Mortlake (Vic.)

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

As of Feb 2026, Mortlake's population is estimated at around 1,568. This reflects an increase from the 2021 Census figure of 1,477 people. The growth of 91 people (6.2%) was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 1,468 based on latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and 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 exceeded the SA4 region's 4.5%, marking it as a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 39.0% to overall population gains, with other factors like overseas and interstate migration also positive.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with base year 2022. For areas not covered by this data, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 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. According to this methodology, the suburb's population is expected to shrink by 381 persons by 2041.

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

Mortlake's development activity is limited with an average of three approvals per year between 2015 and 2019 (a total of 19 approvals). This low level reflects the rural nature of the area, where development is primarily driven by local housing needs rather than broader market demand. The variation in yearly growth figures and relativities can be significant due to the small number of approvals.

Compared to other Victorian regions and national averages, Mortlake has substantially lower development levels. Recent building activity consists solely of detached dwellings, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. As of 2019, the estimated population per dwelling approval is 498 people. With stable or declining population projections, housing demand pressures in Mortlake are expected to remain low, benefiting potential buyers.

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

Mortlake has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects that may affect this region. Notable initiatives include Mortlake Service Station and Rural Store, Mortlake Energy Hub, Mt Fyans Wind Farm, and Mortlake Recreation Reserve Changerooms, with the following list detailing 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 diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate as of September 2025 was 3.9%, slightly higher than Rest of Vic.'s 3.8%. Workforce participation in Mortlake was 57.0% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 61.4%.

According to Census responses, 15.5% of residents worked from home. Dominant employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 3.3 times the regional level in Mortlake but manufacturing is lower at 4.9%. The area shows limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data comparison of working population vs resident population.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force decreased by 3.1% while employment fell by 3.7%, increasing unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mortlake's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for local population changes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released on June 30, 2023, Mortlake had a median income among taxpayers of $35,757 with the average level 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 June 30, 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 the $400 - 799 bracket dominates with 31.7% of residents (497 people), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads 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 structure, 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 90.1% houses and 9.9% 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, below Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,430. The median weekly rent in Mortlake was $220, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $285 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Mortlake's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863.

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

Family households account for 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 make up the remaining 36.8%, with lone person households at 35.1% and group households comprising 1.5% of the total. 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% currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 11.1% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 1.7% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably 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, served by three distinct routes offering nine weekly passenger trips. Residents have good accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 328 meters to the nearest one. In this predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward using cars as the primary mode (91%), followed by walking (7%). On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 15.5% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages one trip per day across all routes, resulting in approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

Service frequency averages 1 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 2 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Mortlake faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups exhibit high prevalence of common health conditions. Only 44% of Mortlake's total population (~688 people) has private health cover, compared to 50.5% in the rest of Victoria and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health issues (9.7%), with 60.8% claiming no medical ailments, compared to 63.4% in the rest of Victoria. Working-age residents face notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. Mortlake has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 27.9%, or 437 people, than Victoria's average of 23.9%. Health outcomes among seniors align broadly with national rankings.

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, with 88.7% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (90.9%), and speaking English only at home (97.0%). Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 54.4% of Mortlake's population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented, making up 0.4%, compared to 0.1% across Victoria excluding Melbourne (Rest of Vic.).

The top three ancestry groups are English (35.6%), Australian (31.6%), and Scottish (10.3%). Other ethnic groups show variations: Irish is slightly overrepresented at 9.9% (vs regional 9.7%), Dutch at 1.5% (vs 1.7%), and Serbian at 0.3% (vs 0.2%).

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

Mortlake's median age was 48 years in the census, which is older than Rest of Vic.'s 43 and significantly higher than Australia's median of 38. The age profile showed that those aged 65-74 were particularly prominent at 15.4%, while the 45-54 group was smaller at 9.7% compared to Rest of Vic.. This concentration of 65-74 year-olds was above the national average of 9.5%. Post-census data showed that the 35-44 age group grew from 8.9% to 11.9%, and the 25-34 cohort increased from 9.8% to 11.5%. Conversely, the 55-64 group declined from 14.7% to 12.8%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 11.4% to 9.7%. Demographic modeling suggests that Mortlake's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow steadily, expanding by -6 people (-11%) from 56 to 50. However, population declines are projected for the 85+ and 0-4 cohorts.