Berwick - South East

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

Berwick - South East's population was around 20,627 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 2,867 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,760. The change was inferred from ABS estimates: 20,004 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 2,087 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Berwick - South East's growth of 16.1% since the 2021 census exceeded its SA3 area (6.1%) and the national average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 39.5% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 utilized VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting with weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Berwick - South East is predicted to have expanded by 10,223 persons based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 46.5% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Berwick - South East was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Berwick - South East has seen approximately 280 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 1400 homes. As of FY-26115 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.5 new residents arrive per year for each new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand market with stable conditions.

The average construction value of these properties is $348,000. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Berwick - South East has seen 153.0% more building activity per person, suggesting ample choice for buyers and strong developer confidence in the location. Recent construction comprises 91.0% standalone homes and 9.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's suburban nature while attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 73 people per dwelling approval, Berwick - South East displays characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch quarterly estimates, Berwick - South East is projected to add approximately 9598 residents by 2041.

Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand readily, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Berwick - South East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 14 projects that are likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Beaconsfield Primary School Modernisation, Berwick Waters, Arena Berwick (Stage 3 Expansion), and Olio Residential Development. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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Berwick - South East ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Berwick - South East has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.1% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 5.2% over the past year.

This figure is lower than Greater Melbourne's unemployment rate of 4.7%. The workforce participation rate in Berwick - South East is 71.6%, higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

However, professional & technical services are under-represented at 7.5% compared to Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities, with a higher Census working population than resident population. In the year to September 2025, employment increased by 5.2%, while labour force grew by 5.4%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.2 percentage points. Conversely, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% and a 0.3 percentage point increase in unemployment. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Berwick - South East's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Berwick - South East SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $55,802 and an average of $82,702. This was one of the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $62,588 (median) and $92,759 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, household incomes ranked at the 86th percentile with a weekly income of $2,361. The income distribution showed that 37.5% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999, reflecting regional patterns where 32.8% fell within this range. Economic strength was evident with 35.0% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consumed 15.7% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 85th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

Berwick - South East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Berwick - South East's dwellings, as per the most recent Census, consisted of 96.5% houses and 3.5% other dwellings (including semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's figures of 88.1% houses and 11.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Berwick - South East stood at 21.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 57.0% and rented ones at 22.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,900. Median weekly rent in Berwick - South East was $430, compared to Melbourne metro's $370. Nationally, Berwick - South East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,100 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Berwick - South East features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 88.0% of all households, including 56.3% couples with children, 19.4% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 12.0%, with lone person households at 10.5% and group households comprising 1.5% of the total. The median household size is 3.3 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.9.

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

In Berwick, as of the South East trail regional benchmarks, 31.0% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. This difference suggests potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 31.9% of residents aged 15 and above holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.5% and certificates at 19.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 36.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.9% in primary education, 11.6% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Berwick - South East has 60 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops are served by a mix of buses running along 8 individual routes. The total number of weekly passenger trips provided by these routes is 2,149.

Residents' accessibility to transport is rated excellent, with an average distance of 195 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 307 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 35 weekly trips per individual stop.

Berwick - South East's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows outstanding results in Berwick - South East, with younger cohorts having a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 61% of the total population (12,644 people) has private health cover, compared to 53.6% across Greater Melbourne and 55.3% nationally. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma at 7.3% and mental health issues at 6.5%.

76.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, higher than the 72.0% in Greater Melbourne. The area has 9.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,982 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 15.7%. While health outcomes among seniors are above average, they require more attention than the broader population.

Berwick - South East is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Berwick - South East has a high cultural diversity, with 39.2% of its population born overseas and 35.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Berwick - South East, comprising 43.3%. Buddhism is overrepresented, making up 6.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 5.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (19.8%), Australian (19.7%), and Other (16.5%). Notably, Sri Lankan (3.1% vs regional 2.3%), Hungarian (0.5% vs 0.7%), and Indian (8.1% vs 5.0%) groups are overrepresented in Berwick - South East.

Berwick - South East's population is younger than the national pattern

Berwick's median age of 35 years is slightly younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and the national average of 38. The 5-14 age group comprises 17.1% of Berwick's population compared to Greater Melbourne. The 25-34 age cohort makes up 9.6%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 15.1% to 16.2%, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 18.1% to 17.1%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Berwick-South East. The 45-54 age group is projected to rise substantially by 1,835 people (57%), from 3,244 to 5,080.