Maribyrnong

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

By Nov 2025, Maribyrnong's population is estimated at around 13,785, reflecting a 9.6% increase since the 2021 Census which reported 12,573 people. This change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 13,818 following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and an additional 113 validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density is estimated at 2,520 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Maribyrnong's growth rate of 9.6% exceeded the national average of 8.9%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 81.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year.

For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises 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 increase by 4,582 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 33.5% in total over the 17 years.

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

Maribyrnong has averaged approximately 106 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 530 homes. As of FY26, 83 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.1 people have moved to the area per year for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. This indicates a balanced supply and demand, with stable market conditions.

The average construction value of new homes is $514,000. In this financial year, $38.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Maribyrnong shows around 68% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 93rd percentile nationally. However, building activity has increased recently. The current dwelling mix is 7.0% detached dwellings and 93.0% attached dwellings, indicating a shift towards compact living, which offers affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing composition of 34.0% houses. Maribyrnong reflects a developing area with around 63 people per approval. Future projections estimate that Maribyrnong will add approximately 4,615 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Twenty-four projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly, with changes to local infrastructure being a major influence on performance. Key projects include Thomas Holmes Street Affordable Housing, 191 Rosamond Road Mixed-Use Development, White St, and Maribyrnong River Master Plan Implementation. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Maribyrnong has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate is 3.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.7% based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of June 2025, 9475 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.4% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation in Maribyrnong is higher at 71.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and professional & technical services.

Finance & insurance has a particularly high employment share, at 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, construction employs only 6.9% of local workers, lower than Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute outside Maribyrnong for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 5.7%, labour force grew by 5.8%, leading to a slight rise in unemployment of 0.1 percentage points. In Greater Melbourne, employment grew by 3.5%, labour force expanded by 4.0%, with unemployment rising by 0.5 percentage points during the same period. Job and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest potential future demand within Maribyrnong. These projections estimate national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Maribyrnong's current employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simple 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 ending June 2022 shows median income in Maribyrnong was $60,258 and average income was $82,819. In Greater Melbourne, median income was $54,892 and average income was $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% from June 2022 to September 2025, estimated median income in Maribyrnong would be approximately $67,585 and average income would be around $92,890 by that date. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Maribyrnong cluster around the 71st percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 35.2% of locals (4,852 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 category, similar to the surrounding region at 32.8%. High housing costs consume 15.6% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Maribyrnong's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 33.7% houses and 66.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 49.7% houses and 50.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Maribyrnong stood at 26.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.0% and rented ones at 38.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,100. Median weekly rent in Maribyrnong was $396, compared to Melbourne metro's $376. Nationally, Maribyrnong's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Maribyrnong features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 64.7% of all households, including 28.3% couples with children, 26.1% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 35.3%, with lone person households at 29.7% and group households comprising 5.6%. The median household size is 2.4 people, aligning with Greater Melbourne's average.

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

Educational attainment in Maribyrnong is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 44.4% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.0% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 29.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational pathways account for 23.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.9% and certificates at 12.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in tertiary education, 6.4% in secondary education, and 6.2% pursuing primary education. Maribyrnong's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,781 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1087. Educational provision is conventional, split between 1 primary and 2 secondary institutions.

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

Maribyrnong has 79 active public transport stops, offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These stops are served by 9 different routes, collectively facilitating 9,171 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 210 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 1,310 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 116 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Maribyrnong, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population (8200 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 7.1% and 6.8% of residents respectively. A total of 76.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.7% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 13.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1833 people), which is higher than the 11.4% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Maribyrnong is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Maribyrnong has a high level of cultural diversity, with 45.2% of its population born overseas and 49.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Maribyrnong, making up 44.1% of people. However, Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 10.5% versus 8.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (13.8%), English (13.4%), and Chinese (12.7%), which is higher than the regional average of 7.2%. Notably, Vietnamese (11.8%) and Croatian (1.4%) are overrepresented compared to their regional averages of 8.9% and 1.0%, respectively. Serbian also shows some overrepresentation at 0.9% versus the regional average of 0.6%.

Maribyrnong's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Maribyrnong's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Maribyrnong has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (21.9%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, Maribyrnong's population aged 15-24 grew from 12.6% to 13.7%, while the proportion of residents aged 5-14 declined from 8.7% to 6.9%. Demographic projections suggest significant changes in Maribyrnong's age profile by 2041, with the strongest growth expected among the 55-64 cohort, which is projected to increase by 67%, adding 965 residents to reach a total of 2,413.