Avondale Heights
Statistical Area - sa2

Avondale Heights has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Avondale Heights' population, as of August 2025, is approximately 12,822 people. This figure represents an increase of 434 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,388 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,822 as of June 2024 and an additional 41 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,370 persons per square kilometer, placing Avondale Heights in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 3.5% growth since the census is within 0.5 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.0%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted employing weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections indicate an increase just below the national median, with Avondale Heights expected to expand by 1,101 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, resulting in an overall increase of 8.6% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Avondale Heights when compared nationally

Avondale Heights has recorded approximately 106 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, around 533 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved in FY26 so far.

On average, 0.5 people per year moved to the area for each dwelling built during this period. This suggests that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost of new homes was $592,000 over these years, which is moderately above regional levels, indicating an emphasis on quality construction. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Avondale Heights maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. New building activity shows 32% detached dwellings and 68% medium and high-density housing, reflecting a shift from the current housing mix of 77% houses.

This change may be due to reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The area has approximately 205 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Future projections show Avondale Heights adding 1,101 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Eleven projects are identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Military Road and Clarendon Street Intersection Upgrade, The Watson by Kincrest, Reimagining Avondale Heights, and Tekna - Russell Street Apartments.

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

Employment performance in Avondale Heights exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Avondale Heights has a well-educated workforce. Its unemployment rate was 3.2% as of June 2025.

Employment grew by an estimated 3.8% over the past year. There were 6,378 residents in work at this time, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was 54.5%, significantly below Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

Finance & insurance shows strong specialization, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. Professional & technical services have limited presence, with 8.7% employment compared to 10.1% regionally. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data comparing working population and resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.8%, while labour force grew by 4.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded similar trends with employment growth of 3.5%, labour force growth of 4.0%, and a 0.5 percentage point increase in unemployment. As of Sep-25, state-level data shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs. The state unemployment rate was 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. Victoria's employment growth outpaced the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Avondale Heights' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Avondale Heights had a median taxpayer income of $54,773 and an average income of $69,956 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is higher than the national average, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. By March 2025, estimates suggest a median income of approximately $60,311 and an average income of $77,029, based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since the financial year 2022. Census 2021 data shows Avondale Heights' household income ranked at the 41st percentile ($1,587 weekly), while personal income was at the 22nd percentile. The earnings profile indicates that 26.9% of the population (3,449 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range in financial year 2022, which is similar to regional levels where 32.8% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, 85.3% of income remained for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

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

As evaluated in the latest Census, dwelling structures in Avondale Heights comprised 77.0% houses and 23.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 75.8% houses and 24.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Avondale Heights stood at 49.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.1% and rented dwellings at 20.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, aligning with the Melbourne metro average, while the median weekly rent was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $410. Nationally, Avondale Heights' median monthly mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and median weekly rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Avondale Heights has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 74.7% of all households, including 34.8% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 25.3%, with lone person households at 23.2% and group households making up 2.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Avondale Heights performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Educational qualifications in Avondale Heights lag behind regional benchmarks. As of 2016, 29.6% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 26.0% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 9.3% and certificates at 16.7%.

In 2016, 24.8% of the population was actively pursuing formal education, including 8.7% in primary education, 6.4% in secondary education, and 4.9% in tertiary education. Avondale Heights is served by two schools: St Martin de Porres School and Avondale Primary School, which collectively educate 743 students as of 2018. These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas due to limited local school capacity (5.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 24.1). Avondale Heights demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1081 as of 2017.

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

The analysis of public transport in Avondale Heights indicates there are 46 active transport stops currently operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 7 individual routes providing service to the area. The combined weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 3,830.

Residents' accessibility to public transport is rated as good, with an average distance of 239 meters to the nearest transport stop. The service frequency across all routes averages 547 trips per day, which equates to approximately 83 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Avondale Heights is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Avondale Heights faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 54% of the total population (~6,975 people), compared to 58.6% across Greater Melbourne.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 9.1 and 7.0% of residents respectively, while 67.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.1% across Greater Melbourne. As of 2018, 26.4% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,390 people), which is higher than the 21.9% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Avondale Heights is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Avondale Heights has a high level of cultural diversity, with 41.4% of its population born overseas and 48.8% speaking a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in Avondale Heights is Christianity, making up 67.3% of the population, compared to 66.4% across Greater Melbourne. Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are Italian (19.7%), Australian (13.0%), and Other (12.5%).

Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: Croatian is overrepresented at 3.0%, Vietnamese at 6.0%, and Greek at 5.9%.

Avondale Heights hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Avondale Heights is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Avondale Heights has a higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (10.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (10.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the age group of 35 to 44 years has increased from 13.4% to 14.1% of the population while the 55 to 64 age group has decreased from 11.1% to 10.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Avondale Heights' age structure. Notably, the 85+ age group is expected to grow by 60%, reaching 1,012 people from 632. The combined 65+ age groups will account for 52% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, both the 5 to 14 and 0 to 4 age groups are projected to decrease in number.