Kew East

Kew East is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

The population of Kew East is estimated at around 7,156 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 536 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,620 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 6,929 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 20 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,762 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Kew East's growth of 8.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth of 7.4%. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as 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 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 59 persons by 2041, reflecting a reduction of 2.4% in total over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Kew East according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Kew East has seen approximately 27 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 138 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY-26. The population decline over recent years suggests that new supply has likely been meeting demand, providing good options for buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,353,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaling $9.6 million have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Kew East has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 62nd percentile nationally when assessed areas are considered.

New building activity shows 69.0% detached dwellings and 31.0% townhouses or apartments, with a growing mix providing options across different price points from family homes to more affordable compact living. The location has approximately 232 people per dwelling approval, indicating potential for growth. Population projections showing stability or decline suggest reduced housing demand pressures in Kew East, benefiting potential buyers.

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

Seven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. These include the Kew Recreation Centre Redevelopment, Harp Village Precinct Redevelopment, North East Link - Eastern Freeway Upgrade (Hoddle Street to Burke Road), and another project named Kew Recreation Centre Redevelopment. The following list details those projects likely to have the most relevance.

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The labour market in Kew East shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Kew East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%, having seen an estimated employment growth of 2.2% over the past year (AreaSearch aggregation). As of December 2025, there are 4,038 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.8% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's at 71.3%. However, a high proportion of residents work from home, with Covid-19 lockdown impacts considered. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training sectors. Notably, employment in the professional & technical sector is particularly specialized, being 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 3.9% compared to the regional average of 7.2%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2%, and labour force increased by 2.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points (AreaSearch analysis). In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kew East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

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 indicates Kew East's median income among taxpayers is $61,125, with an average of $112,377. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median income will be approximately $66,168 and the average $121,648, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023. Census 2021 data shows Kew East's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 82nd and 90th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 32.3% of residents earn $4000+ weekly (2,311 residents), contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.8%. A substantial proportion of high earners (43.4% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. Housing accounts for 14.0% of income, and residents rank within the 90th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Kew East's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 66.5% houses and 33.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kew East stood at 42.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.2% and rented ones at 23.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Kew East was $471, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Kew East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Kew East features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 75.7% of all households, including 40.4% couples with children, 23.0% couples without children, and 11.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 24.3%, with lone person households at 19.9% and group households comprising 4.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in Kew East is notably high, with 53.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications as of the latest data. This figure exceeds both national (30.4%) and state (VIC, 33.4%) averages, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. Among these residents, bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 33.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 15.0% and graduate diplomas at 5.1%. Vocational pathways account for 17.9% of qualifications in this age group, with advanced diplomas making up 9.0% and certificates accounting for 8.9%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest data available. This includes 9.6% in secondary education, 9.5% in primary education, and 8.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis indicates 42 active transport stops operating within Kew East, consisting of a mix of lightrail and buses. These stops are serviced by 13 individual routes, providing a total of 3581 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 183 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 84%, with 2% cycling. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 44.2% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 511 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 85 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Kew East's health outcomes show exceptional results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 71% of the total population (5,081 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.8 and 6.2% of residents respectively. 74.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Kew East has 19.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,395 people), higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Kew East had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 28.5% of its residents born overseas and 27.8% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Kew East, making up 49.9% of the population. Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 0.8% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (20.3%), Australian (17.9%), and Chinese (9.8%). Notably, Greek (5.7%) and Italian (8.2%) populations were higher than the regional averages of 2.7% and 5.2%, respectively. Hungarian ancestry was also slightly overrepresented at 0.4%.

Kew East's median age exceeds the national pattern

Kew East's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Kew East has a notably higher percentage of the 55-64 age cohort (13.3% locally) and a lower percentage of the 25-34 age group (10.6%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 13.9% to 15.5%, while the 75-84 cohort grew from 5.8% to 7.2%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group declined from 13.4% to 12.0%, and the 0-4 age group decreased from 4.6% to 3.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that Kew East's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 65%, adding 143 residents to reach a total of 365. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to account for 76% of the population growth, while the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts are projected to decline in population.