Rutherglen

Population growth drivers in Rutherglen are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Rutherglen is around 2,816. This figure reflects an increase of 237 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,579. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 2,657 in June 2024, along with 32 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 22 persons per square kilometer. Rutherglen's growth of 9.2% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (5.9%) and the SA4 region, making it a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 55.00000000000001% of overall population gains during recent periods, with other drivers including overseas migration and natural growth also being positive factors.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 for areas not covered by this data. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the suburb of Rutherglen is forecasted to grow by 812 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 22.9% in total over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Rutherglen approved around 18 new homes annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 91 homes. So far in FY-26, 15 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.1 people moved to the area per dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $571,000, targeting the premium market segment. This financial year, $2.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Rest of Vic., Rutherglen has seen 13.0% more development per person over the past five years, offering reasonable buyer options while sustaining property demand.

However, building activity has slowed recently, with all recent activity consisting of detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 239 people per dwelling approval, Rutherglen exhibits a developing market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by 644 residents through to 2041, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections despite potential heightened competition as the population increases.

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

No infrastructure changes or major projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely impacting this area. Key projects include North East Rail Line Upgrade, Inland Rail Beveridge to Albury (scheduled for completion 2025), Inland Rail - Tottenham To Albury (commencement 2021), and Regional Housing Fund (Victoria) (launched 2019).

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

Rutherglen has a skilled workforce with strong manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate is 4.8%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,247 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.0% higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation stands at 59.4%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 61.4%. A low 12.2% of residents work from home, considering Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Leading employment industries are manufacturing, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food. Manufacturing is particularly specialized with an employment share 2.7 times the regional level.

Health care & social assistance has limited presence at 11.2%, compared to the regional 16.8%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.4% and employment fell by 2.9%, resulting in a 1.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Rest of Vic. saw employment fall by 0.7%, labour force contract by 0.6%, and marginal unemployment increase. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rutherglen's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.9% over five years and 11.4% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of Rutherglen has a lower than average income level compared to national figures, according to the latest Australian Taxation Office data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Rutherglen is $48,683, with an average income of $56,395. These figures compare to $50,954 and $62,728 respectively for the Rest of Vic. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $52,699 (median) and $61,048 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Rutherglen rank modestly, between the 20th and 32nd percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 31.7% of locals (892 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, which is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region at 30.3%. While housing costs are modest, allowing for 88.1% of income to be retained, total disposable income ranks at just the 26th percentile nationally.

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

Rutherglen's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.7% houses and 7.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Compared to Non-Metro Vic., which had 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rutherglen stood at 44.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.7% and rented ones at 19.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, below Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,430. Median weekly rent in Rutherglen was $250, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $285. Nationally, Rutherglen's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 67.4% of all households, including 23.9% couples with children, 30.7% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 32.6%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households comprising 1.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Rutherglen shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's university qualification rate is 19.3%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.6%, followed by graduate diplomas (3.4%) and postgraduate qualifications (3.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.0% of residents aged 15 and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (29.3%). Educational participation is high, with 26.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.0% in primary, 8.3% in secondary, and 2.2% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 2.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transportation in Rutherglen indicates there are six active transport stops currently operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of six individual routes providing 67 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as moderate, with residents typically located approximately 461 meters from their nearest stop. As Rutherglen is primarily residential, most commuting patterns involve outward travel, predominantly by car at a rate of 93%. Walking accounts for 5% of journeys. On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, only 12.2% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages nine trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly eleven weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Rutherglen are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Rutherglen's health indicators show below-average outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are higher than average for both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 49% of the total population, compared to the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (10.3%) and asthma (9.4%). 60.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% in Rest of Vic. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. Rutherglen has 26.6% of residents aged 65 and over (749 people), higher than the 23.9% in Rest of Vic. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings even higher than those of the general population.

The latest Census data sees Rutherglen placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Rutherglen's population showed low cultural diversity, with 92.5% born in Australia, 93.8% being citizens, and 97.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, accounting for 53.7%, compared to 47.3% in the rest of Victoria. The top three ancestry groups were English (33.5%), Australian (31.1%), and Irish (11.7%).

Scottish ancestry was higher than average at 9.5%, German at 4.5%, and Macedonian lower at 0.1%.

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

Rutherglen's median age at 47 years is significantly higher than Victoria's average of 43 and substantially exceeds the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 are particularly prominent, making up 15.1% of the population, which is well above the national average of 9.5%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of 15-24 year-olds has grown from 9.2% to 11.1%, while the 45-54 age group has declined from 12.2% to 10.2% and the 55-64 group has dropped from 14.8% to 12.9%. By 2041, Rutherglen's age composition is expected to change notably. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 51%, reaching 464 people from 306, while the 65-74 cohort is expected to decline by 25 people.