huntly has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives are Huntly Structure Plan, Goornong Railway Station, Huntly Railway Station, and Huntly Growth Area. The following details projects expected to have the most relevance.

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

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Employment conditions in Huntly demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Huntly has a skilled workforce with 1.938 residents employed as of June 2025. Its unemployment rate is 1.6% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Huntly is 67.8%, higher than Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Mining employment share is 6.6 times the regional level. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented with 3.7% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.5%, labour force by 2.2%, resulting in a 0.6 percentage point unemployment rise. In comparison, Rest of Vic. saw employment decline by 0.9% and labour force decline by 0.4%. National employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Huntly's employment mix indicates local growth of 6.2% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Huntly had a median income among taxpayers of $57,744 and an average level of $70,771. These figures are above the national average. In comparison, Rest of Vic had levels of $48,741 and $60,693 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Huntly would be approximately $64,766 (median) and $79,377 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Huntly cluster around the 61st percentile nationally. Distribution data shows that 43.8% of locals (2,201 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, aligning with regional levels where this cohort represents 30.3%. After housing costs, 85.8% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Huntly is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Huntly's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, were entirely houses with 0.0% other dwellings, differing from Non-Metro Vic.'s 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Huntly stood at 24.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 54.4% and rented ones at 21.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, exceeding Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. Median weekly rent in Huntly was $360, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $295. Nationally, Huntly's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 81.5% of all households, including 39.4% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 13.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for 18.5%, comprising 16.2% lone person households and 2.1% group households. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Huntly shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's university qualification rate is 18.7%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.2%, followed by graduate diplomas (3.4%) and postgraduate qualifications (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 43.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 33.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.4% in primary, 8.5% in secondary, and 2.6% in tertiary education. Huntly Primary School serves the local area, enrolling 320 students as of a recent report. The school operates under typical Australian conditions (ICSEA: 980) with balanced educational opportunities. It caters exclusively to primary education, while secondary options are available nearby. Local school capacity is limited at 6.4 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 17.9, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Huntly's public transport analysis shows 21 active stops operating within the town. These are served by buses along two routes, offering a total of 258 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically living 393 meters from their nearest stop.

Services run an average of 36 trips per day across all routes, equating to around 12 weekly trips per stop.

Huntly'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

Huntly's health metrics are close to national benchmarks, with common health conditions among its general population being somewhat typical but higher than the national average among older cohorts. Private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (around 2,753 people), compared to 50.5% across the rest of Victoria.

The most prevalent medical conditions in Huntly are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 11.4% and 9.5% of residents respectively. Conversely, 67.7% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 62.0% across the rest of Victoria. The area has a lower proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 10.4% (around 522 people), compared to 18.9% in the rest of Victoria. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those of the broader population.

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

Huntly's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 90.3% of its population being citizens, 92.6% born in Australia, and 93.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Huntly, comprising 40.7% of the population. The category 'Other' made up 0.7% of Huntly's population, similar to the Rest of Vic average of 0.7%.

In terms of ancestry, Australian (36.4%), English (30.0%), and Irish (8.4%) were the top three represented groups in Huntly. Notably, Scottish (8.1%) was overrepresented compared to the regional average of 8.7%, while Welsh (0.5%) and Australian Aboriginal (2.1%) also showed higher representation than their respective regional averages of 0.4% and 1.7%.

Huntly hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Huntly is 32 years, which is notably lower than the average for Rest of Vic., at 43 years, and also substantially under the Australian median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of Vic., Huntly has a higher concentration of 25-34 year-olds, with 17.2% of its population falling into this age group, but fewer people aged 75-84, at just 1.9%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of Huntly's population in the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 14.6% to 16.2%, while the percentage of people aged 45 to 54 has declined from 10.4% to 9.2%. By 2041, Huntly's population is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow by 56%, adding 481 people and reaching a total of 1,346 from the current figure of 864. The 55-64 age group is expected to display more modest growth, adding just 14 residents over this period.