Woodend (Vic.)

Woodend lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Woodend (Vic.) is around 6,775, reflecting an increase of 43 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 6,732. This change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 6,757 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 60 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 97 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Woodend has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.7%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 54.0% 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, adjusting using 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. By 2041, the suburb is expected to expand by 2,274 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 33.3% in total over the 16 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Woodend when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Woodend had around 27 dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 136 homes were approved, with 7 more in FY-26 so far. This results in about 3.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past five financial years.

New supply significantly lags demand, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. Developers target the premium market segment, with an average construction value of $793,000 for new dwellings. In FY-26, $9.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating balanced commercial development activity.

Compared to Rest of Vic., Woodend has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 43rd percentile nationally, leading to relatively constrained buyer choice and interest in existing dwellings. Recent construction consists of 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 379 people. Looking ahead, Woodend is projected to grow by 2,256 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Woodend 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 this region: Hanging Rock to Daylesford Shared Trail. Other key projects include Outer Metropolitan Ring/E6 Transport Corridor, Victorian Renewable Energy Zones, and Regional Housing Fund Projects. The following details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Woodend performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Woodend has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 1.7% in the past year, showing a 1.5% employment growth. As of December 2025, 3,287 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0%, lower than Regional Vic.'s 3.7%.

Workforce participation was similar to Regional Vic.'s 61.0%. Census responses indicated 40.2% worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Professional & technical had a high share of employment, at 2.5 times the regional level.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing was under-represented, with only 1.4% compared to Regional Vic.'s 7.5%. The area offered limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by resident population vs working population counts. In the year ending May-25, employment increased by 1.5%, labour force also rose by 1.5%, and unemployment remained stable. This contrasted with Regional Vic., where employment fell by 0.6%, labour force contracted by 0.7%, and unemployment fell slightly. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts for May-25 suggested overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Woodend's industry mix indicated local employment could increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this was a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Woodend suburb has one of Australia's highest incomes based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Its median taxpayer income is $57,103 and average income is $83,788. These compare to Regional Vic.'s figures of $50,954 and $62,728 respectively. Considering a 9.62% growth in wages since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for March 2026 would be approximately $62,596 (median) and $91,848 (average). According to the 2021 Census, Woodend's household, family, and personal incomes rank at the 66th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 27.1% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (1,836 people), similar to metropolitan regions where 30.3% fall into this bracket. Notably, 34.6% earn above $3,000 weekly, indicating prosperity that fuels local economic activity. After accounting for housing costs, residents retain 87.7% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Woodend is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Woodend dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.8% houses and 9.1% other dwellings. Regionally, Victoria had 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woodend was 41.9%, similar to Regional Vic.'s figure. Mortgaged dwellings were at 42.2% and rented ones at 15.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Regional Vic.'s average of $1,430. Median weekly rent was $400, compared to Regional Vic.'s $285. Nationally, Woodend's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents surpassed the national figure of $375.

Woodend has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 76.8% of all households, including 34.9% couples with children, 30.0% couples without children, and 11.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.2%, with lone person households at 21.4% and group households comprising 1.6%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Regional Vic. average of 2.4.

Educational achievement in Woodend places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Woodend's educational attainment is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15+, 39.3% hold university qualifications, compared to 21.7% in the rest of Victoria and 25.4% in the SA4 region. This high level of educational attainment positions Woodend favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 23.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 29.0% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 11.3% and certificates for 17.7%.

Educational participation is high in Woodend, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in primary education, 9.3% in secondary education, and 4.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Woodend has three active public transport stops offering a mix of train services. These are served by seven different routes, together facilitating 312 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility in Woodend is limited, with residents typically residing 1344 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most Woodend residents commute outward using cars as the dominant mode (89%). On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents work from home (40.2%), which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 44 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 104 weekly trips per individual stop.

Woodend's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Woodend. AreaSearch's assessment found low prevalence of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (4,056 people), compared to 50.5% across Regional Vic.. The most common medical conditions were mental health issues impacting 9.1% of residents and arthritis affecting 8.4%. A total of 66.6% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% across Regional Vic.. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 23.9% of residents aged 65 and over (1,619 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Woodend had a cultural diversity level below average, with 83.2% of its population born in Australia, 91.2% being citizens, and 94.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 40.8% of Woodend's population. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.4%), Australian (26.7%), and Irish (12.3%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences in representation: Scottish was overrepresented at 10.3% (vs 8.8% regionally), Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.4%), and Maltese at 1.0% (vs 0.5%).

Woodend hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Woodend's median age in 2021 was 45 years, slightly higher than Regional Vic.'s median of 43 and considerably older than the national norm of 38. Compared to the Regional Vic. average, Woodend had a notably over-represented 45-54 cohort (15.7%) and an under-represented 25-34 age group (5.3%). Between 2021 and the present day, the 75-84 age group has grown from 6.8% to 9.0%, while the 15-24 cohort increased from 9.7% to 11.5%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has declined from 6.9% to 5.3%. Demographic modeling suggests that Woodend's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to expand by 449 people (42%), growing from 1,063 to 1,513 individuals.