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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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Sales Detail
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
The suburb of West Melbourne's population is estimated at around 10,305 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 2,280 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,025 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 10,305, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 91 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,595 persons per square kilometer. West Melbourne's growth rate of 28.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the state average of 9.3%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 82.0% of overall population gains 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 also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is predicted to experience exceptional demographic growth in the future, with an expected expansion of 5,330 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 51.7% in total over the 16-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Recent residential development output has been above average within West Melbourne when compared nationally
West Melbourne has seen approximately 196 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 984 homes. As of FY-26198 approvals have been recorded. On average, 2.4 people per year moved to the area per new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating solid demand for property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $585,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.
In FY-26, $47.0 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, showing strong commercial development momentum compared to Greater Melbourne, where West Melbourne records 79.0% more construction activity per person. Recent development has exclusively comprised townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The area has approximately 740 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market with a projected addition of 5,330 residents by 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.
Future projections show West Melbourne adding 5,330 residents by 2041 (from 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
Development applications around West Melbourne
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
West Melbourne 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 135 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Errol Street Private Hospital, Abbotsford Street Social Housing, West End Mixed-Use Precinct, and WOBO North Melbourne. The following list details those most relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Greenline Project
The Greenline Project is a transformational 4km urban renewal initiative creating a continuous promenade along the north bank of the Yarra River (Birrarung). It connects five precincts: Birrarung Marr, The Falls, River Park, Maritime, and Saltwater Wharf. As of mid-2026, the first major stage at Birrarung Marr is complete, featuring 450 metres of new boardwalks, native habitat restoration, and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung cultural design elements. Planning and detailed design are currently underway for the central riverfront sections, including Federation Wharf and Flinders Walk.
Errol Street Private Hospital
A 10-story private hospital and healthcare facility located in the Parkville Biomedical Precinct. The development features 223 overnight beds, 10 ICU rooms, 7 operating theatres, and 3 basement levels. The project was fast-tracked via the Victorian Government Development Facilitation Program to enhance specialized medical services including imaging and pathology near existing major public hospitals.
Elysium Fields
A $1.7 billion biosphere-inspired wellness precinct in Docklands featuring approximately 1,100 to 1,700 dwellings across multiple towers. The project includes a 200-plus room luxury hotel, Australia's largest Saint Haven private wellness club, and the Elysian Reverse Ageing Medical Clinic. Designed to integrate advanced health technologies like cryotherapy, MRI diagnostics, and circadian lighting, the site also features 3,700 square meters of public gardens under a futuristic glass dome. Early construction works on the first phase, involving three towers, commenced in late 2024 with Hamilton Marino appointed as the lead builder.
Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID)
A $650 million state-of-the-art 15-storey research facility in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct designed by Wardle. It will house 1,000 researchers and feature high-containment PC3 laboratories, a human infection challenge unit, robotic biobanking, and the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics. The project is a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Doherty Institute, and Burnet Institute, supported by a $400 million Victorian Government contribution to enhance Australia's sovereign pandemic response.
Arden Precinct Urban Renewal
The Arden Precinct is a 45-hectare urban renewal project transforming industrial land into a high-density innovation and employment hub. Anchored by the Arden Metro Station, which commenced operations in early 2026, the precinct is designed to accommodate 34,000 jobs and 15,000 to 20,000 residents by 2051. Development Victoria is currently assessing final bids from two shortlisted consortia-Hamton Group/Hostplus and Lendlease/Assemble-to appoint a master developer for the 12-hectare Arden Central core. Notably, the originally planned Arden Hospital campus was cancelled in 2024 due to electromagnetic interference issues, with those facilities now consolidated at the Parkville site.
Gurrowa Place - QVM Southern Precinct
Gurrowa Place is a 1.7 billion dollar mixed-use urban renewal project delivered by Lendlease in partnership with the City of Melbourne and Scape. Located in the Queen Victoria Market Southern Precinct, the development features three distinct towers: a 28-level next-generation office building, a build-to-rent tower with approximately 560 units (including affordable housing), and a dedicated student accommodation tower with 1,100 beds. The project integrates the 1.8-hectare Market Square public park, the restoration of the heritage Franklin Street Stores into a retail and dining hub, and a new underground car park for market visitors.
Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal
A transformative multi-stage program to modernize Australia's largest 19th-century market. The flagship southern precinct, Gurrowa Place, is a $1.7 billion mixed-use development delivered by Lendlease and Scape. It features three towers providing build-to-rent apartments, student accommodation, and affordable housing. Key elements include the 1.8-hectare Market Square public park replacing the current open-air car park, restoration of the heritage Franklin Street Stores into retail and hospitality, and a new 220-space basement car park. Heritage shed restorations and core trader facilities were largely completed by 2024, with site works for the southern towers commencing in 2026.
Abbotsford Street Social Housing
Redevelopment of 112 outdated homes into 340+ new homes including 127 social homes, 85 affordable homes, and 128+ private dwellings. Features universal design, community facilities, and sustainable building practices.
Employment
Employment performance in West Melbourne exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators
West Melbourne has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 4.1% as of December 2025, which is 0.6% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.1%.
Workforce participation in West Melbourne was 79.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 43.6% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Leading employment industries include professional & technical, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance. West Melbourne has a notably high concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average.
Conversely, construction is under-represented, with only 4.5% of West Melbourne's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The ratio of workers to residents was 0.7 as of the Census, indicating a higher level of local employment opportunities. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 5.1%, while labour force grew by 4.5%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.5 percentage points. In Greater Melbourne, employment grew by 2.4%, labour force expanded by 2.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project national 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 increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis
The suburb of West Melbourne had a median taxpayer income of $53,328 and an average income of $71,318 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is higher than the national average, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since the financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $58,458 (median) and $78,179 (average) as of March 2026. Census data shows individual earnings stand out at the 83rd percentile nationally ($1,058 weekly), though household income ranks lower at the 52nd percentile. The earnings profile indicates that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 35.4% of residents (3,647 people), reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 32.8% similarly 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 a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
In West Melbourne, as per the latest Census evaluation, 1.2% of dwellings were houses while 98.7% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metropolitan area's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Melbourne stood at 12.0%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 21.1% and rented dwellings making up the majority at 66.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,106, surpassing Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure was recorded as $388, slightly higher than Melbourne metro's $390. 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 lower-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 comprise the remaining 52.3%, with lone person households at 39.0% and group households making up 13.3%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.
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
In West Melbourne, a significant majority of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, with 62.6% surpassing the national average of 30.4%. This is also higher than Victoria's state average of 33.4%. The area's educational attainment is notable for its concentration in bachelor degrees (37.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (21.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways are less prevalent, 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.
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
West Melbourne has 50 active public transport stops serving a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are covered by 29 individual routes that collectively facilitate 21,676 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 111 meters from the nearest stop. As predominantly residential, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode at 34%, followed by walking at 22% and train at 19%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.3 per dwelling, below the regional average.
According to the 2021 Census, 43.6% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 3,096 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 433 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's health outcomes show excellent results according to AreaSearch's assessment.
Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was found to be high at approximately 55% of the total population (around 5,668 people). Mental health issues and asthma were the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 8.6 and 6.7% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 80.5%, reported being completely free from medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The percentage of seniors aged 65 and over was lower than Greater Melbourne at 4.7% (484 people) versus 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, aligning with national rankings similar to the general population.
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 predominant religion in West Melbourne, comprising 24.7% of people. However, Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 5.7% versus 4.2%.
The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (17.4%), Other (16.8%), and English (15.3%). Notably, Korean (2.1%), Spanish (0.8%), and Russian (0.6%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.4% respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
West Melbourne hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide
West Melbourne has a median age of 31 years, which is lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 37 and significantly below the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, West Melbourne has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (38.8%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.2%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.6%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of West Melbourne's population in the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 17.2% to 19.5%, while the 25 to 34 age cohort has decreased from 40.5% to 38.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in West Melbourne's age profile. The 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow steadily, with an increase of 1,451 people (36%), reaching a total of 5,450 residents.