Rowville

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Rowville is around 35,025, reflecting an increase of 1,454 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census reported a population of 33,571 in Rowville. This change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 34,094 following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 234 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 1,605 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Rowville.

AreaSearch adopts 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, adjusted employing weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, Rowville is expected to increase its population by just below the median of statistical areas nationally, with an expected expansion of 1,453 persons by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 1.5% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Rowville has seen around 96 new homes approved each year. Over the past 5 financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 480 homes were approved. By FY-26, 68 homes have been approved so far.

Despite population decline, new supply appears to be keeping up with demand, offering buyers good choice. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $567,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, $22.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating steady commercial investment activity.

Building activity shows 65.0% detached dwellings and 35.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options and creating a mix of opportunities across price brackets. This reflects a considerable change from the current housing mix of 92.0% houses, addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Rowville has approximately 304 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Looking ahead, AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate projects Rowville to grow by 522 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Rowville has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 12 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects are Scoresby Village Residential Estate, The Rowville Plan, Bankside Rowville, and Wellington Village Shopping Centre. Below is a list of projects likely 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 an educated workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.1% as of December 2025, with estimated employment growth of 1.4% over the past year according to AreaSearch data aggregation. There were 19,653 residents employed in December 2025, with an unemployment rate of 1.7%, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation was similar to Greater Melbourne's at 71.3%. A high proportion of residents, 28.7%, worked from home based on Census responses, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Manufacturing is particularly specialized with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 8.0% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities based on Census working population versus resident population counts. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.4%, labour force by 1.5%, resulting in a slight unemployment rise of 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced higher growth rates with employment increasing by 2.4% and labour force by 2.8%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insights into potential future demand within Rowville. Applying these projections to Rowville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023. Rowville's median income among taxpayers was $55,389, with an average of $67,088. Nationally, this is approximately average. Greater Melbourne had a median of $57,688 and an average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Rowville would be approximately $59,959 (median) and $72,623 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census ranked household income at the 78th percentile ($2,205 weekly), while personal income was at the 57th percentile. Income analysis showed that 33.7% of residents earned $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (11,803 residents). This is similar to surrounding regions where 32.8% fall within this range. Notably, 32.3% of residents earn above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Rowville's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 91.9% houses and 8.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% 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, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Rowville was $441, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Rowville's mortgage repayments were significantly 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 higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 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 make up the remaining 16.7%, with lone person households at 15.0% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Rowville's educational qualifications lag behind regional benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 31.0% hold university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. This gap suggests potential for educational development and skill enhancement. 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 and above holding them - advanced diplomas account for 12.3%, while certificates make up 18.6%. Educational participation is notably 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.

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

The analysis of public transport in Rowville indicates there are 138 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops cater to a mix of bus services provided by 16 individual routes. Collectively, these routes facilitate 3,912 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good with residents typically located approximately 261 meters from their nearest transport stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward, with the car remaining the dominant mode of transportation at 93%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling stands at 1.9, which is higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant proportion of residents, specifically 28.7%, work from home, a figure that may reflect the impact of COVID-19 conditions on commuting patterns. The service frequency across all routes averages at 558 trips per day, translating to roughly 28 weekly trips per individual stop. A map accompanies this analysis, depicting the 100 nearest stops to the specified location centrepoint.

Rowville's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Rowville. Based on AreaSearch's assessment, mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low for both young and old age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover was approximately 53% of the total population (~18,689 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's 56.7%. The most common medical conditions in Rowville were asthma (7.6%) and arthritis (6.8%), while 71.9% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. The under-65 population demonstrated better than average health outcomes. Rowville has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.1% (7,040 people). Health outcomes among seniors in Rowville were above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Rowville was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Rowville has a high cultural diversity, with 35.8% of its population born overseas and 32.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Rowville, comprising 49.9% of its people. Buddhism is overrepresented in Rowville compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 5.2% versus 4.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.1%), Australian (19.5%), and Other (12.5%). Notably, Sri Lankan (2.1%), Hungarian (0.5%), and Chinese (10.4%) ethnicities have higher representation in Rowville than regionally.

Rowville's median age exceeds the national pattern

Rowville's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and slightly above Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Rowville has a notably higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (14.9% locally) but a lower percentage of those aged 25-34 (10.4%). Post the 2021 Census, the 65-74 age group increased from 9.2% to 11.1%, and the 75-84 cohort rose from 4.9% to 6.5%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group decreased from 14.9% to 13.3%. By 2041, Rowville's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 40%, adding 913 residents to reach 3,190. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 90% of the population growth, while declines are projected for the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups.