Upwey

Upwey is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, Upwey's population is estimated at around 6865 people, reflecting a growth of 47 individuals since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 6818. This increase was inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and examination of ABS ERP data released in Jun 2024, leading to an estimated resident population of 6868. The population density is approximately 1103 persons per square kilometer, comparable with averages seen across other areas assessed by AreaSearch. Upwey's growth rate since the Census, at 0.7%, is within 2.6 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate of 3.3%. Natural growth contributed around 56% to overall population gains recently. AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023 adjusted by weighted aggregation for areas not covered.

Projections indicate that Upwey's population will decline overall by 197 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 75 to 84 age group projected to increase by 233 people over this period.

The level of residential development activity in Upwey is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Upwey recorded around 4 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past 5 financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, approximately 22 homes were approved, with 2 more approved so far in FY-26. The population decline over recent years suggests new supply has likely kept up with demand, offering good choice to buyers.

New homes are being built at an average value of $575,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. This financial year, $199,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating minimal commercial development activity compared to Greater Melbourne, where Upwey has significantly less development activity (84.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity shows 80.0% detached houses and 20.0% medium and high-density housing, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. This represents a shift from the area's existing housing, which is currently 99.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With around 2283 people per dwelling approval, Upwey reflects a highly mature market.

Population projections showing stability or decline suggest reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

Upwey has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely to impact this area: Angliss Hospital Expansion, Six Senses Resort And Spa At Burnham Beeches, Fairpark Reserve, and Dandenong Ranges Environmental Protection Program are key projects. The following list details those 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Upwey significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Upwey has a highly educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.5% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.0%. Workforce participation in Upwey is notably high at 70.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries for residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Notably, education & training has a strong presence with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, finance & insurance shows lower representation at 2.5% compared to the regional average of 4.9%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.0%, labour force grew by 0.8%, leading to a decrease in unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.5% and unemployment rose by 0.5 percentage points during the same period. For future insights, Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, applying these projections to Upwey's specific industry mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Upwey's median income among taxpayers is $53,958. The average income is $68,270. This is higher than the national average and compares to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Upwey would be approximately $60,519 (median) and $76,572 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that incomes in Upwey cluster around the 71st percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 35.5% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (2,437 residents), mirroring the metropolitan region where 32.8% occupy this bracket. A substantial proportion of high earners, at 30.2%, indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 87.0% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Upwey is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Upwey's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.6% houses and 1.4% other dwellings. Melbourne metro had 93.8% houses and 6.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Upwey was 35.8%, similar to Melbourne metro's figure. Mortgaged dwellings were 54.4%, with rented ones at 9.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, matching the Melbourne metro average, while median weekly rent was $390 compared to Melbourne metro's $380. Nationally, Upwey's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Upwey features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 80.4% of all households, including 40.8% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 19.6%, with lone person households at 17.1% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Upwey shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Upwey's educational profile exceeds the regional average. Among residents aged 15+, 32.7% hold university qualifications, compared to the SA3 area average of 23.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%).

Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 36.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (13.1%) and certificates (23.6%). Educational participation is high at 28.5%, including primary education (9.8%), secondary education (7.9%), and tertiary education (4.7%). The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,229 students. Socio-educational conditions are above average, with an ICSEA score of 1074. Education provision is balanced, with two primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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 Upwey shows that there are currently 34 active transport stops operating. These include a mix of train and bus services. Nine individual routes serve these stops, collectively providing 1,397 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located 270 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 199 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 41 weekly trips per individual stop.

Upwey's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows relatively positive outcomes for Upwey residents.

The prevalence of common health conditions is quite low across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 54% of the total population (~3,694 people) have private health cover, which is fairly high. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 9.6 and 9.0% of residents respectively. A total of 69.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 66.9% across Greater Melbourne. As of 2016, 17.2% of Upwey's residents are aged 65 and over (1,180 people), which is lower than the 19.4% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors in Upwey are above average, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Upwey's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 82.6% of its population born in Australia, 92.4% being citizens, and 93.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Upwey, comprising 31.4% of people. However, Judaism is overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to 0.1% across Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups are English (31.3%), Australian (26.5%), and Irish (9.9%). Notably, Dutch (2.9%) and Hungarian (0.5%) are overrepresented in Upwey compared to regional figures of 3.2% and 0.3%, respectively. Polish is also somewhat overrepresented at 1.0%, versus the regional figure of 0.7%.

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

Upwey's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Upwey has a notably higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (11.1% locally) and a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (9.1%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75 to 84 grew from 3.3% to 5.0%, while the 25 to 34 age group declined from 10.9% to 9.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Upwey's age profile will change significantly. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 60%, adding 205 residents to reach 549. Residents aged 65 and older represent all of the anticipated population growth, while declines are expected for those aged 45-54 and 65-74.