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Sales Activity
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Population
West Melbourne lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends
Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, the estimated population of West Melbourne is around 9,956 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,931 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,025 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 9,941 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and an additional 83 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,541 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. West Melbourne's growth rate of 24.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both the national average (8.9%) and state averages, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.
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 are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Moving forward, demographic trends predict exceptional growth, placing the suburb in the top 10 percent of national statistical areas with an expected expansion of 5,935 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 60.3% over the 17 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Recent residential development output has been above average within West Melbourne when compared nationally
AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates West Melbourne has seen approximately 197 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 985 homes. As of FY26198 approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 2.3 people moved to the area per new home constructed, suggesting solid demand supporting property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $550,000.
This financial year has seen $47.0 million in commercial approvals registered, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, West Melbourne records 78.0% more construction activity per person, creating greater choice for buyers but with a slowdown in recent years. This is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. Recent development has been entirely comprised of townhouses or apartments, focusing on higher-density living which creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The location has approximately 670 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Future projections show West Melbourne adding 6,007 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate.
Present construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
West Melbourne has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally
Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 144 projects expected to impact the region. Notable initiatives include Errol Street Private Hospital, Abbotsford Street Social Housing, West End Mixed-Use Precinct, and North Melbourne Precinct Public Housing Renewal. The following list details those most relevant.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Metro Tunnel Project
The Metro Tunnel is Melbourne's largest public transport project, delivering twin 9km rail tunnels and five new underground stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, Anzac). It creates a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham, introduces high-capacity signalling and new High Capacity Metro Trains to enable turn-up-and-go services every 2-3 minutes, and removes four level crossings on the Cranbourne-Pakenham line.
Errol Street Private Hospital
New 8-level private hospital in North Melbourne delivering 223 overnight beds, 10 ICU beds, 7 operating theatres, medical imaging, pathology and specialist consulting suites within the Parkville Biomedical Precinct.
North Melbourne Precinct Public Housing Renewal
Comprehensive $800 million public housing renewal program to replace aging public housing estates across the North Melbourne precinct with modern, accessible homes and improved community facilities. The program spans multiple sites including towers on Alfred Street, Melrose Street, and Sutton Street. Stage One involves redeveloping the housing tower at 33 Alfred Street to deliver 800 new dwellings, including 300 social housing dwellings. Part of Victoria's high-rise redevelopment program using the Ground Lease Model, providing at least 10% more social housing overall.
Metro Tunnel Project
The Metro Tunnel is a 9km twin-tunnel underground rail project with five new stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, Anzac). It creates a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham, includes High Capacity Signalling and new High Capacity Metro Trains. Major construction is complete, systems testing and trial operations are underway. Limited passenger services on the tunnel section commence 30 November 2025, with full integration into the metropolitan network and new timetable from early 2026.
Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID)
A $650 million world-class translational research facility in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, Parkville. Jointly led by the University of Melbourne, Doherty Institute and Burnet Institute. The 7-level building will accommodate over 1,000 researchers and feature PC3/PC4 laboratories, robotic biobanking, a human infection challenge unit, clinical trial capabilities, drug/vaccine development platforms and co-location space for industry partners. Demolition completed mid-2025, main works contractor (Multiplex) appointed September 2025, construction now underway with practical completion targeted for late 2027.
Level Crossing Removal Project
State-wide program to remove 110 level crossings across metropolitan Melbourne by 2030, delivering safer roads, less congestion and more reliable train services. Includes rebuilding or upgrading 57 train stations, opening up new community spaces and creating thousands of jobs.
Gurrowa Place - QVM Southern Precinct
$1.7 billion mixed-use urban renewal project by Lendlease, City of Melbourne, and Scape as part of the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal. The development includes three new buildings: a next-generation office tower, build-to-rent apartments (approx. 1129 total, including over 130 affordable homes), and a student accommodation tower (approx. 1150 residences, total dwellings/beds approx. 2279). It also features the creation of Market Square, a 1.8-hectare public park, the restoration of the heritage Franklin Street Stores for retail and hospitality, and a new 220-space basement car park. Final heritage and planning approvals were secured in August 2025.
Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal
The City of Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal is a multi-stage program to preserve and modernise Australia's largest and most intact 19th-century market. Key completed/ongoing works include heritage shed restorations, new trader facilities, customer amenities and core market infrastructure (largely finished by end-2024). The southern development (Gurrowa Place), delivered in partnership with Lendlease and Scape, received final federal heritage approval in August 2025 and includes a new 1.8 ha public open space (Market Square), restoration of the Franklin Street Stores, a 220-space basement car park, and mixed-use towers providing student accommodation, build-to-rent and affordable housing. Total program value approximately $268 million, with full precinct completion expected later this decade.
Employment
Employment performance in West Melbourne has been broadly consistent with national averages
West Melbourne has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 4.7% as of June 2025.
Over the past year, employment grew by an estimated 6.6%. As of June 2025, 7,229 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate matching Greater Melbourne's at 4.6%, and workforce participation higher at 75.5%. Key industries for West Melbourne residents include professional & technical services, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, which are 1.9 times the regional average.
However, construction is under-represented with only 4.5% of West Melbourne's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates ample local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment in West Melbourne increased by 6.6%, while the labour force grew by 7.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.5% and an unemployment rate increase of 0.5 percentage points over the same period. 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. Applying these projections to West Melbourne's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 7.1% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis
West Melbourne had a median taxpayer income of $53,341 and an average of $71,344 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This was higher than national averages, with Greater Melbourne's median income being $54,892 and average income $73,761. By September 2025, estimates suggest median income would be approximately $59,827 and average $80,019, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022. Census data shows individual earnings rank at the 83rd percentile nationally ($1,058 weekly), but household income ranks lower at the 52nd percentile. The dominant earnings bracket is $1,500 - 2,999, with 35.4% of residents (3,524 people). This pattern mirrors regional levels where 32.8% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 79.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 47th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
West Melbourne features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region
The dwelling structure in West Melbourne, as per the latest Census, consisted of 1.2% houses and 98.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 2.2% houses and 97.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Melbourne was at 12.0%, with the rest being mortgaged (21.1%) or rented (66.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,106, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $388, slightly lower than Melbourne metro's $396. Nationally, West Melbourne's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
West Melbourne features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 47.7% of all households, including 11.2% couples with children, 30.6% couples without children, and 4.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 52.3%, with lone person households at 39.0% and group households comprising 13.3%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.8.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
The educational profile of West Melbourne exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics
Educational attainment in West Melbourne is significantly higher than national and state averages. 62.6% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 37.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (21.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways account for 17.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 8.0%.
Educational participation is high, with 35.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 18.1% in tertiary education, 3.4% in primary education, and 3.1% pursuing secondary education. West Melbourne has four schools with a combined enrollment of 389 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1045). The educational mix includes one secondary school and three K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents (3.9) are below the regional average (6.9), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note that for schools showing 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Analysis shows 50 active public transport stops in West Melbourne. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 26 individual routes operating, serving a total of 18,484 weekly passenger trips.
Residents have excellent accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 111 meters to the nearest stop. The service frequency is 2,640 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 369 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
West Melbourne's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups
West Melbourne shows excellent health outcomes with very low prevalence of common conditions across all ages.
The private health cover rate is high at approximately 55%, covering around 5,477 people. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 8.6% and 6.7% of residents respectively. A total of 80.5% report no medical ailments, compared to 79.8% in Greater Melbourne. The area has 4.4% seniors (438 people), lower than the 6.8% in Greater Melbourne. Senior health outcomes require more attention despite being strong overall.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
West Melbourne is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics
West Melbourne has a high level of cultural diversity, with 48.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 56.3% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in West Melbourne, making up 24.7% of people. Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 5.7% versus 7.0%.
The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (17.4%), Other (16.8%), and English (15.3%). Korean (2.1%) and Spanish (0.8%) populations are notably higher than regional averages of 1.5% and 0.7%, respectively, while Russian is slightly overrepresented at 0.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
West Melbourne hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide
West Melbourne's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and lower than the national average of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, West Melbourne has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (38.5%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.2%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 has increased from 17.2% to 18.9%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 40.5% to 38.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests West Melbourne's age profile will change significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to grow by 41%, adding 1,584 people to reach a total of 5,418.