Berwick - South West

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, as of November 2025, stands at approximately 13,008 people. This figure represents a growth of 1,754 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 11,254. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,791 in June 2024 and an additional 446 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a population density ratio of 2,617 persons per square kilometer, placing Berwick - South West in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 15.6% since the 2021 Census exceeds both the SA3 area average (6.8%) and the national average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 38.5% of overall population gains, with other drivers such as interstate migration and natural growth also positively impacting the region.

AreaSearch uses 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 employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to the SA2 level. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population projections indicate a significant increase in Berwick - South West's top quartile statistical area, with an expected growth of 5,224 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers. This reflects an overall increase of 38.5% over the 17-year period.

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 202 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 1,013 homes. As of FY-26, 59 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 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 new properties is $309,000, aligning with regional trends.

In the current financial year, $1.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Berwick - South West records 194.0% more construction activity per person, offering greater choice for buyers despite a recent slowdown in building activity. This high level of developer interest is significantly above the national average. New development consists of 77.0% standalone homes and 23.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's suburban character while providing more diverse housing options. This shift from the existing 95.0% houses indicates decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles. The location has approximately 82 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market.

Future projections estimate Berwick - South West to add 5,007 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

Berwick - South West has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 40thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three major projects that could impact this region. Key initiatives include Berwick South Development Plan, Hunt Club Village Shopping Centre Expansion, Stockland Minta Residential Estate, and Hunt Club Estate. The following details the most relevant projects:.

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

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Employment performance in Berwick - South West has been broadly consistent with national averages

Berwick - South West has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.9% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.7% over the past year. There were 7,276 residents employed at that time, with an unemployment rate of 5.0%, which is 0.3% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%.

Workforce participation was 78.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. According to Census responses, 27.1% of residents worked from home. The leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Manufacturing had a notable concentration with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services were under-represented at 7.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 4.7% while labour force increased by 5.5%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.8 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.0%, labour force expand by 3.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to Berwick - South West's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The median taxpayer income in Berwick - South West SA2 is $58,152 and the average is $76,835 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $62,950 (median) and $83,174 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Berwick - South West cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 42.8% of residents (5,567 people). High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

The latest Census evaluated dwelling structures in Berwick - South West with 94.8% houses and 5.2% other dwellings such as semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Berwick - South West stood at 16.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 51.7% and rented ones at 32.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, aligning with Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $400 compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Berwick - South West's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher than Australia's average of $1,863, and rents exceeded 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% of all households, including 53.5% couples with children, 18.8% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 14.9%, with lone person households at 12.4% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 3.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

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

Educational participation is high, with 35.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.9% in primary education, 9.1% in secondary education, and 5.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Berwick - South West has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by eight different routes that together facilitate 1,339 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents typically residing 328 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation at 91%, while 6% use trains. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 27.1% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 191 trips per day, equating to roughly 49 weekly trips per stop.

Berwick - South West's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Berwick - South West.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were assessed by AreaSearch. Prevalence of common health conditions was low among the general population but higher than the national average among older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover rate was very high, approximately 57% of the total population (~7,414 people). The most common medical conditions were asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.0% and 7.0% of residents respectively. 75.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Under-65 population demonstrated better than average health outcomes. The area has 8.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,099 people), which is lower than the 14.9% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally than 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 a high level of cultural diversity, with 42.3% of its population born overseas and 42.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Berwick-South West, making up 39.5% of people there. However, Buddhism stands out as overrepresented, comprising 7.0% compared to the regional average of 4.2%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other (20.5%), Australian (18.5%), and English (18.3%). Sri Lankan (3.3%) is notably higher than the regional average of 0.8%, while Indian (8.7%) and Hungarian (0.5%) also show significant representation compared to their respective regional averages of 4.2% and 0.3%.

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. It is also considerably younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. Relative 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 current period, the proportion of residents aged 55-64 has grown from 8.4% to 9.2%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 has declined from 18.9% to 18.1%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Berwick-South West, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 age cohort (57%), adding 1,054 residents to reach a total of 2,903.