Croydon - East

Population growth drivers in Croydon - East are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Croydon - East's population was around 17,480 as of May 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 1,371 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,109 people. The increase is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 17,345 in June 2025 and an additional 492 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,158 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Croydon - East's growth rate of 8.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (3.8%) and the SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 54.8% of overall population gains during recent periods, with natural growth and interstate migration also being positive factors.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting with a weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Croydon - East is projected to grow by 2,736 persons to 2041, reflecting a 14.9% increase over the 16-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Croydon - East when compared nationally

Croydon - East has approved approximately 131 residential properties annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25655 homes were approved, with an additional 29 approved in FY-26 to date. On average, 1.3 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years. However, this figure has increased to 7 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating growing popularity and potential supply constraints.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $279,000, which is lower than regional levels. This year alone, $59.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Croydon - East has 81.0% more development activity per person. The current building activity shows 35.0% detached dwellings and 65.0% townhouses or apartments, a significant shift from the existing housing pattern of 75.0% houses. This trend reflects diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. With around 244 people per approval, Croydon - East is experiencing market transition.

By 2041, it is projected to add 2,601 residents. Current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 27 projects that could influence the area. Key initiatives include the Croydon Community Wellbeing Precinct, Croydon Main Street Revitalisation, residential development at 295 Mt Dandenong Road, and industrial development at 120-124 Merrindale Drive. The following list details those most 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.

Employment performance in Croydon - East has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Croydon - East has a well-educated workforce with prominent essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 5.8% in December 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.0% over the past year. As of this date, 9,064 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.0% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation was lower at 66.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 27.3% of residents worked from home. Key industries of employment among residents were health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade, while transport, postal & warehousing had limited presence at 3.2% compared to the regional average of 5.2%.

Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.0%, labour force grew by 1.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In Greater Melbourne, employment grew by 2.4%, labour force expanded by 2.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points during this period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Croydon - East's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, assuming constant population growth for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Croydon - East SA2's median income among taxpayers was $58,719 and average income stood at $70,076 in financial year 2023 according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. Nationally, Greater Melbourne's median income was $57,688 with an average of $75,164. Based on a 9.62% growth since financial year 2023, current estimates for Croydon - East SA2 are approximately $64,368 (median) and $76,817 (average) as of March 2026. In the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Croydon - East ranked modestly between the 39th and 54th percentiles. Distribution data showed that 34.6% of residents earned $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, mirroring the metropolitan region where 32.8% were in this bracket. Housing affordability pressures were severe with only 81.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 37th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Croydon - East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure in Croydon - East, as per the latest Census, comprised 74.7% houses and 25.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Croydon - East was 29.6%, similar to Melbourne metro's level. Dwellings were either mortgaged (39.7%) or rented (30.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,885, below Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent was recorded at $371, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Croydon - East's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 64.7% of all households, including 26.9% couples with children, 24.1% couples without children, and 12.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 35.3%, with lone person households at 32.2% and group households comprising 3.0%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Croydon - East exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Croydon's residents aged 15+ have a university degree attainment rate of 28.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (18.7%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are held by 35.1% of residents, with advanced diplomas at 11.9% and certificates at 23.2%. Educational participation is high, with 26.0% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.9%), secondary (5.9%), and tertiary (3.9%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 5.9% in secondary education, and 3.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Croydon - East has 75 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 26 unique routes, collectively facilitating 4,777 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average located 247 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its predominantly residential nature. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 88%, with trains used by 6% of residents. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, specifically 27.3%, work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 682 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 63 weekly trips per stop.

Croydon - East's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Croydon East's health metrics closely align with national benchmarks. Its mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are typical of the general population, but slightly higher for older cohorts.

Private health cover is more prevalent here at approximately 54% (~9,421 people) compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7%. The most common conditions are mental health issues (9.9%) and asthma (8.7%), with 66.4% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have a higher prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 18.6% of residents aged 65 and over (3,249 people), which is higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Croydon - East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Croydon-East, surveyed between July 2016 and June 2017, had a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 26.0% of its population born overseas and 19.7% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Croydon-East, accounting for 45.0%. However, the category 'Other' showed an overrepresentation compared to Greater Melbourne, with 1.3% versus 2.3%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (27.7%), Australian (24.2%), and Other (10.7%). Notably, Dutch (2.3%) Welsh (0.6%), and Sri Lankan (0.3%) ethnicities had higher representations than the regional averages of 1.2%, 0.4%, and 0.8% respectively.

Croydon - East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Croydon - East is 38 years, which is close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Croydon - East has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (9.4%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (10.2%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 15.2% to 16.1%, while the 65-74 age group has declined from 10.1% to 9.4%. By 2041, Croydon - East is projected to experience significant shifts in its age composition. The 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 26%, increasing from 2,006 to 2,529 residents. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group is projected to decrease by 82 residents.