Rowville

Rowville has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Rowville's population was estimated at 34,552 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 981 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 33,571. AreaSearch validated this estimate by examining the latest ERP data release from the ABS (June 2024), which estimated the resident population at 34,147, along with an additional 229 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 1,584 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 used the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting them employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, population projections indicate a growth just below the median statistical area nationally. By 2041, the suburb is expected to expand by 1,479 persons, reflecting an increase of approximately 3% over the 17-year period.

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

Rowville has seen approximately 96 new homes approved each year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Around 480 homes were approved over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with an additional 57 approved so far in FY26. The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $567,000.

Commercial development has been moderate this year, with $23.6 million in approvals registered. New building activity consists of 65% detached dwellings and 35% townhouses or apartments, indicating an increase in medium-density options compared to the current housing mix of 92% houses. The population per dwelling approval is approximately 304 people, suggesting a low density market.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Rowville is projected to add 1,020 residents by 2041. Current development rates should comfortably meet demand for new housing supply, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 12 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones are Scoresby Village Residential Estate, The Rowville Plan, Bankside Rowville, and Wellington Village Shopping Centre. 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.

Employment conditions in Rowville demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Rowville has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.7% in the year up to June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8%.

This is lower than Greater Melbourne's unemployment rate of 4.6%, but its workforce participation rate of 68.0% is similar to the regional average of 64.1%. The dominant employment sectors in Rowville are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. However, manufacturing stands out with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 8.0% compared to the regional average of 10.1%.

Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the census working population vs resident population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.8%, while labour force grew by 0.7%, with unemployment remaining largely unchanged at 2.0%. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced higher growth rates of 3.5% for employment and 4.0% for labour force, with a rise in unemployment of 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that Rowville's employment could increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to Rowville's current employment mix.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Rowville had a median income among taxpayers of $55,385 and an average of $67,083. This was slightly above the national average. Greater Melbourne's median income was $54,892 with an average of $73,761 during this period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $62,120 and $75,240 respectively. According to the 2021 Census, Rowville's household income ranked at the 78th percentile ($2,205 weekly), with personal income at the 57th percentile. Income analysis revealed that 33.7% of residents earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (11,644 individuals), reflecting a pattern seen in the surrounding region where 32.8% fell within this range. Notably, 32.3% of Rowville's residents had incomes above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity. After housing costs, residents retained 86.8% of their income, reflecting robust purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

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

In Rowville, as per the latest Census, 91.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 8.1% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 0.0% for both houses and other dwellings. Home ownership in Rowville stood at 37.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 46.9% and rented ones at 15.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,055, matching Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $441, unlike Melbourne metro's figures of $0 for both. Nationally, Rowville's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Rowville features high concentrations of family households, with a median household size of 2.9 people

Family households constitute 83.3% of all households, including 46.0% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 16.7%, with lone person households at 15.0% and group households making up 1.6%. The median household size is 2.9 people.

The educational profile of Rowville exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Rowville trail regional benchmarks, with 31.0% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 37.0% in Greater Melbourne. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 21.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 12.3% and certificates at 18.6%. Educational participation is high in Rowville, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 8.5% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education. There are seven schools operating within Rowville, educating approximately 3,942 students. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1069. Education provision is balanced with five primary and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis shows 138 active stops operating in Rowville, consisting of bus services. These are served by 18 routes offering a total of 5,329 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 261 metres from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 761 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 38 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Rowville is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Rowville exhibits superior health outcomes for both young and elderly cohorts, with low prevalence rates of common health conditions.

Its private health cover rate stands at approximately 53%, leading the average SA2 area with a total population of around 18,436 residents. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.6% and 6.8% of residents respectively. Notably, 71.9% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, significantly higher than the 0% reported across Greater Melbourne. As of 2016, 18.9% of Rowville's population is aged 65 and over, comprising approximately 6,530 individuals. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, mirroring the general population's health profile.

Rowville is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Rowville has a high level of cultural diversity, with 35.8% of its population born overseas and 32.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Rowville, accounting for 49.9% of the population. Buddhism is notably overrepresented in Rowville compared to Greater Melbourne, with 5.2% of the population identifying as Buddhist.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.1%), Australian (19.5%), and Other (12.5%). Some ethnic groups show significant representation gaps: Sri Lankan at 2.1%, Hungarian at 0.5%, and Chinese at 10.4%.

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

Rowville's median age is 41 years, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly above Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Rowville has a notably higher percentage of 55-64 year-olds (14.9% vs. 12%) and a lower percentage of 25-34 year-olds (10.8% vs. 15%). Post-2021 Census, the 65-74 age group increased from 9.2% to 10.6%, while the 45-54 cohort decreased from 14.9% to 13.5%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Rowville's age profile. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 55%, adding 1,120 residents to reach 3,159. Residents aged 65 and older will represent 92% of the population growth, while declines are expected for the 0-4 and 25-34 cohorts.