Clarinda - Oakleigh South

Clarinda - Oakleigh South has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Clarinda - Oakleigh South's population is around 11,773 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 219 people (1.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,554 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,752 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 145 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,862 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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. As we examine future population trends, lower quartile growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is anticipated, with the area expected to expand by 381 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 3.1% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Clarinda - Oakleigh South, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Clarinda - Oakleigh South has experienced around 30 dwellings receiving development approval each year, totalling 150 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 31 approvals have been recorded. Given population has fallen over the past period, development activity has been adequate in relative terms, a positive for buyers, while new homes are being built at an average value of $443,000—somewhat higher than regional norms—reflecting quality-focused development. Also, $13.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Clarinda - Oakleigh South has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person while it places among the 31st percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice, supporting interest in existing homes. This activity is similarly under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 58.0% standalone homes and 42.0% townhouses or apartments, featuring an increasing blend of attached housing types offering choices across price ranges, from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing (currently 90.0% houses), indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With around 543 people per dwelling approval, Clarinda - Oakleigh South shows a developed market.

Future projections show Clarinda - Oakleigh South adding 360 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). 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.

Clarinda - Oakleigh South has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 43rdth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 30 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Monash Medical Centre Redevelopment, Canterbury Gardens Estate, Kingston Heath Residential Estate, and Summerset Oakleigh South, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

Employment performance in Clarinda - Oakleigh South has been broadly consistent with national averages

Clarinda - Oakleigh South possesses a well-educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of only 3.6%, and 3.9% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 5,959 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.2% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation lags significantly (61.5% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 27.0% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. The area has a particular employment specialization in manufacturing, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. In contrast, professional & technical services employ just 8.4% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.9% and the labour force increased by 4.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Clarinda - Oakleigh South. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Clarinda - Oakleigh South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Clarinda - Oakleigh South SA2 is below the national average, with the median assessed at $54,124 while the average income stands at $63,905. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's figures of a median income of $57,688 and an average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $58,589 (median) and $69,177 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, individual incomes lag at the 20th percentile ($655 weekly), while household income performs better at the 45th percentile. Income brackets indicate the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 30.8% of the community (3,626 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the area showing 32.8% in the same category. After housing, 85.8% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Clarinda - Oakleigh South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 90.3% houses and 9.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Clarinda - Oakleigh South was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 46.2%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (32.7%) or rented (21.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Melbourne metro average at $2,010, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Clarinda - Oakleigh South's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 77.5% of all households, comprising 38.8% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 12.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.5%, with lone person households at 19.8% and group households comprising 2.6% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Clarinda - Oakleigh South exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Clarinda - Oakleigh South trail regional benchmarks, with 31.6% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 37.0% in Greater Melbourne. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 21.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 26.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (16.1%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.3% of residents aged 15+ currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.2% in primary education, 6.1% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 56 active transport stops operating within Clarinda - Oakleigh South, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 12 individual routes, collectively providing 1,796 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 216 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 87%, with 8% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 27.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 256 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 32 weekly trips per individual stop.

Clarinda - Oakleigh South's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data indicates relatively positive outcomes for Clarinda - Oakleigh South residents. AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions shows results broadly in line with national benchmarks, with the prevalence of common health conditions being quite low among the general population, though higher than the national average across older, at-risk cohorts. The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~5,945 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 8.1% and 6.9% of residents, respectively, while 69.6% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 26.4% of residents aged 65 and over (3,106 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, though ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

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

Clarinda - Oakleigh South is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country, with 56.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 52.1% born overseas. The main religion in Clarinda - Oakleigh South is Christianity, which makes up 57.9% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 1.7% of the population, compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Clarinda - Oakleigh South are Other, comprising 19.0% of the population, Greek, comprising 13.1% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 2.7%, and Australian, comprising 11.7% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 18.4%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Russian is notably overrepresented at 1.0% of Clarinda - Oakleigh South (vs 0.4% regionally), Sri Lankan at 1.3% (vs 0.8%) and Hungarian at 0.5% (vs 0.3%).

Clarinda - Oakleigh South hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

With a median age of 44, Clarinda - Oakleigh South notably exceeds the Greater Melbourne figure of 37 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. The 65 - 74 age group shows strong representation at 12.8% compared to Greater Melbourne, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 11.5%. Following the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 7.9% to 9.8% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 10.0% to 11.0%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.2% to 11.1%. Demographic modeling suggests Clarinda - Oakleigh South's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. Leading the demographic shift, the 75 to 84 group will grow by 32% (368 people), reaching 1,528 from 1,159. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those 65+ comprising 76% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 55 to 64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.