Creswick - Clunes

An assessment of population growth drivers in Creswick - Clunes reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Creswick-Clunes' population, as of November 2025, is approximately 8,102, reflecting an increase of 17 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census reported a population of 8,085. This growth was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 7,999 in June 2024 and validated new addresses since then. The population density is around 9.5 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovered areas, it employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the population is expected to increase by approximately 579 persons, reflecting a gain of around 5.8% over 17 years based on latest annual ERP population numbers.

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

Creswick-Clunes recorded approximately 43 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 215 homes were approved. As of FY26, 17 properties have been approved.

The average number of new residents per year arriving per new home over these five years was zero. This indicates that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth above projections. The average construction value for new properties during this period was $330,000.

In FY26, $16.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating steady commercial investment activity. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Creswick-Clunes records about three-quarters the building activity per person and places among the 67th percentile of areas assessed nationally. All new construction has comprised detached dwellings, preserving the area's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With approximately 219 people per approval, Creswick-Clunes reflects a low-density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Creswick-Clunes is projected to add 474 residents by 2041. Current construction levels suggest that housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Creswick - Clunes has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 25 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include 35 Elizabeth Road Land Release, Waters Edge, Miners Rest, Miners Rest Township Plan, and Miners Rest Primary School Redevelopment. 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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The employment landscape in Creswick - Clunes shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Creswick-Clunes has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 3.6% in September 2025, lower than the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Employment grew by 2.0% over the past year. As of September 2025, 3747 residents were employed, with a workforce participation rate of 53.0%, below the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 57.4%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and construction. The area specializes in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Accommodation & food has limited presence, at 5.0% compared to the regional rate of 6.9%. Employment opportunities appear limited locally based on Census data comparisons. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.0%, labour force increased by 1.5%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic.'s employment fell by 0.7% during this period. Statewide, VIC's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year to 25-Nov-25, adding 41950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Creswick-Clunes's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

The Creswick-Clunes SA2's median income among taxpayers was $45,547 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $57,009 during the same period. These figures compare to Rest of Vic.'s median and average incomes of $48,741 and $60,693 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 12.16% from financial year 2022 to September 2025, estimated current incomes would be approximately $51,086 (median) and $63,941 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Creswick-Clunes fall between the 15th and 16th percentiles nationally. The income bracket of $1,500-$2,999 dominates with 29.5% of residents (2,390 people), consistent with broader regional trends showing 30.3% in the same category. Housing costs are modest, with 88.1% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 20th percentile nationally.

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

The dwelling structure in Creswick-Clunes, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.7% houses and 5.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 96.1% houses and 3.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Creswick-Clunes was 48.5%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (37.1%) or rented (14.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,538. The median weekly rent figure was $250, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $300 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Creswick-Clunes's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,300 against Australia's average of $1,863.

Creswick - Clunes features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 67.2% of all households, including 23.9% couples with children, 33.2% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up 32.8%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households comprising 2.1%. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Educational attainment in Creswick - Clunes aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 21.4%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them. Advanced diplomas account for 11.8% and certificates for 28.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.1% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 2.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Creswick-Clunes has 58 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 18 individual routes, collectively providing 401 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is limited, with residents typically located 722 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 57 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 6 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Creswick - Clunes is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Creswick-Clunes faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low at approximately 48% (around 3,913 people), compared to 51.4% in the rest of Victoria and a national average of 55.3%. The most frequent health issues are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health concerns (9.8%).

However, 59.9% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 63.5% in the rest of Victoria. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 26.2% (2,121 people), compared to 24.2% in the rest of Victoria. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are better than those for the general population.

Creswick - Clunes is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Creswick-Clunes had a cultural diversity index below average, with 90.2% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (89.1%), and speaking English at home exclusively (96.8%). Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 45.5%. Notably, the 'Other' category comprised 0.8%, slightly higher than the Rest of Vic's 0.6%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.7%), Australian (29.6%), and Irish (11.1%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Scottish was overrepresented at 10.3% compared to the regional average of 9.9%, Dutch at 2.4% versus 2.0%, and Maltese at 0.6% compared to 1.3%.

Creswick - Clunes hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age of Creswick-Clunes is 49, which exceeds the Rest of Vic's figure of 43 and is above Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Rest of Vic average, the 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.7% locally, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 7.8%. Between 2021 and present, the 35-44 age group has grown from 10.6% to 11.4% of the population. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort has declined from 11.4% to 10.6%. By 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Creswick-Clunes's age structure. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to grow by 234 people (37%), from 635 to 870. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 65-74 cohorts.