California Gully - Eaglehawk

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 13,704 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 755 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 in June 2024 and an additional 310 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 416 persons per square kilometer. California Gully - Eaglehawk's growth rate of 5.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 5.6%. Population growth 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, 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, 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. By 2041, the area is forecasted to expand by 5,468 persons based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 38.4% 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, 42 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, an average of 1.7 new residents per year per dwelling constructed has been observed (FY21-FY25). However, recent data indicates this figure has intensified 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 $220,000, below the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options for buyers.

This financial year has seen $1.8 million in commercial approvals, predominantly focused on residential development. Compared to Rest of Vic., California Gully - Eaglehawk shows comparable new home approvals per person, supporting market stability aligned with regional patterns, although 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.

With an estimated 357 people per dwelling approval, the development environment is quiet and low activity. Future projections estimate California Gully - Eaglehawk to add approximately 5,267 residents by 2041 (latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

California Gully - Eaglehawk has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 33rdth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 potential impact projects. Key ones are Virginia Hill, Bendigo, Barrell Street Childcare Centre, California Gully Oval Upgrade, and Watson Avenue Childcare Centre. The following list details those likely to be 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 comprising white and blue collar jobs, with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate is 6.3%, showing an employment growth of 1.9% over the past year.

As of September 2025, 6,026 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.6% above Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and construction. The area specializes in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level, but agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 1.9% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%.

Employment opportunities appear limited locally based on Census data analysis. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, while labour force grew by 2.8%, raising unemployment rate by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. saw employment decline by 0.7% and labour force decline by 0.6%. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.13%, adding 41,950 jobs, with state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment 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 employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in California Gully - Eaglehawk SA2 is lower than average nationally. The median income is $47,261 and the average income stands at $52,583. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where the median income is $48,741 and the average income is $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 figures, household, family and personal incomes in California Gully - Eaglehawk fall between the 14th and 20th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows that 30.3% of residents (4,152 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, 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

In California Gully - Eaglehawk, as per the latest Census, 94.9% of dwellings were houses while 5.2% comprised semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro Vic.'s 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in California Gully - Eaglehawk stood at 32.8%, similar to Non-Metro Vic., with mortgaged dwellings at 36.5% and rented ones at 30.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. The median weekly rent figure was $280 compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $295. Nationally, California Gully - Eaglehawk's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,300 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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 make up 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, which matches the average for 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's university qualification rate is 14.7%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. This discrepancy presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with 10.0% of residents holding one, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 2.4% and graduate diplomas at 2.3%. Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.7% of residents aged 15+ possessing them.

Advanced diplomas account for 9.0%, while certificates make up 30.7%. Educational participation is high, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.4% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 2.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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 served by 12 routes offering a total of 1,301 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 394 meters.

On average, there are 185 trips per day across all routes, which equates to around 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

In California Gully - Eaglehawk, significant health issues are prevalent, affecting both younger and older age groups. Approximately 47% (~6,399 people) have private health cover, lower than the Rest of Vic's 50.5% and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, impacting 12.7% and 10.8% respectively, while 58.4% report no medical ailments, compared to 62.0% in Rest of Vic..

The area has 17.8% (2,443 people) aged 65 and over, slightly lower than the 18.9% in Rest of Vic.. Seniors' health outcomes face challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health 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, surveyed in June 2016, had a population with 90.3% being citizens, 90.5% born in Australia, and 92.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 42.9%. Buddhism, however, was overrepresented at 1.8%, compared to 1.4% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were English (32.2%), Australian (31.5%), and Irish (9.1%). Notably, Scottish (8.3%) and Australian Aboriginal (2.7%) were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 8.7% and 1.7%, respectively. German ancestry was also slightly overrepresented at 3.3%.

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 smaller at 9.5% compared to Rest of Vic.. From 2021 to present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 15.1% to 18.0%, and 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, projections show significant shifts in California Gully-Eaglehawk's age structure, with the 25-34 age cohort projected to rise substantially by 2,003 people (81%), from 2,472 to 4,476.