Whittington

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

Whittington's population is estimated at around 3910 as of Feb 2026, reflecting a decrease of 80 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3990. This change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 3897 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 21 validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density equates to 2506 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth 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 released in 2023, adjusted 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to expand by 560 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 14.0% in total over the 17 years.

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 31 homes. In FY-26 so far, there have been 3 approvals recorded. The average construction cost of new homes in Whittington is $337,000. There has also been $6.2 million in commercial approvals this financial year.

Compared to the rest of Victoria, Whittington's building activity is significantly lower, at 85.0% below the regional average per person. Recent construction comprises 50.0% standalone homes and 50.0% medium and high-density housing, marking a shift from the area's current housing composition of 91.0% houses. Population forecasts indicate Whittington will gain 547 residents by 2041, potentially leading to increased buyer competition and price increases if current development rates continue.

Population forecasts indicate Whittington will gain 547 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 expected to impact the region: Whittington Family and Community Hub, Geelong Ring Road Extension (Bellarine Link), Moolap Coastal Strategic Framework Plan, Clifton Springs Water Tank Renewal. Most relevant projects are detailed below.

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's workforce is balanced across white and blue collar jobs, with prominent essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 11.2% as per AreaSearch data aggregation in an unspecified period. As of December 2025, 1,582 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate at 7.5%, exceeding Regional Vic.'s rate of 3.7%.

Workforce participation stood at 53.7%, lower than Regional Vic.'s 61.5%. Census responses showed that only 11.7% of residents worked from home. Dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Retail trade had notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employed just 0.4% of local workers, below Regional Vic.'s 7.5%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. Between December 2024 and November 2025, labour force decreased by 1.3%, employment declined by 1.0%, leading to a 0.3 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. This contrasted with Regional Vic., where employment contracted by 0.6%, labour force fell by 0.7%, and unemployment fell by 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across sectors. Applying these projections to Whittington's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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 for financial year ended June 2023, Whittington suburb had a median income among taxpayers of $43,144. The average income stood at $50,942. This is below the national average of $62,728 and regional Victoria's average of $50,954. Based on Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.25% since financial year ended June 2023, estimated median income as of September 2025 would be approximately $46,703, while the average is projected to reach $55,145. Census data from 2021 shows Whittington's household, family and personal incomes fall between 2nd and 6th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 33.3% of residents (1,302 people) earn within the $400 - $799 weekly bracket, contrasting with regional Victoria where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is dominant at 30.3%. The concentration of 42.2% in sub-$800 weekly brackets indicates economic challenges faced by a significant portion of Whittington's 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

The dwelling structure in Whittington, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Regional Vic.'s 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Whittington stood at 29.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.8% and rented ones at 45.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,192, below Regional Vic.'s average of $1,430. The median weekly rent in Whittington was $250, compared to Regional Vic.'s $285. Nationally, Whittington's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 40.7%, with lone person households at 37.2% and group households making up 3.7%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Regional 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%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 37.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (27.7%).

Educational participation is notably 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 a total of 1,052 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 169 meters to the nearest one. The area is primarily residential and most residents commute outward using cars, which remain 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. The service frequency averages 150 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 45 weekly trips per individual 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 assessed by AreaSearch through mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Multiple health conditions affect both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low at approximately 47% of the total population (around 1,840 people), compared to 50.5% in Regional Vic.

and the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 14.3% and 10.6% of residents respectively. However, 52.9% report having no medical ailments, compared to 63.4% in Regional Vic. The working-age population has notably high chronic condition rates. Whittington has 21.3% of residents aged 65 and over (832 people), lower than the 23.9% in Regional Vic. Health outcomes among seniors are challenging, with national rankings broadly similar to those of 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 citizens, 82.8% born in Australia, and 88.6% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Whittington is Christianity, comprising 44.9% of the population. Notably, the 'Other' category is overrepresented in Whittington at 1.1%, compared to Regional Vic's 0.8%.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are Australian (30.6%), English (28.8%), and Irish (7.3%). Some ethnic groups show notable divergences: Dutch is overrepresented at 1.8% in Whittington versus 1.7% regionally, Serbian at 0.5% versus 0.2%, and Croatian at 0.7% versus 0.4%.

Whittington's median age exceeds the national pattern

Whittington's median age is 41 years, which is lower than Regional Vic.'s average of 43 but higher than Australia's national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group comprises 17.6% of Whittington's population, compared to Regional Vic., while the 5-14 cohort makes up 10.1%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 25-34 age group has increased from 14.1% to 17.6%, the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 12.7% to 10.6%, and the 5-14 group has fallen from 11.3% to 10.1%. By 2041, Whittington's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 25-34 cohort is expected to grow by 35%, adding 242 residents to reach a total of 931. Conversely, population declines are forecast for the 75-84 and 15-24 cohorts.