Sandringham (Vic.)

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

The population of the suburb of Sandringham (Vic.) is estimated at around 11,504 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 578 people since the Census in 2021, which reported a population of 10,926 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 11,481 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 134 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,092 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Sandringham's growth of 5.3% since the census positions it within 0.7 percentage points of the SA3 area (6.0%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 1,230 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 10.5% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Sandringham among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Sandringham has seen approximately 99 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 498 homes. As of FY-26, 22 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed were noted between FY-21 and FY-25. This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially enabling population growth beyond current projections.

The average value of new properties under construction is $647,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, $27.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Sandringham has similar development levels per capita, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area. However, development activity has increased recently. Currently, 18.0% of new developments are detached dwellings, while 82.0% are attached dwellings, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 50.0% houses).

This trend may indicate diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Sandringham has around 73 people per dwelling approval, characteristic of a low density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Sandringham is projected to add 1,207 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 29 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones are Sanctuary Sandringham, Miramar, The Coterie, and Beach Point Sandringham. The following details those most relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.8%, Sandringham has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Sandringham's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 3.8% as of December 2025, according to AreaSearch data aggregation. In that month, 6,104 residents were employed, which was 0.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

However, workforce participation in Sandringham lagged behind Greater Melbourne at 63.6%. Census responses indicated that 49.7% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.6 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.7%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as suggested by the ratio of working population to resident population. In the 12-month period ending December 2025, Sandringham's labour force decreased by 0.7% and employment by 1.3%, leading to a 0.7 percentage point rise in unemployment. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne where employment grew by 2.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but industry-specific projections vary significantly. Applying these projections to Sandringham's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows Sandringham had a median taxpayer income of $67,491 and an average income of $117,806. Nationally, these figures rank in the top percentile. Comparatively, Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes are $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on a 9.62% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, current estimates for Sandringham would be approximately $73,984 (median) and $129,139 (average) as of March 2026. The 2021 Census ranks Sandringham's household, family, and personal incomes between the 83rd and 85th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 29.6% of Sandringham residents earn over $4,000 annually (3,405 individuals), contrasting with the region where earnings between $1,500 - $2,999 are most common at 32.8%. The suburb demonstrates affluence with 41.1% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium retail and services. Housing accounts for 14.2% of income. Sandringham residents rank within the 85th percentile for disposable income, and its SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Sandringham displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Sandringham's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 50.2% houses and 49.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sandringham stood at 40.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.2% and rented ones at 26.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,708, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Sandringham was $460, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Sandringham's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 68.1% of all households, including 31.9% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 7.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 31.9%, with lone person households at 30.0% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6 people.

Sandringham demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Sandringham's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 48.3% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 30.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.2%). Vocational pathways account for 23.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 12.1% and certificates at 11.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 6.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Sandringham has 46 active public transport stops, all of which are bus services. These stops are served by 11 different routes that collectively facilitate 4,281 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 191 meters from their nearest transport stop. Most residents commute outward due to Sandringham being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation at 80%, followed by trains at 10% and walking at 5%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, a high percentage of residents, specifically 49.7%, work from home, which may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 611 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 93 weekly trips per individual stop.

Sandringham's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Sandringham's health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 73% of the total population (8,411 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 7.8% and 6.9% of residents respectively.

Notably, 70.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 26.7% of residents aged 65 and over (3,071 people), higher than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Sandringham was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Sandringham's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 12.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 27.0% born overseas. Christianity was the main religion in Sandringham, comprising 47.9% of people. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented, making up 0.9% compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 29.9%, Australian at 21.2%, and Irish at 10.6%. Notably, Russian (0.6%) and Scottish (9.5%) were overrepresented while Hungarian was slightly higher than regional average at 0.4%.

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

Sandringham's median age is 47 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The 55-64 age group comprises 15.2% of Sandringham's population, compared to Greater Melbourne's figure. Conversely, the 25-34 age cohort makes up only 7.0%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75-84 age group has increased from 7.0% to 9.6%, while the 15-24 cohort has risen from 11.1% to 12.7%. However, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 16.0% to 14.2%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 11.9% to 10.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Sandringham's age profile. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 86%, adding 476 residents to reach 1,029. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 81% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 55-64 age cohorts.