Blackburn
Statistical Area - sa2

Blackburn has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Blackburn's population is around 23,689 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,583 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,106. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 23,471 in June 2024 and an additional 515 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,751 persons per square kilometer. Blackburn's growth rate of 7.2% since the census positions it within 0.9 percentage points of the SA4 region (8.1%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 96.0% 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. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest population numbers, Blackburn is expected to expand by 2,736 persons by 2041, recording a gain of 10.6% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Blackburn among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Blackburn has recorded approximately 162 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, indicating 810 homes over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25 and 37 so far in FY-26. The average new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years is 0.7. This suggests supply meets or exceeds demand, offering greater buyer choice while supporting potential population growth above projections.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $781,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, $136.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity compared to Greater Melbourne, where Blackburn has 17.0% less new development per person but ranks among the 78th percentile nationally for new development. The current housing mix consists of 43.0% detached dwellings and 57.0% medium and high-density housing, a change from the current mix of 72.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Blackburn has approximately 149 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market with population forecasts expecting an increase of 2,518 residents through to 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.

Population forecasts indicate Blackburn will gain 2,518 residents through to 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.

Blackburn has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 34 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include 104 Main Street Blackburn Townhouses, 9-13 Frankcom Street Townhouses, 30 Whitehorse Road Townhouses, and 33 Esdale Street Townhouses, with further details provided below for most relevant ones.

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

Employment performance in Blackburn has been broadly consistent with national averages

Blackburn has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate is 4.2%, having grown by 3.9% in the past year.

As of June 2025, 13,236 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.1% (0.5% below Greater Melbourne's rate). Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne at 64.1%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Blackburn specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level.

However, construction is under-represented at 6.9% compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Employment opportunities locally seem limited due to Census data on working population versus resident population. In the year to June 2025, Blackburn's employment levels increased by 3.9%, and labour force grew by 3.0%, reducing unemployment by 0.8 percentage points. Meanwhile, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.5% with a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Blackburn's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Blackburn has a high national median income of $54,699 and an average income of $79,417. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $60,229 (median) and $87,446 (average). The 2021 Census reveals that Blackburn's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 68th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 28.8% of Blackburn residents earn between $1,500 - 2,999 per week (6,822 individuals), similar to the broader regional trend of 32.8%. A significant proportion of high earners (32.8%) in Blackburn indicates strong economic capacity. Housing accounts for 14.2% of income, and residents rank within the 72nd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Blackburn's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 71.6% houses and 28.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 60.2% houses and 39.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Blackburn stood at 39.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.3% and rented ones at 24.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, aligning with Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $420, compared to Melbourne metro's $412. Nationally, Blackburn's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Blackburn has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 71.1% of all households, including 36.7% couples with children, 24.4% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 28.9%, with lone person households at 25.2% and group households making up 3.6%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

Blackburn demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Blackburn's educational attainment exceeds national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 48.1% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 29.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 21.9%, with advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 11.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.3% in primary, 8.6% in secondary, and 7.4% in tertiary education. Blackburn has a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 4,003 students. It demonstrates socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1131. Education provision is balanced with 7 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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

Blackburn has 126 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 21 different routes, facilitating 10,551 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 176 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 1,507 trips daily, translating to about 83 weekly trips per individual stop.

Blackburn'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 Blackburn. Both young and old age cohorts saw low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population (14,071 people), compared to 56.0% across Greater Melbourne. The most common medical conditions in the area were asthma and mental health issues, impacting 7.2 and 7.1% of residents respectively. Seventy-two point two percent declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.9% across Greater Melbourne. Eighteen point three percent of residents are aged 65 and over (4,327 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Blackburn has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.5% of its population born overseas and 32.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in Blackburn is Christianity, which accounts for 43.3% of the population. Buddhism is notably overrepresented in Blackburn compared to Greater Melbourne, with 3.8% versus 6.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (22.0%), Australian (19.7%), and Chinese (15.0%). The representation of certain ethnic groups differs significantly: Sri Lankan is overrepresented at 0.6% in Blackburn compared to 0.8% regionally, Korean is also overrepresented at 0.6%, and Greek is underrepresented at 2.1% versus the regional average of 3.0%.

Blackburn's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Blackburn has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 55-64 cohort in Blackburn is notably over-represented at 12.3%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.8%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.9% to 14.6% of Blackburn's population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 12.8% to 11.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Blackburn's age profile will change significantly. The 65 to 74 age group is projected to expand by 624 people (29%) from 2,155 to 2,780. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 55% of total population growth, reflecting Blackburn's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.