Lake Wendouree

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch since the Census Lake Wendouree's population is estimated at around 2784 as of Nov 2025. This reflects a decrease of 94 people (3.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2878 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 2784, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS on June 2024 and an additional 7 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 609 persons per square kilometer in the suburb of Lake Wendouree, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration 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 any SA2 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 also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Moving forward, an above median population growth of national non-metropolitan areas is projected in the suburb of Lake Wendouree, with an expected growth of 413 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 15.0% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Lake Wendouree is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Lake Wendouree has had minimal residential development activity, with only 5 dwelling approvals over the period from 2016 to 2020 inclusive. This low level of development is typical of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that the small sample size means individual development projects can significantly influence annual growth and relativity statistics.

Lake Wendouree has much lower development activity compared to the rest of Victoria, with this activity level also being below national patterns. Recent building activity in the area consists entirely of townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards compact living which offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This marks a considerable change from the current housing mix, which is currently 79.0% houses. The estimated population density of Lake Wendouree is 1868 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Lake Wendouree is projected to add 417 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Future projections show Lake Wendouree adding 417 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Lake Wendouree has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified nine projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include the Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment, Federation University SMB Campus Redevelopment, Ballarat Co-Operative Education and Skills City Centre, and Ballarat Major Events Precinct Upgrades. The following list outlines those projects deemed most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Lake Wendouree significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Lake Wendouree has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 1.5% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 7.4%. In comparison to Rest of Vic., Lake Wendouree's unemployment rate is 2.2% lower, standing at 3.8%, while workforce participation is slightly below standard at 53.5%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area specializes in health care & social assistance with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 2.4% of Lake Wendouree's workforce compared to Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%. As per Census data, there are 0.7 workers for each resident, indicating higher than normal local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 7.4%, while labour force increased by 6.9%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. saw a decrease in employment by 0.9% and an increase in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lake Wendouree's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Lake Wendouree's median income among taxpayers was $60,869 with an average of $77,879. These figures were among the highest in Australia, compared to $48,741 and $60,693 for Rest of Vic. respectively. Based on a 12.16% increase since financial year 2022 using Wage Price Index growth, current estimates would be approximately $68,271 (median) and $87,349 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 79th percentile ($1,010 weekly), while household income sits at the 62nd percentile. Income analysis shows that 25.2% of residents (701 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.3%. Economic strength is evident through 35.2% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 90.2% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

In Lake Wendouree, as per the latest Census evaluation, 79.1% of dwellings are houses, with the remaining 20.9% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types of dwellings. In contrast, Non-Metro Vic. has 85.6% houses and 14.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lake Wendouree stands at 52.1%, with mortgaged properties at 22.5% and rented ones at 25.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area is $2,106, surpassing Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,863. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure in Lake Wendouree is $321, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $300 and the national average of $375.

Lake Wendouree features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 65.3% of all households, including 24.5% couples with children, 34.2% couples without children, and 6.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 34.7%, with lone person households at 32.0% and group households comprising 2.0% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Lake Wendouree shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Lake Wendouree's residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 43.6% compared to the Rest of Vic. (21.7%) and SA4 region (24.6%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 26.5% of residents holding them – advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (14.6%). Educational participation is high at 27.7%, including secondary education (9.8%), primary education (8.7%), and tertiary education (5.7%).

Lake Wendouree's three schools have a combined enrolment of 1,296 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1087. Educational provision is conventional, split between one primary and two secondary institutions. Lake Wendouree functions as an education hub with 46.5 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 17.9, attracting students from nearby communities.

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

Lake Wendouree has 20 active public transport stops operating within its area. These stops are served by a mix of buses along three individual routes. Together, these routes provide a total of 597 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 196 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 85 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 29 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Lake Wendouree is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Lake Wendouree faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is high at approximately 58% (around 1,602 people), compared to Victoria's overall rate of 50.9%.

The most frequent medical issues are arthritis (affecting 10.4% of residents) and mental health problems (8.4%). Notably, 62.7% report being free from medical ailments, similar to the Rest of Vic.'s 62.3%. Lake Wendouree has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 32.1% (893 people), compared to Victoria's 17.8%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in the area are above average, outperforming general population metrics.

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

Lake Wendouree showed below average cultural diversity, with 86.9% of its population born in Australia, 91.1% being citizens, and 94.6% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion was Christianity, comprising 58.0%. This contrasts with the regional figure of 45.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.0%), Australian (24.7%), and Irish (14.4%). Notably, Scottish ancestry was overrepresented at 10.9% compared to the regional average of 9.2%, Dutch at 1.9% versus 2.1%, and Welsh at 0.7% against a regional figure of 0.5%.

Lake Wendouree ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Lake Wendouree is 52 years, which is significantly higher than Victoria's average of 43 and Australia's national norm of 38. Compared to Victoria's average, Lake Wendouree has a notably higher proportion of people aged 85 and above (6.6%) but a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (7.2%). Between 2021 and the present, the population of those aged 25-34 has grown from 5.9% to 7.2%, while the 15-24 age group increased from 10.3% to 11.6%. Conversely, the proportion of people aged 45-54 has decreased from 13.6% to 12.6%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are forecast for Lake Wendouree. The population of those aged 25-34 is projected to grow by 68%, adding 135 residents to reach a total of 336. Meanwhile, the number of people in the 55-64 age range is expected to decrease by 13%.