Ivanhoe (Vic.)

Population growth drivers in Ivanhoe are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As per ABS population updates for the broader area and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the suburb of Ivanhoe (Vic.) had an estimated population of around 15,199 as of May 2026. This figure reflects a growth of 1,825 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,374. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 15,144 following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2025 and an additional 317 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,743 persons per square kilometer, placing Ivanhoe in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 13.6% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (5.5%) and the state average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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, adjusting using 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. Looking ahead, exceptional growth is predicted over the period, with the suburb expected to increase by 6,601 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall increase of 43.1% in total over the 16 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Ivanhoe has experienced around 170 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Approximately 852 homes have been approved over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, with an additional 137 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.2 people per year have moved to the area for each dwelling built during this period, suggesting a balanced supply and demand dynamic creating stable market conditions.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $538,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, commercial development approvals have reached $76.7 million, reflecting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Ivanhoe shows 81.0% higher construction activity per person, offering greater choice for buyers and demonstrating strong developer confidence in the location. New development comprises 15.0% detached dwellings and 85.0% attached dwellings, providing affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shift reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Currently, Ivanhoe has around 96 people per approval, indicating a developing area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Ivanhoe is projected to add 6,546 residents by 2041.

Construction is maintaining pace with projected growth, although buyers may face growing competition as population increases.

Ivanhoe 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 28 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital Redevelopment, YarraBend - The Mills Alphington, Riverbend Ivanhoe, and North Yarra Main Sewer Rehabilitation Project. Below is a list of 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Ivanhoe significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Ivanhoe has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. The unemployment rate was 2.6% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.7%. As of December 2025, 9,290 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.2%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.8%.

Workforce participation was 72.5%, similar to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. Home workership was high at 45.6% based on Census responses, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Leading industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Ivanhoe had a strong specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level, but under-representation in construction at 6.3% compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%.

Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between December 2024 and 2025, employment increased by 2.7%, labour force by 3.0%, leading to a slight unemployment rise of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne had employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with the same unemployment increase. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ivanhoe's industry mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch reports that based on postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Ivanhoe's median taxpayer income was $67,302 and the average was $111,848. Nationally, these figures place Ivanhoe in the top percentile. Comparing to Greater Melbourne, median income was $57,688 and average was $75,164. Factoring a 9.62% Wage Price Index growth since financial year ending June 2023, estimates for March 2026 would be approximately $73,776 (median) and $122,608 (average). Census 2021 data shows Ivanhoe's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 80th and 85th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals 29.2% of residents earn between $1,500 - 2,999 annually, similar to surrounding regions at 32.8%. High earnings are evident with 37.1% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, indicating strong consumer spending power. Housing expenses account for 14.0% of income. Ivanhoe residents rank in the 81st percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking is in the 9th decile.

Ivanhoe displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Ivanhoe, as per the latest Census, consisted of 52.9% houses and 47.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ivanhoe stood at 35.8%, with the rest being mortgaged (30.7%) or rented (33.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,383, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent was recorded at $430, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Ivanhoe's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Ivanhoe has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 67.3% of all households, including 31.2% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.7%, with lone person households at 29.3% and group households making up 3.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

In Ivanhoe, residents aged 15 and above have a notably higher educational attainment compared to broader benchmarks. Specifically, 53.7% of its residents hold university qualifications, surpassing the national average of 30.4% and the SA4 region's average of 32.8%. This significant educational advantage suggests strong potential for knowledge-based opportunities in the area. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 32.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%).

Vocational pathways account for 19.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.5% and certificates 10.0%. Educational participation is notably high in Ivanhoe, with 28.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in tertiary education, 8.0% in primary education, and 7.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Ivanhoe has 68 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These are covered by 14 different routes, offering 4,177 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 198 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode at 76%, followed by train at 10% and walking at 6%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 45.6% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 596 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 61 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Ivanhoe based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 71% of the total population (10,760 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were mental health issues affecting 8.3% of residents and asthma impacting 7.1%. A total of 71.0% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. The under-65 population demonstrated better than average health outcomes. The area had 19.7% of residents aged 65 and over (2,994 people), higher than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Ivanhoe's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 27.9% born overseas and 24.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Ivanhoe, making up 45.0% of its residents. However, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 0.3% of Ivanhoe's population versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (21.6%), Australian (18.9%), and Irish (10.2%). Notably, Italian (8.2%) and Greek (4.3%) populations were overrepresented in Ivanhoe compared to regional averages of 5.2% and 2.7%, respectively. Macedonian ancestry was also slightly higher at 0.9%.

Ivanhoe's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Ivanhoe has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's average of 38 years. The 65-74 age group is notably over-represented in Ivanhoe at 10.6%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 9.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has grown from 5.1% to 6.6% of Ivanhoe's population. Conversely, the 5-14 age cohort has decreased from 10.7% to 9.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Ivanhoe's age profile, with the 75-84 age cohort expected to surge dramatically, increasing by 1,162 people (116%) from 1,003 to 2,166.