Lakes Entrance

Population growth drivers in Lakes Entrance are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The estimated population of Lakes Entrance is around 5,420 as of February 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 275 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,145. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 5,155 in June 2024, along with 147 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 183 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Lakes Entrance has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%, outpacing its SA3 area. Interstate migration contributed approximately 78.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections for Lakes Entrance are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024, using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 are used 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. Future trends forecast a significant population increase in the top quartile of Australia's non-metropolitan areas, with Lakes Entrance expected to increase by 1,879 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 31.1% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Lakes Entrance when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis, Lakes Entrance averaged approximately 27 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 136 homes. As of FY-26, 8 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling has accommodated around 2.4 new residents annually from FY-21 to FY-25, indicating robust demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value for these dwellings is approximately $463,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has also seen around $2.5 million in commercial approvals, reflecting Lakes Entrance's primarily residential nature. Compared to Rest of Vic., Lakes Entrance shows roughly 63% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 65th percentile nationally when measured against other assessed areas. Recent building activity consists solely of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's low-density character and attracting space-seeking buyers.

Notably, developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies (82.0% at Census), suggesting persistent strong demand for family homes despite densification trends. The location has approximately 217 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Lakes Entrance is expected to grow by around 1,683 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Lakes Entrance has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified seven projects potentially affecting this region. Notable initiatives include Lakes Entrance Northern Growth Area, Lakes Entrance Foreshore Park Development, Krauatungalung Walk Stage 1, Lakes Entrance - Marine Parade Upgrade, and Lakes Entrance Slipway Redevelopment. Below are details of those most relevant.

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The labour market performance in Lakes Entrance lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Lakes Entrance has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented in the area. The unemployment rate was 6.1% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.6% over the past year.

This is based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1867 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.4% higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Lakes Entrance was significantly lower at 45.6%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 61.4%. According to Census responses, only 10.9% of residents worked from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade. Lakes Entrance shows strong specialization in accommodation & food with an employment share 2.4 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 4.9% compared to the regional average of 7.5%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. During the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.6%, and labour force increased by 4.0%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where employment contracted by 0.7%, the labour force fell by 0.6%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Lakes Entrance. These projections estimate that national employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Lakes Entrance's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2023 shows Lakes Entrance's median income is $35,521 and average income is $45,806. This is below the national average. Rest of Vic.'s median income is $50,954 and average income is $62,728. By September 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $38,451 (median) and $49,585 (average), based on an 8.25% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. Census data indicates Lakes Entrance's household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 0th and 4th percentiles nationally. The predominant income cohort in Lakes Entrance is $400 - $799, comprising 35.5% of residents (1,924 people), unlike the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 30.3%. This suggests a prevalence of lower-income residents in Lakes Entrance, with 46.7% earning under $800/week. After housing costs, 85.1% of income remains, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

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

Lakes Entrance's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 82.4% houses and 17.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lakes Entrance was at 51.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 20.0% and rented ones at 28.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,227, below Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,430. The median weekly rent figure in Lakes Entrance was $252, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $285. Nationally, Lakes Entrance's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 59.0% of all households, including 15.8% couples with children, 31.5% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 41.0%, with lone person households at 38.1% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Lakes Entrance faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 14.5%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.0%) and certificates (31.4%). Educational participation is high at 25.4%, comprising 10.6% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 1.3% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 1.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Lakes Entrance has 47 operational public transport stops. These are served by 7 different routes, offering a total of 146 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is deemed good, with residents generally residing 204 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outside Lakes Entrance. Car remains the primary mode of travel at 92%, while 5% walk. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling, below the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, only 10.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 20 trips daily, translating to roughly 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Lakes Entrance faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Notably, both younger and older age cohorts exhibit high prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is extremely low, at approximately 45% of the total population (~2,442 people), compared to 50.5% across Rest of Vic., and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (13.1%) and mental health issues (9.5%). Conversely, 55.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% across Rest of Vic. The working-age population in Lakes Entrance also faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors, with 34.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,875 people), compared to 23.9% in Rest of Vic. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning with national rankings for the general population.

Lakes Entrance ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Lakes Entrance, as per data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, had a cultural diversity index below the national average. The population was predominantly citizens (85.7%), born in Australia (85.0%), and spoke English at home exclusively (94.3%). Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 47.9% of residents.

While Judaism's representation was similar to the rest of Victoria at 0.1%, there were notable differences in ancestry groups: English (31.4%) and Australian (31.0%) were the largest groups, followed by Scottish (8.5%). Some ethnicities showed higher representation than regional averages: Dutch (1.9% vs 1.7%), Maltese (0.7% vs 0.5%), and Russian (0.3% vs 0.1%).

Lakes Entrance ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Lakes Entrance is 54 years, which is significantly higher than the average for Rest of Vic., at 43 years, and also older than the national norm of 38 years. The 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in Lakes Entrance at 18.0%, compared to the Rest of Vic. average, while those aged 15-24 are under-represented at 8.2%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 9.5% to 11.1%, and the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 11.6% to 12.8%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 age group has declined from 20.5% to 18.0%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 15.0% to 13.7%. By 2041, Lakes Entrance is projected to see significant shifts in its age composition, with the 25-34 age cohort expected to expand considerably by 287 people (64%), growing from 449 to 737.