Whittington

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

The estimated population of the suburb of Whittington is around 3,910 as of Feb 2026. This reflects a decrease since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,990 people. The current population was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of resident population at 3,897 following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 21 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,506 persons per square kilometer, placing Whittington in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth in the area 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, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projected demographic trends indicate above median population growth in national regional areas, with Whittington expected to expand by 562 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 14.4% over the 17-year period.

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

Whittington has seen approximately 6 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years ending June 2021, totalling around 30 homes. In FY-26, up to June 2022, there have been 3 approvals recorded. The average construction cost of new homes is $337,000. This year has also seen $6.2 million in commercial approvals.

Compared to the rest of Victoria, Whittington's building activity is significantly lower, at 86.0% below the regional average per person. Recent construction consists of 60.0% standalone homes and 40.0% medium and high-density housing. Population forecasts indicate Whittington will gain 562 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth.

Population forecasts indicate Whittington will gain 562 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Whittington has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely impacting the region: Whittington Family and Community Hub, Geelong Ring Road Extension (Bellarine Link), Moolap Coastal Strategic Framework Plan, Clifton Springs Water Tank Renewal are key projects. Relevant details of these projects follow.

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

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Employment conditions in Whittington face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Whittington has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, particularly in essential services. Its unemployment rate is 10.6%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,601 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate at 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Whittington is lower at 53.8% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 61.4%. Census data shows that only 11.7% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Retail trade is notably concentrated with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.4% of local workers, below Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force decreased by 1.0% and employment declined by 1.1%, resulting in a rise in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where employment contracted by 0.7%, labour force fell by 0.6%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Whittington's employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released on June 2023, Whittington had a median taxpayer income of $43,144 and an average income of $50,942. This is below the national averages of $57,061 (median) and $70,280 (average). In Rest of Vic., the median was $50,954 and average was $62,728. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since June 2023, current estimates for Whittington would be approximately $46,703 (median) and $55,145 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 data shows incomes in Whittington fall between the 2nd and 6th percentiles nationally. In income distribution, 33.3% of residents earn between $400 - $799 weekly, compared to 30.3% in Rest of Vic. The concentration of 42.2% in sub-$800 brackets highlights economic challenges faced by a significant portion of the community. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

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

Whittington's dwelling structure, as assessed in 2016, consisted of 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro Vic.'s dwelling structure was 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Whittington stood at 29.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.8% and rented dwellings at 45.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Whittington was $1,192 as of 2016, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,430. The median weekly rent in Whittington was $250, whereas Non-Metro Vic.'s figure was $285. Nationally, Whittington's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375 as of 2016.

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

Family households compose 59.3% of all households, including 15.4% couples with children, 21.6% couples without children, and 20.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.7%, with lone person households at 37.2% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Whittington faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 13.7%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (27.7%). Educational participation is high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.6% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Whittington has 23 active public transport stops serviced by six routes offering 1,052 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent accessibility to these stops, typically located 169 meters away. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area, with cars being the dominant mode at 91%. Vehicle ownership averages one per dwelling, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, only 11.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Transport services operate an average of 150 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 45 weekly trips per stop.

Service frequency averages 150 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 45 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Whittington is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Whittington faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Various health conditions impact both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is low, with approximately 47% of Whittington's total population (~1,840 people) having it, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 50.5%.

Nationally, the average is 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions in Whittington, affecting 14.3% and 10.6% of residents respectively. However, 52.9% of residents claim to have no medical ailments, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 63.4%. Working-age population health is notably challenging due to high chronic condition rates. Whittington has 21.2% of residents aged 65 and over (828 people), lower than Rest of Vic.'s 23.9%. Senior health outcomes present challenges, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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

Whittington's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 82.4% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia, and speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Whittington, comprising 44.9% of its population. The most notable overrepresentation is seen in the 'Other' category, which constitutes 1.1% of Whittington's population compared to 0.8% across the rest of Victoria.

In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are Australian (30.6%), English (28.8%), and Irish (7.3%). Notably, Dutch (1.8%) and Serbian (0.5%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.7% and 0.2%, respectively, while Croatian ethnicity is also slightly overrepresented at 0.7% versus the regional average of 0.4%.

Whittington's median age exceeds the national pattern

Whittington's median age is 41 years, which is lower than the Rest of Vic. average of 43 but exceeds the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group comprises 17.7% of Whittington's population, higher than the Rest of Vic., while the 5-14 cohort makes up 10.1%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 25 to 34 age group grew from 14.1% to 17.7%, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 12.7% to 10.6%, and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 11.3% to 10.1%. By 2041, Whittington's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 25 to 34 cohort is expected to grow by 35%, adding 240 residents to reach 933. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 75 to 84 and 15 to 24 cohorts.