Belgrave - Selby

Belgrave - Selby has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Belgrave - Selby's population is around 10,047 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 42 people (0.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,005 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,991 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 30 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 180 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth, which contributed approximately 53.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising 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. Regarding demographic trends, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to decline by 239 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 389 people.

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

Belgrave - Selby has experienced around 9 dwellings receiving development approval annually, with 45 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 5 so far in FY-26. Given the population has fallen over this period, new supply has likely kept up with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new homes are being built at an average value of $659,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Additionally, $59.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

Relative to Greater Melbourne, Belgrave - Selby records markedly lower building activity (78.0% below regional average per person). This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This activity is also below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. Further, recent development has been entirely comprised of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated count of 1497 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Belgrave - Selby may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Belgrave - Selby has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 5 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Angliss Hospital Expansion, Hillcrest Narre Warren North, Kings Park Masterplan, and Ellington Estate, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

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.

AreaSearch analysis indicates Belgrave - Selby maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Belgrave - Selby has a well-educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 4.0%, and 1.8% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 5,674 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 0.7% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. Based on Census responses, a high 34.4% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in education & training, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, finance & insurance shows lower representation at 2.4% versus the regional average of 4.9%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.8% while the labour force increased by 1.5%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne, where employment rose by 2.4%, the labour force grew by 2.8%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Belgrave - Selby. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Belgrave - Selby's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Belgrave - Selby SA2's median income among taxpayers is $59,695, with an average of $73,554. This is higher than average nationally, and compares to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $64,620 (median) and $79,622 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Belgrave - Selby cluster around the 74th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.3% of the community (3,345 individuals), reflecting patterns seen in the region where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. Economic strength emerges through 33.0% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 87.4% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Belgrave - Selby, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 99.2% houses and 0.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Belgrave - Selby was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 35.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (56.6%) or rented (7.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Melbourne metro average at $1,950, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Belgrave - Selby's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are exceeding the national figure of $375.

Belgrave - Selby features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 81.4% of all households, comprising 41.7% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 11.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 18.6%, with lone person households at 16.2% and group households comprising 2.4% of the total. The median household size of 2.8 people is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Belgrave - Selby shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile stands out regionally, with university qualification rates (32.0% of residents aged 15+) exceeding the SA3 area average of 23.8%, reflecting the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees lead at 20.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 36.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (13.1%) and certificates (23.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.4% of residents aged 15+ currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 79 active transport stops operating within Belgrave - Selby, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 28 individual routes, collectively providing 4,575 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 364 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 90%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.9 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 34.4% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 653 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 57 weekly trips per individual stop.

Belgrave - Selby'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 Belgrave - Selby, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show a low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~5,566 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 10.3% and 8.2% of residents, respectively, while 67.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents show an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 17.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,777 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Belgrave - Selby was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 82.3% of its population born in Australia, 91.5% being citizens, and 93.2% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Belgrave - Selby is Christianity, which makes up 32.8% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.4% of the population, compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Belgrave - Selby are English, comprising 30.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 20.1%, Australian, comprising 26.5% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 18.4%, and Irish, comprising 9.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Dutch is notably overrepresented at 3.4% of Belgrave - Selby (vs 1.2% regionally), Hungarian at 0.5% (vs 0.3%) and Polish at 0.9% (vs 0.8%).

Belgrave - Selby's population is slightly older than the national pattern

With a median age of 40, Belgrave - Selby is somewhat higher than the Greater Melbourne figure of 37 and similarly marginally higher than Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 45 - 54 cohort is notably over-represented (14.9% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (7.4%). In the period since 2021, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 3.9% to 6.1% of the population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 10.1% to 7.4%. Demographic modeling suggests Belgrave - Selby's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to see notable expansion, increasing by 266 people (44%) from 609 to 876. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 84% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 25 to 34 and 55 to 64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.