California Gully - Eaglehawk
Statistical Area - sa2

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

California Gully - Eaglehawk's population is around 13,499 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 550 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,949 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,503 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 224 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 409 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, California Gully - Eaglehawk has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.8%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 46.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising 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 from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Moving forward with demographic trends, a significant population increase in the top quartile of Australian non-metropolitan areas is forecast, with the area expected to expand by 5,468 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 40.5% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within California Gully - Eaglehawk when compared nationally

California Gully - Eaglehawk has averaged approximately 100 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 503 homes. As of FY26 so far, 15 approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 1.7 new residents per year per dwelling constructed was observed, indicating balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. However, this figure has increased to 4.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $407,000, aligning with regional trends.

This financial year, there have also been $1.8 million in commercial approvals, predominantly focused on residential development. Compared to the Rest of Vic., California Gully - Eaglehawk shows comparable new home approvals per person, supporting market stability inline with regional patterns. However, building activity has slowed in recent years.

The area's new building activity comprises 96.0% detached houses and 4.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining its traditional low density character focused on family homes. As of now, there are an estimated 357 people per dwelling approval in the area, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. According to future projections, California Gully - Eaglehawk is expected to add approximately 5,472 residents by 2041. If current development rates persist, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

California Gully - Eaglehawk has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Barrell Street Childcare Centre, California Gully Oval Upgrade, Virginia Hill in Bendigo, and Watson Avenue Childcare Centre. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market performance in California Gully - Eaglehawk lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

California Gully - Eaglehawk has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs. The unemployment rate is 6.2%.

Over the past year, employment has remained relatively stable. As of June 2025, 5,925 residents are employed. The unemployment rate is 2.5% higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%, but workforce participation is similar at 57.4%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and construction.

Health care & social assistance is particularly strong, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level. However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1.9% of the workforce compared to 7.5% in Rest of Vic. Employment opportunities may be limited locally, as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.2% while labour force rose by 1.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.5 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. saw employment decline by 0.9% and labour force decline by 0.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia's 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 California Gully - Eaglehawk's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates that income in California Gully - Eaglehawk is lower than average nationally, with a median income of $47,261 and an average income of $52,583. This contrasts with Rest of Vic.'s figures, which show a median income of $48,741 and an average income of $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for California Gully - Eaglehawk would be approximately $53,008 (median) and $58,977 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in California Gully - Eaglehawk all fall between the 15th and 21st percentiles nationally. Income distribution data shows that the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominates with 30.3% of residents (4,090 people), mirroring the metropolitan region where 30.3% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe in California Gully - Eaglehawk, with only 84.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 16th percentile nationally.

California Gully - Eaglehawk is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in California Gully - Eaglehawk, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.9% houses and 5.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in California Gully - Eaglehawk was at 32.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.5% and rented ones at 30.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,300, below Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. Median weekly rent was recorded at $280, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $295. Nationally, California Gully - Eaglehawk's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

California Gully - Eaglehawk features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 65.0% of all households, including 23.1% couples with children, 24.5% couples without children, and 15.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 35.0%, with lone person households at 31.9% and group households comprising 3.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, aligning with the average in the Rest of Vic.

California Gully - Eaglehawk faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 14.7%, significantly lower than the VIC average of 33.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.0%) and certificates (30.7%).

Educational participation is high at 28.0%, including 10.4% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 2.7% pursuing tertiary education. California Gully-Eaglehawk's five schools have a combined enrollment of 1,446 students as of the latest data. The area has varied educational conditions, with four primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents stand at 10.7, lower than the regional average of 18.0, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

California Gully - Eaglehawk has 79 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus services operating on 12 individual routes. The total number of weekly passenger trips provided is 1,301.

Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 394 meters. Service frequency averages 185 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 16 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in California Gully - Eaglehawk is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

California Gully - Eaglehawk faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 47% (~6,304 people) have private health cover, lower than the Rest of Vic's 50.5% and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues (12.7%) and arthritis (10.8%) are the most prevalent conditions.

Around 58.4% report no medical ailments, compared to 62.0% in Rest of Vic. The area has 17.8% (2,406 people) aged 65 and over, slightly lower than Rest of Vic's 18.9%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

California Gully - Eaglehawk is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

California Gully-Eaglehawk had a cultural diversity below average, with 90.3% of its population being citizens, 90.5% born in Australia, and 92.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 42.9% of the population. Buddhism showed an overrepresentation at 1.8%, compared to 1.4% across Rest of Vic.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.2%), Australian (31.5%), and Irish (9.1%). Notable divergences included Scottish at 8.3% (regional: 8.7%), Australian Aboriginal at 2.7% (regional: 1.7%), and German at 3.3% (regional: 3.2%).

California Gully - Eaglehawk's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in California Gully - Eaglehawk is 37 years, which is lower than the Rest of Vic.'s average of 43 and close to the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 18.0%, while those aged 65-74 are comparatively smaller at 9.5% compared to Rest of Vic.. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 15.1% to 18.0%, the 35-44 cohort increased from 11.0% to 12.1%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort declined from 11.2% to 9.5% and the 5-14 group dropped from 12.7% to 11.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in California Gully - Eaglehawk's age structure, with the 25-34 age cohort projected to rise substantially by 2,040 people (84%), from 2,435 to 4,476.