Soldiers Hill (Vic.)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Soldiers Hill reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

By Nov 2025, Soldiers Hill's population is estimated at around 2,922. This reflects an increase of 109 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,813. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,876 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,909 persons per square kilometer. Soldiers Hill's growth of 3.9% since census positions it within 2.1 percentage points of the non-metro area (6.0%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 43.0%.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. A significant population increase is forecast, with the suburb expected to increase by 886 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 29.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Soldiers Hill had minimal residential development activity between 2013 and 2017 with only 3 dwelling approvals annually. This totals to 18 dwellings over the five-year period. Such low development levels are characteristic of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is naturally limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity.

It should be noted that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably based on individual projects. Soldiers Hill has much lower development activity compared to Rest of Vic., which is also below national patterns. Recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's rural nature with emphasis on space. Developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies (84.0% at Census), reflecting persistent strong demand for family homes amid densification trends.

The location has approximately 718 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Soldiers Hill is projected to add 857 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Soldiers Hill has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects likely impacting the region. Key initiatives include La Trobe Street Saleyards Redevelopment, Ballarat Station Upgrade, Ballarat Base Hospital Redevelopment, and Ballarat Major Events Precinct Upgrades. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Soldiers Hill maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Soldiers Hill's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate stood at 3.7% as of June 2025.

Over the past year, employment grew by an estimated 7.0%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. In June 2025, 1,543 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate aligning with Rest of Vic.'s 3.8%. Workforce participation was higher at 64.5% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. The leading employment industries among Soldiers Hill residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and accommodation & food.

Notably, education & training has a significant share of employment at 1.6 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 1.0% of local workers, below Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 7.0%, and labour force grew by 6.4%, leading to a fall in unemployment by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., which recorded an employment decline of 0.9% and a rise in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 indicate potential future demand within Soldiers Hill. These projections suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across different industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Soldiers Hill's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.4% over ten years. However, it is important to note that this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released on 30 June 2022 for financial year 2021-2022, Soldiers Hill had a median income among taxpayers of $51,986 and an average income of $66,748. This is slightly above the national average and compares to median and average incomes of $48,741 and $60,693 respectively in Rest of Vic. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2021-2022, current estimates would be approximately $58,307 for median income and $74,865 for average income as of September 2025. Census data from 2021 shows personal income ranks at the 57th percentile with a weekly income of $842, while household income sits at the 33rd percentile. Income brackets indicate that 28.8% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (841 residents), reflecting patterns seen in the broader area where 30.3% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe with only 84.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 34th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Soldiers Hill is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Soldiers Hill, as per the latest Census evaluation, 84.5% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 15.5% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is comparable to Non-Metro Vic., where 85.6% were houses and 14.5% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Soldiers Hill stood at 30.2%, with mortgaged properties at 29.5% and rented ones at 40.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,509, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,499. The median weekly rent in Soldiers Hill was $300, the same as Non-Metro Vic.'s figure but significantly lower than the national average of $375. Nationally, mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863.

Soldiers Hill features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 56.6% of all households, consisting of 23.6% couples with children, 22.7% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 43.4%, with lone person households at 38.0% and group households comprising 5.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic average of 2.4.

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

Educational attainment in Soldiers Hill is notably high, with 40.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 21.7% in Rest of Vic. and 24.6% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.0%) and graduate diplomas (6.2%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 28.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (10.5%) and certificates (17.9%). Educational participation is high, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 8.8% in primary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 6.2% pursuing tertiary education. Two schools serve the area: Macarthur Street Primary School and St Columba's School, collectively educating 410 students. The area has balanced educational opportunities with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1018). Both schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. There are 14 school places per 100 residents, lower than the regional average of 17.9, indicating some students may attend schools outside Soldiers Hill.

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

Transport analysis indicates nine active stops in Soldiers Hill offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops cater to 52 distinct routes collectively facilitating 3660 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is rated good with residents typically situated 241 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 522 trips daily across all routes, translating to approximately 406 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Soldiers Hill is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Soldiers Hill faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is approximately 53% of the total population (~1,555 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but slightly lower than Rest of Vic's 50.9%.

Mental health issues impact 12.4% of residents, while asthma affects 10.5%. A total of 62.5% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to Rest of Vic's 62.3%. The area has 16.7% of residents aged 65 and over (487 people), lower than Rest of Vic's 17.8%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Soldiers Hill ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Soldiers Hill had a low cultural diversity, with 87.3% of residents born in Australia, 91.3% being citizens, and 93.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 41.9%. The 'Other' religious category comprised 0.8%, compared to 1.0% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups were English (28.8%), Australian (24.6%), and Irish (13.7%). Scottish ancestry was overrepresented at 11.6% versus the regional average of 9.2%. Dutch ancestry stood at 1.6%, lower than the regional 2.1%, while Hungarian ancestry was slightly higher at 0.3% compared to 0.2%.

Soldiers Hill's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Soldiers Hill is 40 years, which is slightly lower than the Rest of Victoria's average of 43 but higher than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Rest of Victoria average, the 25-34 age cohort is notably over-represented at 15.8% in Soldiers Hill, while the 65-74 age group is under-represented at 9.6%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 14.2% to 15.1% of the population, whereas the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 12.9% to 11.7%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Soldiers Hill. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow substantially by 331 people, rising from 461 to 793, which represents a 72% increase. Conversely, the 55-64 age group is expected to grow at a more modest rate of 4%, adding only 15 residents.