Rowville

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

As of Nov 2025, Rowville's population is estimated at around 35,020 people. This reflects a growth of 1,449 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 33,571. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 34,094 residents following examination of ABS's June 2024 ERP data release and an additional 229 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,605 persons per square kilometer, higher than the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.0% to recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, it utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Rowville is projected to increase by 1,479 persons, reflecting a gain of 1.6% over the 17-year period, which is just below the median growth expected for statistical areas across the nation.

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 in Rowville shows around 96 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 480 homes were approved, with a further 66 approved so far in FY-26. This suggests that new supply has likely been meeting demand despite population decline.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $567,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $22.9 million, reflecting steady commercial investment activity. Building activity comprises 65.0% detached dwellings and 35.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options and price bracket choices.

This contrasts with the current housing mix of 92.0% houses, reflecting reduced development site availability and shifting lifestyle demands. The dwelling approvals per capita is approximately 304 people, indicating a low density market. By 2041, Rowville is projected to grow by 552 residents, with current development patterns suggesting new housing supply will readily meet demand, potentially facilitating further population growth.

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 region. Notable initiatives include Scoresby Village Residential Estate, The Rowville Plan, Bankside Rowville, and Wellington Village Shopping Centre, as detailed below.

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

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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 2.8% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.0% over the past year.

This is based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. The area had 19,613 residents employed in September 2025, with an unemployment rate of 1.8%, which was below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation was at 68.0%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The dominant employment sectors among Rowville residents were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

Manufacturing had a particularly high representation with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services showed lower representation at 8.0% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.0% and labour force increased by 0.8%, leading to a fall in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with a rise in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. Providing broader context, state-level data up to 25-Nov showed Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. This was compared to the national rate of 4.3%, with the state's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 estimated that national employment would expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rowville's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released on 1st July 2023 for financial year 2023, the suburb of Rowville's median income among taxpayers is $55,389. The average income in Rowville was $67,088 during this period. Nationally, the median income was approximately $54,157 and the average was $71,822. In Greater Melbourne, the median income was $57,688 with 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. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 78th percentile ($2,205 weekly), while personal income sits at the 57th percentile. Income analysis shows that the largest segment comprises 33.7% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (11,801 residents). This pattern is also seen in the surrounding region where 32.8% occupy this income range. A substantial proportion of Rowville's residents are high earners, with 32.3% earning above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the locality. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of their 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 strong rates of outright home ownership

Rowville's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 91.9% houses and 8.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rowville stood at 37.5%, with 46.9% of dwellings mortgaged and 15.7% rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,055, and the median weekly rent was $441. Compared nationally, Rowville's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while 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, consisting of 46.0% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 16.7%, with lone person households at 15.0% and group households comprising 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

Rowville's educational qualifications lag behind regional averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 31.0% have university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (21.1%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 30.9% of residents holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.3% and certificates at 18.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.8% 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 shows that there are currently 138 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops primarily consist of bus services, with a total of 16 individual routes running through them. Together, these routes facilitate a combined weekly passenger trip count of 3,912 trips.

The accessibility of public transport in Rowville is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 261 meters away from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are about 558 trips made per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 28 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 shows better-than-average health results, with both younger and older age groups experiencing lower rates of common health conditions.

Its private health cover rate is around 53%, slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (7.6% of residents) and arthritis (6.8%), while 71.9% report having no medical ailments, compared to 0% in Greater Melbourne overall. Approximately 18,686 people live in Rowville, with 18.9%, or around 6,618 individuals, aged 65 and above. Health outcomes for seniors are generally good, similar to those of the wider 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's population shows high cultural diversity, with 35.8% born overseas and 32.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Rowville, accounting for 49.9%. Buddhism stands out at 5.2%, compared to none across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups are English (20.1%), Australian (19.5%), and Other (12.5%). Notably, Sri Lankan is overrepresented at 2.1% in Rowville, Hungarian at 0.5%, and Chinese at 10.4%.

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 proportion of residents aged 55-64 (14.9%) but a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (10.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 65-74 increased from 9.2% to 10.6%, while the 45-54 age group decreased from 14.9% to 13.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Rowville's age profile. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 53%, adding 1,092 residents to reach a total of 3,159. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 94% of the population growth, while declines are anticipated for the 0-4 and 25-34 age groups.