Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
Find a Recent Sale
Sales Detail
Population
Dandenong - North has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends
Dandenong - North's population is 23,407 as of May 2026. This shows an increase of 1,920 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,487. The change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data: 23,327 in June 2025 and an additional 255 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,911 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Dandenong - North's growth rate of 8.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area average of 7.0%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 88.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.
AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 adjusted to SA2 levels for areas not covered by the first data set. Future population trends project an above median growth rate nationally, with Dandenong - North expected to increase by 4,822 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 20.3% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Dandenong - North according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Dandenong - North has received approximately 105 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 527 homes. As of FY-26144 approvals have been recorded. Despite population decline in the area, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. The average expected construction cost value for new homes is $219,000, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms.
In FY-26, commercial approvals valued at $39.4 million have been registered, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Dandenong - North has experienced slightly higher development activity, with 25.0% more approvals per person over the past five years. This has maintained good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods. The new building activity shows a shift towards compact living, with 18.0% detached houses and 82.0% townhouses or apartments.
This change reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles, offering more diverse and affordable housing options. Dandenong - North has an approval rate of around 315 people per approval, indicating a transitioning market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by approximately 4,742 residents through to 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Dandenong - North
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Dandenong - North has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally
Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 18 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Dandenong Wellbeing Centre, Dandenong New Art (DNA), The Lonsdale, and Little India Precinct. The following list details those expected to be most relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Viv's Place
Australia's first purpose-built permanent housing facility for women and children escaping domestic violence and homelessness. The 8-storey building provides 60 dual-key apartments with 24/7 on-site support including case management, counselling, and communal spaces. The $30 million trauma-informed project was inspired by New York's Sugar Hill model to break the cycle of intergenerational homelessness.
Dandenong Wellbeing Centre
A 122.15 million dollar state-of-the-art aquatic and wellness hub being built at Mills Reserve to replace the 45-year-old Dandenong Oasis. The facility will include an indoor 50-metre pool, a 25-metre 10-lane pool, two warm water program pools for hydrotherapy and rehabilitation, a learn-to-swim pool, and a family leisure pool with splashpad. Supporting amenities include a large gymnasium, group fitness studios, more than 200 square metres of allied water lounge and allied health consulting suites, community meeting rooms, a cafe, spa, sauna and steam room, plus an integrated hockey pavilion replacing the existing Mills Reserve facilities. The design features large-span engineered timber beams across the main pool hall and entry foyer, targets a 5 Star Green Star rating, and includes culturally inclusive features such as a parents and prayer room and capacity to isolate the warm water pool for women-only programs. Construction began with a sod-turning ceremony on 5 July 2025 and the centre is on track to open in early to mid 2027. The project is supported by a 20 million dollar Federal Government grant.
Revitalising Central Dandenong - Sites 11-15
A $2 billion urban renewal project transforming 7 hectares in central Dandenong into a mixed-use precinct. The master plan includes over 470 dwellings, a new Little India retail laneway, 2,500 square metres of community space, a 29-storey hotel, cinema, medical facilities, and a childcare centre. Stage 1 at 139-157 Thomas Street received planning approval in April 2026, with demolition works commencing shortly to prepare for construction. The project is a long-term 20-year delivery scheduled across seven stages to establish Dandenong as Melbourne's second CBD.
Metro Village 3175
An award-winning master-planned mixed-use community on the former Dandenong Livestock Market site, featuring over 1100 residences including apartments, townhouses, retail tenancies, cafes, and restaurants. The project includes multiple completed developments: Mosaic (235 apartments by Burbank Urban), Alto (72 apartments), and Forte (34 townhouses). Developed initially by Development Victoria and with ongoing development by Burbank Urban, the final infrastructure piece, Allan Street Bridge, officially opened in 2025, connecting central Dandenong with southern suburbs. Additional social housing phases (89 homes) are approved to commence late 2025 for completion in early 2027.
Little India Precinct
A $600 million redevelopment project including 470 new homes, apartment towers, retail spaces, office towers, a 29-storey hotel and conference centre, community spaces, an outdoor plaza, and an urban brewery entertainment district as part of the Revitalising Central Dandenong program. The project includes a brand-new Little India precinct featuring a pedestrian-only laneway between Halpin Way and Foster Street, supermarket, food market hall, and modern facilities for existing traders.
Dandenong Community Hub
A multi-purpose community facility planned for central Dandenong on a site bounded by Stuart Street, Clow Street and Sleeth Avenue. The hub is intended to integrate early years services, kindergarten, childcare, maternal and child health, community meeting rooms, maker spaces, a cafe, co-working spaces, a technology hub and outdoor recreational areas. After cost estimates blew out from an original $30 million budget to about $65 million (plus up to $15 million for a basement car park) for a one-storey design, councillors voted on 8 December 2025 to halve the building from around 3,950 square metres to about 1,800 square metres - comparable to the recently completed Keysborough Community Hub. A rescission motion was lodged but at the 26 January 2026 Council meeting the original decision was upheld. Council has approved a redesign comparable in size and budget to the Keysborough Hub, completion of the co-design process, an accelerated program to better attract State and Federal funding, and exploration of public-private partnership options including air rights above the site. The project is being coordinated alongside the Dandenong Market Precinct Plan, which was released for public consultation in March 2026.
Doveton Pool in the Park Revitalisation Project
Redevelopment of the historic Doveton Pool in the Park site to deliver a modern outdoor pool facility and a year-round accessible park. Stage one construction, commencing in June 2025, includes replacing the existing 50m pool with a new accessible ramp, reduced depth, and upgrading the plant room/equipment. The project also includes a new district-level park, playground, and renewed change facilities in later stages. The overall project is guided by the Doveton Pool in the Park Master Plan 2022.
Dandenong New Art (DNA)
Redevelopment of the heritage 1920s Masonic Hall into a contemporary art gallery known as Dandenong New Art (DNA). The project includes state-of-the-art exhibition spaces, collection storage, education facilities, and community spaces. Construction commenced in 2020, was halted in 2021 due to COVID, recommenced in 2023, but is currently paused pending the demolition of the adjacent PEP building due to structural issues. Funds are being reallocated to address shortfalls, with completion now expected in late 2026.
Employment
Employment conditions in Dandenong - North face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally
Dandenong - North has a skilled workforce with the construction sector prominent. The unemployment rate was 16.9% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.6%. As of December 2025, 9320 residents were employed and the unemployment rate was 12.1%, higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.
Workforce participation was lower at 59.3% compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. Only 12.3% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts may have influenced this figure. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and construction, with manufacturing notably high at 2.1 times the regional average. Professional & technical employment was lower at 4.8%, compared to the regional average of 10.1%.
The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.9, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. In the year leading up to the Census, employment increased by 1.6% while the labour force grew by 4.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 2.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne where employment rose by 2.4%, the labour force grew by 2.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dandenong - North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data
The Dandenong - North SA2's median income among taxpayers in financial year 2023 was $47,072. The average income stood at $54,265 during the same period. These figures are below those of Greater Melbourne, which had a median income of $57,688 and an average income of $75,164 in financial year 2023. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for March 2026 would be approximately $51,600 (median) and $59,485 (average). Census data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Dandenong - North fall between the 10th and 13th percentiles nationally. The largest income bracket comprises 29.0% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, with a total of 6,788 residents. This is consistent with broader trends across the broader area, where 32.8% fall into the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Dandenong - North, with only 78.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 11th percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Dandenong - North displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
Dwelling structure in Dandenong - North, as per the latest Census, consisted of 37.0% houses and 63.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dandenong - North was at 20.4%, with the rest mortgaged (22.9%) or rented (56.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,500, lower than Melbourne metro's $2,000. Median weekly rent in Dandenong - North was $310, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Dandenong - North's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Dandenong - North features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size
Family households account for 63.1% of all households, including 28.5% couples with children, 19.1% couples without children, and 13.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.9%, with lone person households at 29.7% and group households comprising 7.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, matching the Greater Melbourne average.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational outcomes in Dandenong - North fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment
The area has university qualification rates of 26.2%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 16.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 29.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding them – advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 17.7%. Educational participation is notably high, with 34.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.
This includes 9.3% in primary education, 7.4% in secondary education, and 6.4% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Dandenong - North has 133 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 50 routes, collectively providing 9,728 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 148 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward, with car being the dominant mode at 80%, followed by train at 8% and bus at 7%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 12.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.
Service frequency averages 1,389 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 73 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Dandenong - North is lower than average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Dandenong North faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~10,954 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.
Mental health issues impact 7.7% of residents, while arthritis impacts 5.9%. 74.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 14.7% of residents aged 65 and over (3,438 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Dandenong - North is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics
Dandenong - North has a highly diverse population, with 71.7% speaking a language other than English at home and 67.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Dandenong - North, comprising 32.7% of its population. Notably, Islam makes up 29.2%, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 5.6%.
In terms of ancestry, 'Other' is the most represented group at 43.0%, substantially higher than the regional average of 14.6%. English ancestry stands at 9.7%, lower than the regional average of 20.1%, while Australian ancestry is at 8.7%, also lower than the regional average of 18.4%. There are notable overrepresentations in Serbian (2.6% vs 0.4%), Sri Lankan (2.5% vs 0.8%) and Indian (8.2% vs 4.2%) ethnic groups in Dandenong - North compared to regional averages.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Dandenong - North's population is younger than the national pattern
Dandenong - North's median age is 35 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and somewhat younger than Australia's national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 19.2%, higher than Greater Melbourne's percentage, while the 45-54 cohort constitutes 10.6%. Between 2021 and now, the 5-14 age group has increased from 10.4% to 11.5% of the population. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 20.7% to 19.2%. By 2041, projections show significant demographic shifts in Dandenong - North. The 45-54 age cohort is expected to grow by 872 people (35%) from 2,490 to 3,363. Meanwhile, the 0-4 cohort is projected to increase by a modest 6% (94 people).