Collingwood

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

Collingwood's population was 11,383 as of May 2026, an increase of 2,204 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 9,179. This change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 11,383 in June 2025 and validated new addresses totalling 115 since the Census date. The population density was 8,963 persons per square kilometer, placing Collingwood in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Between 2021 and 2026, Collingwood's growth rate of 24.0% exceeded both the state average of 9.3% and the national average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.9% to this population increase, although all migration drivers were positive factors. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 adjusted using weighted aggregation methods for areas not covered by ABS data.

Future growth is predicted to be exceptional, placing Collingwood in the top 10% of statistical areas nationally, with an expected increase of 6,369 persons by 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 56.0% over the 16-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Collingwood recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Collingwood has recorded approximately 41 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 208 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved so far in FY26. On average, around 6.3 new residents per year have been arriving per dwelling constructed over these five financial years.

This supply is substantially lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $360,000. In the current financial year, Collingwood has recorded $182.3 million in commercial development approvals, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Collingwood records about 60% of the building activity per person, placing it among the 8th percentile of areas assessed nationally.

This suggests limited choices for buyers, supporting demand for existing properties. The new building activity in Collingwood shows a skew towards compact living, with 5.0% standalone homes and 95.0% townhouses or apartments. This offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 3242 people per approval, Collingwood demonstrates its status as a mature, established area. Population forecasts indicate that Collingwood will gain 6,369 residents by the year 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Collingwood has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 44 projects likely to impact the region. Notable initiatives include Walk Up Village, 40R Rokeby Place, Acteo Group Collingwood Showroom, and Derby Street by Milieu. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Collingwood has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Collingwood has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 9.3% as of an unspecified date. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.8%.

As of December 2025, 7,487 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 4.6%, above Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation in Collingwood was 81.4% compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 53.0% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Collingwood had a particular specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share 2.1 times the regional level. Conversely, construction employed only 4.0% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The area functioned as an employment hub with 1.5 workers per resident, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.8% while the labour force grew by 4.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 2.4%, the labour force grow by 2.8%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Collingwood's employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolations of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

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

The Collingwood SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $74,601 and an average of $91,595 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is notably higher than the national median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164 in Greater Melbourne. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for March 2026 would be approximately $81,778 (median) and $100,406 (average). According to census data, individual earnings at the 95th percentile nationally are $1,338 weekly. In Collingwood SA2, 32.2% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, consistent with broader trends in the area showing 32.8% in the same category. Economic strength is evident with 33.1% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting higher consumer spending. High housing costs consume 18.6% of income, however strong earnings place disposable income at the 69th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Collingwood features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Collingwood, as per the latest Census, consisted of 5.8% houses and 94.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Collingwood stood at 11.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.2% and rented ones at 65.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Collingwood was $425, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Collingwood's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Collingwood features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 46.6% of all households, including 8.9% couples with children, 29.3% couples without children, and 7.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 53.4%, with lone person households at 42.6% and group households comprising 10.8%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Collingwood shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

Collingwood's educational attainment is notably high, with 60.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications. This exceeds Australia's average of 30.4% and Victoria's at 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (38.0%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational pathways account for 18.5%, with advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 9.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.1% in tertiary, 4.7% in primary, and 3.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Collingwood shows that there are 20 active transport stops currently operating. These include a mix of light rail and bus services. A total of 30 individual routes service these stops, collectively providing 9893 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent with residents typically located just 177 meters from the nearest stop. As Collingwood is primarily residential, most residents commute outward to other areas. The dominant mode of transport for these commutes remains the car at 45%, with walking accounting for 20% and cycling 9%.

On average, there are 0.4 vehicles per dwelling in Collingwood, which is below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents work from home, with 53% doing so, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages at 1413 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 494 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Collingwood is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Collingwood demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (7,603 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 12.6 and 9.4% of residents respectively. 71.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 7.3% of residents aged 65 and over (827 people), which is lower than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Collingwood 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

Collingwood's cultural diversity is notable, with 26.6% speaking a language other than English at home and 37.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Collingwood, accounting for 21.8%. While Judaism comprises only 0.8%, this is higher than Greater Melbourne's 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.4%), Australian (15.7%), and Other (14.7%). Notably, Vietnamese (3.2% vs regional 1.9%), French (0.8% vs 0.5%), and Polish (1.0% vs 0.8%) populations are overrepresented in Collingwood compared to Greater Melbourne.

Collingwood's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Collingwood has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Collingwood has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (34.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.2%). This 25-34 concentration is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.6%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 35 to 44 has grown from 19.1% to 21.0%, while the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 36.4% to 34.7% and the 45 to 54 group has dropped from 11.2% to 9.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Collingwood, with the strongest projected growth in the 25 to 34 cohort (36%), adding 1,428 residents to reach a total of 5,377.