Berwick - South West
Statistical Area - sa2

Berwick - South West lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Berwick - South West's population was around 12,998 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,744 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,254. The change was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 12,791 in June 2024 and an additional 445 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 2,615 persons per square kilometer, placing Berwick - South West in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 15.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (6.1%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 38.5% 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, and for areas not covered, it utilises 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 are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Berwick - South West is forecasted to have a significant population increase in the top quartile of national statistical areas, with an expected growth of 5,224 persons to 2041 reflecting an increase of 38.6% over the 17 years.

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

Berwick - South West has seen approximately 128 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totalling 643 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with 28 approvals so far in FY-26. On average, 1.9 new residents have arrived per new home annually over the past five financial years between FY-20 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand market that supports stable conditions. The average construction cost value of new homes is $456,000, consistent with regional patterns.

This year alone, $1.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting a predominantly residential focus compared to Greater Melbourne, where building activity per person is 225.0% higher, indicating robust developer interest in Berwick - South West. New development consists of 77.0% standalone homes and 23.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character while offering more diverse housing options to meet changing lifestyles. This shift is notable compared to the existing housing stock, which is currently 95.0% houses, potentially reflecting decreasing availability of developable sites. The location has approximately 82 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market with a projected increase of 5,017 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.

Future projections show Berwick - South West adding 5,017 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.

Berwick - South West has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three major projects expected to influence the region. Key initiatives include Berwick South Development Plan, Hunt Club Village Shopping Centre Expansion, Stockland Minta Residential Estate, and Hunt Club Estate. Details regarding these projects are outlined below for further relevance.

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

Berwick - South West has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Berwick - South West has a highly educated workforce with prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate in June 2025 was 5.1%, with an employment growth of 3.2% over the previous year.

The area had 6,998 residents employed as of June 2025, with an unemployment rate of 5.1%, which is 0.4% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation in Berwick - South West was 71.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Manufacturing had particularly high representation with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services were under-represented, with only 7.9% of Berwick - South West's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 3.2%, while labour force grew by 4.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.5% and unemployment rise by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate that employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Berwick - South West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5%% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

Berwick - South West had a median taxpayer income of $55,204 and an average of $80,552 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is notably higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761 during the same period. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 10.11% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated incomes for Berwick - South West would be approximately $60,785 (median) and $88,696 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Berwick - South West cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 42.8% of residents (5,563 people) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income bracket, reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income in Berwick - South West, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Berwick - South West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Berwick - South West's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.8% houses and 5.2% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Melbourne metro's composition of 88.1% houses and 11.8% other dwellings. In terms of home ownership, Berwick - South West had a rate of 16.2%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (51.7%) or rented (32.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,000, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,900 and the national average of $1,863. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Berwick - South West was recorded at $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $370 and the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 85.1 percent of all households, including 53.5 percent couples with children, 18.8 percent couples without children, and 11.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 14.9 percent, with lone person households at 12.4 percent and group households comprising 2.4 percent of the total. The median household size is 3.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.9.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 32.4% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA3 area average of 25.7%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 33.1% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (20.6%).

Educational participation is high at 35.2%, including 12.9% in primary education, 9.1% in secondary education, and 5.4% pursuing tertiary education. Berwick Fields Primary School serves the area with an enrollment of 930 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1041) and offers balanced educational opportunities. There is one primary school, with secondary options available in nearby areas. Local school capacity is limited at 7.2 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.0, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Berwick - South West has 27 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by eight distinct routes that together facilitate 1,965 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents on average situated 329 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 280 trips per day, translating to about 72 weekly trips per individual stop.

Berwick - South West'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 excellent results across Berwick - South West, particularly for younger cohorts who have a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 60% of the total population (7,772 people) has private health cover, which is higher than the 53.6% rate found in Greater Melbourne.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.0 and 7.0% of residents respectively, while 75.8% report being completely free from medical ailments compared to 72.0% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 8.4% (1,098 people) of residents aged 65 and over, which is lower than the 15.7% in Greater Melbourne. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those for the broader population.

Berwick - South West 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 West has high cultural diversity, with 42.3% born overseas and 42.4% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion, at 39.5%. Buddhism is overrepresented, at 7.0% compared to Greater Melbourne's 5.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (20.5%), Australian (18.5%), and English (18.3%). Sri Lankan, Indian, and Hungarian ethnicities show notable divergences: Sri Lankan is overrepresented at 3.3% (vs regional 2.3%), Indian at 8.7% (vs 5.0%), and Hungarian at 0.5% (vs 0.7%).

Berwick - South West hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

At 34 years, Berwick-South West's median age is somewhat lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years. This is also considerably younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Berwick-South West has a higher concentration of residents aged 5-14 (16.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (13.0%). Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 55 to 64 has grown from 8.4% to 9.2%. Conversely, the population aged 35 to 44 has declined from 18.9% to 18.1%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Berwick-South West, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 age cohort (57%), adding 1,055 residents to reach a total of 2,903.