Park Orchards

Park Orchards is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the estimated population of Park Orchards as of May 2026 is around 4,220. This reflects an increase of 385 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,835. The growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2025 and eight validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 445 persons per square kilometer. Park Orchards' 10.0% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region's 3.8% and the state's growth rate, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of 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 VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, the suburb is expected to grow by 73 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 1.7% in total over the 16-year period.

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

Park Orchards has seen approximately 11 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 57 homes were approved, with an additional 4 approved so far in FY-26. Each dwelling built over these years has resulted in an average of 2.6 new residents per year.

The average construction value of new homes is $900,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. This financial year, $3.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. In terms of building activity, 57.0% are detached dwellings and 43.0% attached dwellings, including townhouses and apartments, offering options across different price points.

This shift contrasts with the current housing mix of 100.0% houses. The area has an estimated 354 people per dwelling approval, indicating a quiet development environment. Population forecasts suggest Park Orchards will gain 73 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply is expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

AreaSearch has identified five projects that could impact the area, with key ones being Manor Place Estate, Ringwood North Liveable Neighbourhoods Project, 170-172 Warrandyte Road Retail Development, and Kubis Drive and Werac Drive, Ringwood North footpath construction. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Park Orchards performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Park Orchards has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate is 1.2%, with estimated employment growth of 3.2% in the past year (AreaSearch data). As of December 2025, 2,354 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.5%, below Greater Melbourne's 4.8%.

Workforce participation is 66.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. Census responses show 39.3% work from home, considering Covid-19 impacts. Dominant sectors are construction (1.7 times regional average), health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented at 2.0%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 5.2%.

Limited local employment opportunities indicated by working population vs resident population count. In the year ending May-25, employment increased by 3.2% and labour force by 2.7%, reducing unemployment by 0.5 percentage points (AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data). National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across sectors. Applying these projections to Park Orchards' employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 7.0% in five years and 14.0% in ten years (simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes).

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

Park Orchards has a median taxpayer income of $61,310 and an average income of $98,237 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is notably higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% from financial year 2023 to March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $67,208 (median) and $107,687 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, household incomes rank at the 98th percentile with a weekly income of $3,155. Income analysis shows that 40.4% of Park Orchards' community earns over $4,000 per week (1,704 individuals), which differs from regional patterns where earnings between $1,500 and $2,999 dominate with 32.8%. This indicates a substantial proportion of high earners in the suburb, with 51.4% earning above $3,000 per week. After housing costs, residents retain 89.1% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Park Orchards' dwellings, as per the latest Census, were entirely houses with no other types. This contrasted with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Park Orchards was 49.9%, higher than Melbourne metro's level. Mortgaged dwellings made up 46.8%, while rented ones were at 3.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure for Park Orchards was $601, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Park Orchards' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Park Orchards features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 89.4% of all households, including 54.4% couples with children, 29.3% couples without children, and 5.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 10.6%, with lone person households at 9.5% and group households making up 0.7%. The median household size is 3.2 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 38.4% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and the SA4 region's rate of 31.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 26.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 15.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.2% in secondary education, 9.6% in primary education, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Park Orchards has 25 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by two routes that together provide 279 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 353 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Park Orchards being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 2.4 per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 39.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 39 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Park Orchards shows excellent health outcomes according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at 66%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent conditions are asthma (7.2%) and arthritis (6.5%). 73.6% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Senior health outcomes are strong and align with national rankings.

In terms of cultural diversity, Park Orchards records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Park Orchards' cultural diversity aligns with its wider region's average, with 81.5% of residents born in Australia, 93.2% being citizens, and 89.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Park Orchards, comprising 53.9%, compared to 43.0% across Greater Melbourne. The top three ancestry groups are English (28.6%), Australian (23.9%), and Irish (8.4%).

Notably, Dutch (2.5%) and Italian (7.0%) are overrepresented in Park Orchards compared to regional averages of 1.2% and 5.2%, respectively. South Australian ancestry is also higher at 0.8%.

Park Orchards hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Park Orchards is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Park Orchards has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (18.9%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (5.3%). This concentration of residents aged 15-24 is well above the national average of 12.7%. According to the 2021 Census, the percentage of residents aged 75-84 has increased from 5.5% to 7.1%, while the percentage of residents aged 15-24 has risen from 17.6% to 18.9%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 45-54 has decreased from 18.5% to 16.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Park Orchards' age structure. The number of residents aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 74%, reaching 154 people from the current figure of 88. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 72% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 0-4 and 15-24 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers.