Moorabbin

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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, Moorabbin's population was estimated at around 6,989 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 702 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,287. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 6,896 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 314 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,526 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Moorabbin's growth of 11.2% since the 2021 census exceeded its SA3 area (5.6%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.0% 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, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends project an above median population growth, with the suburb expected to expand by 1,474 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 17.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Moorabbin among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data shows Moorabbin has experienced around 92 dwelling approvals each year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 461 homes. So far in FY-26, 14 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.2 new residents arrive per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that new construction matches or outpaces demand. The average value of new homes is $465,000, moderately above regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction.

In FY-26, $46.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Moorabbin has 162.0% more development activity per person, offering greater choice for buyers and indicating strong developer confidence in the area. New development consists of 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% attached dwellings, appealing to downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shift addresses reduced availability of development sites and changing lifestyle demands. With around 59 people per dwelling approval, Moorabbin exhibits characteristics of a growth area. AreaSearch estimates that Moorabbin will grow by 1,201 residents by 2041, with current development rates comfortably meeting demand and potentially supporting growth beyond current projections.

Looking ahead, Moorabbin is expected to grow by 1,201 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 29 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Bluff Road Hampton East Redevelopment, Southpoint Highett, Key Industrial Park - Stage 3, and Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades, with the following list detailing those of greatest relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Moorabbin shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Moorabbin has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 6.1% as of September 2025, which is 1.5% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 68.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%.

According to Census responses, 38.9% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Transport, postal & warehousing was under-represented with only 3.2% of Moorabbin's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 5.2%.

There were 1.7 workers for every resident as at the Census, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. During the year to September 2025, the labour force in Moorabbin increased by 0.9% while employment decreased by 0.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne where employment rose by 3.0%, the labour force grew by 3.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within Moorabbin. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, were mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Moorabbin's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released on 30 June 2023 for financial year 2023, Moorabbin had a median income among taxpayers of $59,740 and an average income of $75,126. Nationally, the median was $57,688 and the average was $75,164. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $64,669 (median) and $81,324 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25%. Census 2021 data shows Moorabbin's incomes cluster around the 69th percentile nationally. In terms of income distribution, 29.9% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, consistent with metropolitan trends at 32.8%. Notably, 30.9% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 66th percentile nationally. Moorabbin's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Moorabbin is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Moorabbin's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 76.8% houses and 23.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moorabbin was at 30.2%, similar to Melbourne metro. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 39.7%, while rented dwellings were at 30.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Moorabbin was $2,300, higher than the Melbourne metro average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Moorabbin was $431, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Moorabbin's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,300 versus Australia's average of $1,863. Rents in Moorabbin were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Moorabbin features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 70.2% of all households, including 34.4% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 10.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 29.8%, with lone person households at 25.8% and group households comprising 4.1%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates of 39.8% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and Victoria's rate of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 28.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 12.8% and certificates for 15.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Moorabbin has 60 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 20 different routes that together facilitate 3,999 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 148 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation at 83%, while train usage stands at 8%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 38.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 571 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 66 weekly trips per individual stop.

Moorabbin'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 Moorabbin.

AreaSearch's assessment shows low prevalence of common health conditions in both young and old age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high, at approximately 56% of the total population, equating to around 3948 people. Mental health issues are the most prevalent medical condition, impacting 7.6% of residents, followed by arthritis affecting 7.0%. A significant majority, 71.5%, declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents exhibit low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 18.1% (1265 people), than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Moorabbin was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Moorabbin has a high level of cultural diversity, with 35.4% of its population born overseas and 29.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Moorabbin, making up 44.8% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 4.3% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestral groups based on country of birth of parents are English (21.0%), Australian (19.0%), and Other (11.9%). Some ethnic groups have notable divergences in representation: Polish is overrepresented at 2.0% compared to the regional average of 0.8%, Russian at 1.9% versus 0.4%, and Greek at 4.7% compared to 2.7%.

Moorabbin's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Moorabbin is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Moorabbin has a notably higher proportion of people aged 75-84 (6.7% locally) but fewer people aged 25-34 (11.7%). According to post-2021 Census data, the population aged 15-24 grew from 9.7% to 12.6%, while the proportion of those aged 45-54 decreased from 13.9% to 12.3%. The percentage of people aged 25-34 also dropped from 13.2% to 11.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Moorabbin. Notably, the number of residents aged 75-84 is expected to grow by 52%, reaching 714 from 468. This growth will be led by demographic aging, with people aged 65 and older representing 51% of anticipated population growth. Conversely, the populations aged 0-4 and 35-44 are projected to decline.