Mortlake (Vic.)

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

The Mortlake (Vic.) statistical area (Lv2) had an estimated population of around 1,568 as of November 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 91 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,477. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 1,468 in June 2024, based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS, and an additional 7 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 4.4 persons per square kilometer. Mortlake's growth rate of 6.2% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA4 region at 4.2%. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth, contributing approximately 39.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, the area's population is expected to decline over this period, with an anticipated decrease of 378 persons by 2041.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Mortlake according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Mortlake saw an average of three approvals per year for developments between 2016 and 2020 inclusive, totalling nineteen approvals over this five-year period. This low development activity reflects the rural character of Mortlake, where housing needs driven by local demand are more prominent than broader market forces. It is important to note that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can fluctuate significantly based on individual projects.

Compared to other Victorian regions, Mortlake has substantially lower development levels, which also fall below national averages. Recent building activity in the area has consisted solely of detached dwellings, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 498 people, indicative of its quiet, low activity development environment. Population projections suggest stability or decline in Mortlake, which should alleviate housing demand pressures, potentially benefiting buyers.

With population projections showing stability or decline, Mortlake should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

Mortlake has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 44thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Mortlake Service Station and Rural Store, Mortlake Energy Hub, Mt Fyans Wind Farm, and Mortlake Recreation Reserve Changerooms. The following list details those most relevant:.

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.

While Mortlake retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.9%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Mortlake's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with varied industry representation. Its unemployment rate was 3.9% in the latest aggregated statistical area data.

As of September 2025659 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.2% higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Mortlake lags at 50.9%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Dominant employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 3.3 times more residents than the regional average, while manufacturing employs only 4.9% locally, below Rest of Vic.'s 7.7%.

The area may have limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. In the year to September 2025, Mortlake's labour force decreased by 3.2%, and employment fell by 4.1%, raising unemployment by 0.8 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, with a state unemployment rate of 4.7%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mortlake's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 5.6% in five years and 12.2% in ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released on 1 July 2023, Mortlake had a median income among taxpayers of $35,757 and an average level standing at $42,811. This is below the national average and compares to levels of $50,954 and $62,728 across Rest of Vic., respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $38,707 (median) and $46,343 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household incomes in Mortlake fall between the 2nd and 8th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that the $400 - 799 bracket dominates with 31.7% of residents (497 people). In contrast, the surrounding region has the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leading at 30.3%. Economic circumstances reflect widespread financial pressure, with 40.1% of households operating within modest weekly budgets below $800. While housing costs are modest with 88.9% of income retained, total disposable income ranks at just the 6th percentile nationally.

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

Mortlake's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 97.7% houses and 2.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 87.6% houses and 12.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mortlake stood at 49.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.7% and rented ones at 18.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $932, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,430. Median weekly rent in Mortlake was $220, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $283. Nationally, Mortlake's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $932 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 63.2% of all households, including 18.4% couples with children, 32.0% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.8%, with lone person households at 35.1% and group households making up 1.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Mortlake fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 15.2%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (28.6%). Educational participation is high, with 26.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.1% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 1.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Mortlake has four active public transport stops currently in operation. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with three individual routes providing service. In total, these routes offer nine weekly passenger trips combined.

The accessibility of transport in Mortlake is rated as good, with residents typically residing 328 meters away from the nearest transport stop on average. Service frequency across all routes averages one trip per day, resulting in approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Mortlake is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Mortlake faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Private health cover stands at approximately 44%, covering around 688 people, compared to Victoria's average of 50.3% and the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health issues (9.7%).

Conversely, 60.8% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Rest of Vic.'s 65.9%. Mortlake has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 28.1%, with around 440 people in this age group compared to Victoria's average of 21.5%. Health outcomes among seniors largely align with the general population's health profile.

The latest Census data sees Mortlake placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Mortlake's cultural diversity was found to be below average. As of the 2016 Census, 88.7% of its population were Australian citizens, with 90.9% born in Australia and 97.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 54.4% of Mortlake's population.

However, Judaism was overrepresented, comprising 0.4% compared to the regional average of 0.1%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (35.6%), Australian (31.6%), and Scottish (10.3%). Notably, Irish ancestry was overrepresented at 9.9%, while Dutch and Serbian ancestries remained similar to regional levels at 1.5% and 0.3% respectively.

Mortlake hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Mortlake's median age of 48 years is significantly older than Rest of Vic.'s 43 and Australia's median of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 make up 15.2% of the population, which is notably higher than the national average of 9.4%. Post-2021 Census data indicates that the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 8.9% to 11.4%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 14.7% to 13.2%, and the 45 to 54 group has dropped from 11.4% to 10.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Mortlake's age profile will change significantly. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow steadily, increasing by -11 people (-19%) from 58 to 47. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 85+ and 0 to 4 age cohorts.