Craigieburn - West
Statistical Area - sa2

Craigieburn - West lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Craigieburn - West's population was approximately 15,330 as of November 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 2,331 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,999. The increase is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 14,760 in June 2024 and an additional 237 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,748 persons per square kilometer, placing Craigieburn - West in the upper quartile compared to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 17.9% since the 2021 census exceeded both the national average (8.9%) and the state average, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 66.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using 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, adjusted 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. Based on these projections, Craigieburn - West is predicted to experience exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. The area is expected to grow by 12,285 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, with an increase of 76.4% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Craigieburn - West was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Craigieburn - West averaged approximately 138 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 690 homes. As of FY26, 45 approvals have been recorded. On average, 4.2 new residents were associated with each home built between FY21 and FY25. This indicates that demand is outstripping supply, which typically influences prices upwards and intensifies competition among buyers.

The average construction value of new dwellings was $170,000, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms. In FY26, there have been $5.1 million in commercial approvals, highlighting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Craigieburn - West records 13.0% less building activity per person but ranks among the 75th percentile nationally, indicating strong developer confidence. New building activity comprises 92.0% detached dwellings and 8.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's suburban character focused on family homes.

With around 189 people per dwelling approval, Craigieburn - West exhibits growth area characteristics. By 2041, the area is projected to grow by 11,715 residents. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Craigieburn - West has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Merrifield City Centre, Merrifield, Merrifield Business Park, and DHL Distribution Centre, as detailed subsequently for relevance.

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

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Craigieburn - West shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Craigieburn - West has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 7.7% as of June 2021.

Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 4.3%. As of June 2025, 6,911 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 8.3%, 3.1% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 5.2%. Workforce participation in Craigieburn - West is somewhat below standard at 60.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, transport, postal & warehousing, and manufacturing sectors.

The area has a particular employment specialization in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share of 2.2 times the regional level. Professional & technical services are under-represented at 6.1% compared to Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. AreaSearch analysis shows that during the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3%, while labour force increased by 4.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Craigieburn - West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.1% over ten years.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

Craigieburn - West had a median taxpayer income of $51,991 and an average of $59,819 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $58,313 (median) and $67,093 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household income ranks at the 50th percentile ($1,752 weekly), while personal income sits at the 26th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 40.5% of the population (6,208 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring regional levels where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 78.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 45th percentile.

Craigieburn - West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Craigieburn - West's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 79.8% houses and 20.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 87.6% houses and 12.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Craigieburn - West was at 10.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 54.5% and rented ones at 34.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,900, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,834. Median weekly rent in Craigieburn - West was $381, compared to Melbourne metro's $369. Nationally, Craigieburn - West's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 83.4% of all households, including couples with children (53.5%), couples without children (17.3%), and single parent families (11.4%). Non-family households make up the remaining 16.6%, with lone person households at 14.3% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 3.3 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 3.2.

Craigieburn - West performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Craigieburn - West has a notable educational profile with 31.4% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, surpassing the SA3 area average of 24.3%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 27.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (14.6%).

Educational participation is high at 37.9%, with 14.0% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education. The area's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,834 students and offer balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 1001). These schools include three primary and one K-12 school. However, school places per 100 residents (12.0) are below the regional average (17.5), suggesting some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

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

Craigieburn - West has 46 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 6 different routes that together facilitate 3,878 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average being located 222 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 554 trips across all routes, which amounts to approximately 84 weekly trips per individual stop.

Craigieburn - West's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Craigieburn - West shows exceptional health outcomes, particularly for younger age groups who have a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately half (50%) of its total population (~7,588 people) has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and arthritis, affecting 5.0% and 4.5% of residents respectively. A higher proportion (81.6%) of Craigieburn - West residents report being completely free from medical ailments compared to Greater Melbourne (76.3%). The area has a lower percentage of seniors aged 65 and over, at 8.3% (1,280 people), than the 10.8% in Greater Melbourne. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those for the broader population.

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

Craigieburn-West is among the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 57.6% of its population born overseas and 69.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 41.3% of Craigieburn-West's population. Notably, the 'Other' category makes up 11.0%, substantially higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 5.9%.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups are Other (46.3%), Indian (12.1%), and Australian (10.3%). There are also notable divergences in certain ethnic groups: Sri Lankan is overrepresented at 1.6% compared to the regional average of 1.1%, Samoan at 1.6% versus 1.3%, and Lebanese at 1.5% compared to 4.2%.

Craigieburn - West hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Craigieburn-West has a median age of 32 years, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and the national average of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Craigieburn-West has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (16.9%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (6.9%). According to post-2021 Census data, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 increased from 12.0% to 13.2%, while the proportion aged 25-34 decreased from 18.5% to 16.5%. Demographic projections suggest that by 2041, Craigieburn-West's age profile will change significantly, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 cohort, which is expected to increase by 123%, adding 1,977 residents and reaching a total of 3,583.