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 is around 15,013 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 982 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,031 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,837 in June 2024 and an additional 74 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,706 persons per square kilometer, placing Coburg - West in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 7.0% growth since the census is within 1.9 percentage points of the national average (8.9%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 79.3% 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 by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting using 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. Future trends predict exceptional growth for Coburg - West, placing it in the top 10 percent of Australian statistical areas. The area is expected to grow by 6,120 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting an increase of 39.6% over the 17 years.

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 over the past five financial years, with a total of 203 approvals between FY-21 and FY-25. In FY-26, 12 homes have been approved so far. On average, one person per year has moved to the area for each dwelling built during these years. However, this figure has increased to 9.4 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating growing demand and tightening supply.

The average construction value of development projects is $356,000. Additionally, commercial development approvals worth $418,000 have been recorded in the current financial year. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Coburg - West has seen significantly reduced construction activity, with 74.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically drives up demand and prices for existing properties. New building activity consists of 41.0% detached houses and 59.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a shift from the area's current housing composition, which is 77.0% houses. With around 382 people per dwelling approval, Coburg - West exhibits signs of a developed market. Population forecasts suggest that the area will gain approximately 5,942 residents by 2041.

If development rates remain constant, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 30 projects that may impact the area. Notable projects include Pentridge Precinct, Coburg North Station Accessibility Upgrade, Coburg North Primary School Redevelopment, and Murray Road Shopping Centre Expansion. The following list details those most likely to be 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 employment landscape in Coburg - West shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Coburg - West has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 6.2% in the past year, with an 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%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level, while manufacturing has lower representation at 5.1% compared to the regional average of 7.2%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 6.3%, labour force grew by 7.2%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne had employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but industry-specific projections vary significantly. Applying these projections to Coburg - West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Coburg - West had a median income among taxpayers of $58,643. The average income stood at $73,570. Nationally, these figures are high, with Melbourne's median and average incomes being $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Coburg - West would be approximately $65,774 (median) and $82,516 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Coburg - West cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 30.6% of residents (4,593 people), consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.8% in the same category. Economic strength is evident through 34.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 14.6% of income while strong earnings rank residents 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 recorded in the latest Census, 76.9% of dwellings were houses while 23.0% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metropolitan area's figures of 46.2% houses and 53.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Coburg - West stood at 35.6%, with the rest being mortgaged (35.4%) or rented (29.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,299, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,149. Median weekly rent in Coburg - West 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, with rents 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 30.2%, with lone person households at 22.1% and group households comprising 8.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is 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

Educational attainment in Coburg-West significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 44.1% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally as of 2021. Bachelor degrees lead 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+, including advanced diplomas (8.9%) and certificates (12.4%). Educational participation is high, with 28.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest data.

This includes 8.7% in primary education, 7.5% in tertiary education, and 6.5% pursuing secondary education. As of 2021, Coburg-West's three schools have a combined enrollment reaching 1,174 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1129). The 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), with some students likely attending 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 offering a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by 12 distinct routes that facilitate 6,880 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 181 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, service frequency across all routes stands at 982 trips per day, which translates to approximately 125 weekly trips per individual 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 relatively positive health outcomes, with low prevalence rates for common conditions among the general population, but higher than national averages among older and at-risk groups. Approximately 56% (~8,407 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Melbourne's 58.3%.

Mental health issues affect 10.4% of residents, with asthma impacting 8.0%, while 69.0% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 68.5%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 13.9% (2,091 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 12.1%. Health outcomes among seniors require more 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 was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 28.2% of its population born overseas and 31.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in Coburg-West is Christianity, comprising 42.4% of the population. Notably, Islam is overrepresented, making up 5.6% compared to the regional average of 4.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.5%), Australian (17.1%), and Italian (12.3%). Other ethnic groups with significant representation include Greek at 7.0%, Lebanese at 3.8%, and Maltese at 1.1%.

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

Coburg-West has a median age of 37, matching Greater Melbourne's figure and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age group is strongly represented at 13.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 10.0%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.0% to 12.2% of the population, whereas the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 11.3% to 10.0%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant changes in Coburg-West's age structure, with the 55-64 group expected to grow by 74%, reaching 2,777 people from a previous total of 1,592.