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 is around 20,388 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 2,628 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,760 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,002 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 1,105 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,063 persons per square kilometer. Berwick - South East's growth rate of 14.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (7.0%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 39.5%.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises 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 are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends, exceptional growth is predicted over the period with the area expected to expand by 10,223 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 48.2% in total over the 17 years.

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 1,400 homes. As of FY-26, which began on July 1st, 2025 and will end on June 30th, 2026, there have been 119 approvals recorded so far. On average, over the past five financial years (from FY-21 to FY-25), around 1.5 new residents arrived per year for each new home approved.

This indicates a balanced supply and demand market, supporting stable conditions in the area. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $348,000. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Berwick - South East has seen 153.0% more building activity per person. This high level of developer confidence is significantly above the national average, suggesting strong interest in the location. Recent construction trends show that around 91.0% of new homes are standalone dwellings, while approximately 9.0% are medium or high-density housing.

This preserves the area's suburban nature and caters to space-seeking buyers. With roughly 73 people moving into the area for each dwelling approval, Berwick - South East exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, it is projected that Berwick - South East will add around 9,837 residents by the year 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand in the future, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

Berwick - South East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 29thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Beaconsfield Primary School Modernisation, Berwick Waters, Arena Berwick (Stage 3 Expansion), and Olio Residential Development. The following list details those most likely to be 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 well-educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.1% as of September 2025, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 5.2% over the past year.

As of September 2025, 11,684 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate of 77.5%, higher than Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. A significant portion of residents, 28.6%, worked from home according to Census responses. The leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

However, the professional & technical sector is under-represented at 7.5% compared to Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 5.2%, while labour force increased by 5.4%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Berwick - South East's employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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 financial year 2023, Berwick - South East SA2's median income among taxpayers is $58,800. The average income is $78,671. This is higher than the national average. Comparing with Greater Melbourne, Berwick's median income is $58,800 compared to $57,688, and the average is $78,671 compared to $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated median income as of September 2025 would be approximately $63,651 and the average would be around $85,161. According to 2021 Census figures, household incomes rank at the 86th percentile with a weekly income of $2,361. In terms of income distribution, 37.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999, reflecting regional patterns where 32.8% occupy this range. Economic strength is evident as 35.0% of households achieve high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 15.7% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 85th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In Berwick - South East, as per the latest Census evaluation, 96.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 3.5% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's dwelling composition of 67.9% houses and 32.1% 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 in the area was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure in Berwick - South East was $430, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Berwick - South East's median monthly mortgage repayment was significantly higher than 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 account for 88.0% of all households, consisting of couples with children (56.3%), couples without children (19.4%), and single parent families (11.7%). Non-family households make up the remaining 12.0%, with lone person households at 10.5% and group households comprising 1.5%. The median household size is 3.3 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

In Berwick, South East trail regional benchmarks indicate that 31.0% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to 37.0% in Greater Melbourne. The most common educational qualification is the bachelor degree, held by 20.1% of residents. Postgraduate qualifications are held by 8.3%, while graduate diplomas are held by 2.6%. Vocational credentials are prominent, with 31.9% of residents aged 15 and above holding them.

Advanced diplomas account for 12.5%, and certificates for 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 67 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by nine routes that together provide 1,485 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's home to the nearest transport stop is 194 meters. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 91%, with train usage at 5%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.8, which is above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 28.6% of residents work from home, a figure that may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 212 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 22 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

AreaSearch's assessment shows Berwick - South East has excellent health outcomes.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low, particularly among younger residents. Approximately 58% of the total population (~11,906 people) have private health cover. The most common conditions are asthma (7.3%) and mental health issues (6.5%). About 76.0% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Only 10.1% of residents are aged 65 and over (2,048 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but rank lower nationally compared to 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 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 4.2% across Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups are English (19.8%), Australian (19.7%), and Other (16.5%). Sri Lankan, Hungarian, and Indian ethnicities are notably overrepresented at 3.1%, 0.5%, and 8.1% respectively.

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

Berwick's median age in the South East region is 35 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and the national average of 38 years. The 5-14 age group comprises 16.9% of Berwick's population, higher than Greater Melbourne's percentage, while the 25-34 age group makes up 9.4%, which is less prevalent compared to Greater Melbourne. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 15.1% to 16.4% of Berwick's population. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 18.1% to 16.9%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 suggest significant demographic changes in Berwick - South East. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to rise substantially by 60%, growing from 3,182 people to 5,080 people.