Portarlington

Portarlington lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

As of Nov 2025, Portarlington's population is estimated at around 5,133, showing an increase of 697 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census reported a population of 4,436 in the suburb. This growth reflects AreaSearch's estimation of 4,977 residents based on ABS ERP data released Jun 2024 and validation of additional 228 new addresses since the Census date. Portarlington's population density is approximately 205 persons per square kilometer. The suburb's 15.7% growth rate since the 2021 census exceeded both the non-metro area's 6.0% growth and the national average, indicating significant population increase. Interstate migration contributed around 95.0% of Portarlington's overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Portarlington is projected to expand by 2,504 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 45.5% over the 17-year period.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Portarlington has seen around 152 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 762 homes between FY-21 and FY-25. So far in FY-26, 19 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.4 people move to the area for each dwelling built during this period.

Supply and demand seem well-matched, indicating stable market dynamics. New dwellings are developed at an average value of $559,000, which is moderately above regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction. There have been $15.9 million in commercial approvals this financial year, reflecting balanced commercial development activity. Relative to the Rest of Vic., Portarlington shows 107.0% higher development activity per person, providing buyers with ample choice. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. This is well above average nationally, indicating strong developer confidence in the area.

Recent construction comprises 75.0% detached houses and 25.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low density nature while attracting space-seeking buyers. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns, which are currently 91.0% houses, suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 53 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Looking ahead, Portarlington is expected to grow by 2,336 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Five projects may significantly affect this region's performance: Panorama Portarlington, Portarlington Recreation Reserve Master Plan, Qudos Portarlington, Vista Portarlington Residences.

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Employment drivers in Portarlington are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Portarlington has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 5.8% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.4%.

As of June 2025, 1,966 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.0% higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation lags significantly at 39.8%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade, with notable concentration in construction at 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 2.8% versus the regional average of 7.5%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data. Over a 12-month period ending Sep-22, employment increased by 1.4%, labour force by 2.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.7 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where employment fell by 0.9%, labour force contracted by 0.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Portarlington's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Portarlington had a median income among taxpayers of $41,328. The average income stood at $56,690. Both figures are lower than the national averages of $48,741 and $60,693 respectively for Rest of Vic. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Portarlington would be approximately $46,353 (median) and $63,584 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census data reveals household, family, and personal incomes in Portarlington fall between the 5th and 9th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows 29.2% of the population, equating to 1,498 individuals, fall within the $400 - 799 income range, contrasting with the regional leading bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 at 30.3%. After housing costs, 85.7% of income remains, ranking at the 8th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

Portarlington's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.7% houses and 9.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 93.0% houses and 7.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Portarlington stood at 57.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 20.8% and rented ones at 21.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,657, below Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,950. Median weekly rent in Portarlington was $331, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $402. Nationally, Portarlington's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 65.5% of all households, including 15.2% couples with children, 41.7% couples without children, and 7.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.5%, with lone person households at 32.4% and group households comprising 2.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.0 people, smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.5.

Educational attainment in Portarlington aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 23.0%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (13.5%) and certificates (26.3%). A total of 22.0% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, comprising 7.9% in primary, 6.7% in secondary, and 2.7% in tertiary education.

Portarlington Primary School serves the local area with an enrollment of 176 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1002) offering balanced educational opportunities. The sole school focuses on primary education; secondary options are available nearby. Local schooling capacity is limited at 3.4 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 12.3, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Portarlington has 36 active public transport stops. These are served by buses only. There is one route operating.

This route provides 164 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents' access to transport is rated good. The average distance to the nearest stop is 313 meters. Service frequency averages 23 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 4 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Portarlington faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 49%, covering around 2,531 people, which is lower compared to Rest of Vic.'s 56.2% and Australia's national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (13.8%) and mental health issues (8.6%).

Conversely, 55.7% report no medical ailments, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 66.8%. Portarlington has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 45.3%, with around 2,325 people, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 24.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Portarlington ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Portarlington's population showed lower cultural diversity, with 81.6% born in Australia, 89.0% being citizens, and 93.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 57.2%, compared to 45.3% across Rest of Vic.. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.3%), Australian (24.3%), and Irish (12.0%).

Notably, Scottish (10.1%) and Maltese (2.6%) were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 9.7% and 0.9%, respectively.

Portarlington ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Portarlington's median age at 62 years is significantly higher than the Rest of Vic average of 43 and above the national average of 38. Compared to Rest of Vic., Portarlington has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (25.8%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.2%). This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is well above the national average of 9.4%. Post the 2021 Census, the 65 to 74 age group increased from 24.6% to 25.8% while the 45 to 54 cohort decreased from 10.4% to 8.3%. By 2041, Portarlington's age composition is expected to shift notably with the 65 to 74 age group projected to expand by 508 people (38%) from 1,324 to 1,833.