Coburg - West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Coburg - West's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 14,998. This figure represents an increase of 967 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 14,031. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 14,837 in June 2024 and 68 new addresses validated since the Census date. This results in a population density of 4,701 persons per square kilometer, placing Coburg - West in the top 10% nationally. The area's 6.9% growth since the census is within 1.7 percentage points of the national average (8.6%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.3% of recent population gains.

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, adjusting using a weighted aggregation method to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends predict exceptional growth in Coburg - West, with an expected increase of 6,120 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 39.7% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Coburg - West according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Coburg - West has seen approximately 40 new homes approved annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 203 homes have been approved, with three more approved in FY26 so far. On average, one new resident has moved into each dwelling constructed over these five years. However, recent data shows this figure has increased to 9.4 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 $487,000. In the current financial year, $418,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating minimal commercial development activity compared to residential. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Coburg - West records significantly lower building activity, 74.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new homes typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The area's building activity is also below national averages, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 41.0% standalone homes and 59.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift towards higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing composition, currently at 77.0% houses.

At around 382 people per approval, Coburg - West indicates a mature market with population forecasts expecting an increase of 5,957 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Coburg - West has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

The performance of a region can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 28 such projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable among these are Pentridge Prison Development, Revitalising Coburg - Library and Piazza Project, Coburg North Station Accessibility Upgrade, and Coburg North Primary School Redevelopment. The following list outlines those projects considered most pertinent.

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

Employment conditions in Coburg - West remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Coburg - West has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 6.2% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 6.3%.

As of June 2025, 8,774 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.5% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne at 68.2%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area specializes in education & training with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 5.1% compared to the regional average of 7.2%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by the census working population vs resident population count. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 6.3% while labour force grew by 7.2%, resulting in unemployment rising by 0.8 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia suggest growth of approximately 6.9%% over five years and 14.0% over ten years for Coburg - West, based on industry-specific projections applied to its local employment mix.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Coburg-West's median income among taxpayers was $58,643 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $73,570 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. By March 2025, estimates suggest Coburg-West's median income could be approximately $64,572 and the average income around $81,008, based on a 10.11% growth in wages since financial year 2022. Census data indicates that incomes in Coburg-West cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 30.6% of the population (4,589 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, which is consistent with broader regional trends at 32.8%. The substantial proportion of high earners, at 34.1%, indicates strong economic capacity in Coburg-West. Housing accounts for 14.6% of income, and residents rank within the 79th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

In Coburg-West, as per the latest Census, 76.9% of dwellings were houses while 23.0% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments and others. This differs from Melbourne metro's figures which stood at 46.2% houses and 53.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Coburg-West was higher than the Melbourne metro average at 35.6%. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (35.4%) or rented (29.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,299, exceeding the Melbourne metro average of $2,149. Weekly rent median was recorded at $450 compared to Melbourne metro's $418. Nationally, Coburg-West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Coburg - West features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 69.8% of all households, including 34.6% couples with children, 24.0% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.2%, composed of 22.1% lone person households and 8.2% group households. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.3.

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

Coburg-West's educational attainment significantly surpasses national benchmarks, with 44.1% of its residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. This high level of educational achievement positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 26.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.1%). Vocational pathways account for 21.3% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas making up 8.9% and certificates accounting for 12.4%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.7% in primary education, 7.5% in tertiary education, and 6.5% pursuing secondary education. The three schools in Coburg-West have a combined enrollment reaching 1,174 students. Coburg-West demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1129. All three schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. School places per 100 residents (7.8) fall below the regional average (10.4), indicating that some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Coburg - West has 55 active public transport stops serving a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are covered by 12 individual routes that facilitate 6,880 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 181 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 982 trips per day, equating to approximately 125 weekly trips per stop.

Coburg - West'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

Coburg - West residents show positive health outcomes overall, with low prevalence of common conditions among the general population, but higher than national averages among older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover is high, at approximately 56% (~8,398 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 58.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are most common, affecting 10.4% and 8.0% of residents respectively, with 69.0% reporting no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 68.5%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 13.9% (2,089 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 12.1%, requiring more health attention than the broader population.

Coburg - West was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Coburg-West has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 28.2% of its population born overseas and 31.4% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Coburg-West, accounting for 42.4% of its residents. However, Islam is significantly overrepresented, comprising 5.6% of the population compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.2%.

The top three parental ancestry groups are English (18.5%), Australian (17.1%), and Italian (12.3%). Notable differences exist in the representation of Greek (7.0% vs regional 5.1%), Lebanese (3.8% vs regional 1.9%), and Maltese (1.1% vs regional 0.9%) ethnic groups.

Coburg - West's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Coburg-West has a median age of 37, which is equal to Greater Melbourne's figure and comparable to Australia's median age of 38. The 45-54 age group constitutes 13.9% of Coburg-West's population, higher than Greater Melbourne's figure, while the 5-14 cohort makes up 10.0%, which is less prevalent compared to Greater Melbourne. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.0% to 12.2%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 11.3% to 10.0%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Coburg-West's age structure. Notably, the 55 to 64 group is projected to grow by 75%, adding 1,185 people and reaching a total of 2,777 from its current figure of 1,591.