Malvern East

Malvern East has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

The population of the Malvern East statistical area (Lv2) was estimated to be around 24,175 as of Nov 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 1,879 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,296. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 24,116 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024, along with an additional 111 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,131 persons per square kilometer, placing Malvern East (SA2) in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Over the past decade, ending in 2025, Malvern East has shown resilient growth patterns with an average annual growth rate of 0.8%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during this period.

For future projections until 2041, AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 using a base year of 2022 for SA2 areas. The area's population is projected to grow by 5,385 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of 22.1% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Malvern East when compared nationally

Malvern East recorded approximately 84 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 420 homes. By Financial Year 26, there have been 32 approvals. On average, each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25 accommodated about 1.5 new residents per year. However, this has increased to 10 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. The average construction value of new homes is $1,064,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties.

This financial year has seen $95.6 million in commercial approvals, reflecting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Malvern East exhibits around 64% of the construction activity per person and ranks at the 46th percentile nationally, suggesting somewhat limited buyer options while boosting demand for established properties. New developments comprise approximately 43.0% detached houses and 57.0% attached dwellings, offering affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The area has around 356 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its established nature. By 2041, Malvern East is projected to gain approximately 5,344 residents.

If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Malvern East has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

A total of 82 projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Among these, notable ones include the 173 Burke Road Mixed-Use Development, Central Park Residences, Monash University Caulfield Campus Expansion, and Olive Green. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Malvern East exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Malvern East has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate is 3.3%, lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 4.7%.

Employment stability has been maintained over the past year. As of September 2025, 14,254 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% below the Greater Melbourne average and a workforce participation rate of 67.1%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.5 times higher than the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs only 6.0% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The resident-to-worker ratio is 0.6, indicating above-average employment opportunities locally. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 0.7%, while employment declined by 0.2%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.0% and the labour force grow by 3.3%, with unemployment increasing by 0.3 percentage points. State-wide, Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year to 25-November-25, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Nationally, employment growth was 0.14%, and the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Malvern East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

The suburb of Malvern East had one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch data based on the latest ATO figures for financial year 2023. Its median income among taxpayers was $62,910 and average income stood at $111,748. These figures compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164 respectively. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $68,100 (median) and $120,967 (average), accounting for an 8.25% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. Census data showed Malvern East's household, family, and personal incomes ranked between the 83rd and 87th percentiles nationally. Income distribution revealed that 30.4% of residents (7,349 individuals) had incomes above $4000 annually, contrasting with the regional leading bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 at 32.8%. The substantial proportion of high earners, with 41.0% earning more than $3,000 weekly, indicated strong economic capacity throughout Malvern East. Housing expenses consumed 14.7% of income, while residents ranked in the 87th percentile for disposable income. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking placed it within the 9th decile.

Malvern East displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Malvern East's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, comprised 53.3% houses and 46.7% other dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 46.2% houses and 53.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Malvern East was 36.4%, similar to Melbourne metro's level. Mortgaged dwellings were at 31.9% and rented ones at 31.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,944, above the Melbourne metro average of $2,817. Median weekly rent in Malvern East was $421, compared to Melbourne metro's $416. Nationally, Malvern East's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,944 versus Australia's average of $1,863. Rents were also substantially higher at $421 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 67.8% of all households, including 34.0% couples with children, 24.6% couples without children, and 7.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 32.2%, with lone person households at 26.3% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 2.5 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.4.

Malvern East demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Malvern East has a notable educational advantage with 53.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, surpassing the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. The area's educational attainment is dominated by bachelor degrees (33.8%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 18.7%, with advanced diplomas at 10.0% and certificates at 8.7%. Educational participation is high, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.3% in tertiary education, 8.3% in primary education, and 8.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Malvern East has 107 active public transport stops. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 31 individual routes operating in total.

Each week, these routes facilitate 11,649 passenger trips. Residents have excellent accessibility to public transport, with an average distance of 192 meters to the nearest stop. Daily service frequency averages 1,664 trips across all routes, resulting in approximately 108 weekly trips per individual stop.

Malvern East's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Malvern East. Both younger and older age groups experience low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover stands at approximately 71% of the total population (17,106 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 79.2%.

Nationally, this figure is 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.8 and 6.7% respectively. A total of 74.1% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 73.4%. Malvern East has 17.2% residents aged 65 and over (4,158 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 18.8%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, mirroring the general population's health profile.

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

Malvern East had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 30.5% of its residents born overseas and 26.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Malvern East as of 2016, accounting for 47.7% of the population. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented, comprising 3.0% of Malvern East's population compared to 4.1% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (22.4%), Australian (19.3%), and Other (9.0%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Greek residents made up 5.6% in Malvern East versus 4.6% regionally, Polish residents were at 1.2% compared to 1.4%, and Russian residents stood at 0.6%.

Malvern East's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Malvern East has a median age of 37, equal to Greater Melbourne's figure and close to Australia's average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group is strongly represented at 17.2%, higher than Greater Melbourne's rate, while the 35-44 cohort is less prevalent at 12.1%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 14.4% to 17.2% of Malvern East's population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 13.8% to 12.3%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 11.3% to 10.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Malvern East's age structure. The 35-44 age group is projected to grow by 29%, adding 854 people and reaching a total of 3,780 from the current figure of 2,925. Meanwhile, the 15-24 age group is expected to decrease by 87 residents.