Diggers Rest
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Diggers Rest's population was around 7,216 as of Aug 2025. From the 2021 Census reporting a population of 5,237, this shows an increase of 1,979 people (37.8%). The change is inferred from ABS data: an estimated resident population of 6,967 in June 2024 and 609 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 139 persons per square kilometer. Diggers Rest's growth exceeded national (8.6%) and state averages between 2021 and Aug 2025, making it a regional growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 73.4% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 are used, adjusted employing weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Diggers Rest is expected to expand by 8,327 persons to 2041, marking an increase of 112.0% over the 17-year period.

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

Diggers Rest has averaged approximately 253 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, showing 1,268 dwellings approved over the past five financial years between FY-20 and FY-25, with 17 approvals recorded so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling has led to approximately 2.7 new residents annually over the past five financial years, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $319,000, which is below regional norms, reflecting more affordable housing options for purchasers.

This financial year has seen $235,000 in commercial development approvals, demonstrating the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Diggers Rest has 321.0% more new home approvals per person, providing buyers with ample choice. This activity is substantially higher than the national average, suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. New building activity shows 96.0% detached dwellings and 4.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With around 32 people per dwelling approval, Diggers Rest exhibits characteristics of a growth area.

Looking ahead, Diggers Rest is projected to grow by approximately 8,078 residents through to 2041. Building activity appears to be keeping pace with growth projections, although buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Diggers Rest has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 40 projects potentially impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Mary St and Diggers Rest developments, Civic St improvements at Diggers Rest, Yirrangan Road Construction, and Plumpton Aquatic and Leisure Centre construction. The following list details projects likely to have most relevance.

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

Employment performance in Diggers Rest exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Diggers Rest has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate is 3.5%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.3%. As of June 2025, 4,136 residents are employed and the unemployment rate is 1.2% below Greater Melbourne's rate. Workforce participation in Diggers Rest stands at 73.5%, higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and transport, postal & warehousing.

Diggers Rest shows strong specialization in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share of 2.1 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services are under-represented at 6.0% compared to Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Local employment opportunities appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.3%, labour force grew by 4.3%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.5% and a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Diggers Rest's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 6.2%% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Diggers Rest had a median taxpayer income of $59,931 and an average of $66,147. This is slightly above the national average, with Greater Melbourne having a median of $54,892 and an average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $65,990 (median) and $72,834 (average). Census data indicates Diggers Rest's household, family, and personal incomes are at the 72nd percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 43.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 annually, which is also reflective in the broader area where this group represents 32.8%. High housing costs consume 16.7% of income. Despite this, disposable income ranks at the 65th percentile nationally, and Diggers Rest's SEIFA income ranking places it in the sixth decile.

Diggers Rest is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Diggers Rest's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.2% houses and 7.8% other dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 89.2% houses and 10.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Diggers Rest stood at 18.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 60.3% and rented ones at 21.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,800, higher than Melbourne metro's $1,750 but lower than the Australian average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Diggers Rest was $396, compared to Melbourne metro's $369 and the national figure of $375.

Diggers Rest has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households comprise 76.2 percent of all households, including 36.2 percent couples with children, 27.8 percent couples without children, and 10.8 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 23.8 percent, with lone person households at 21.5 percent and group households comprising 2.4 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which matches the Greater Melbourne average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 26.0%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 18.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (13.3%) and certificates (26.4%). Educational participation is high at 26.3%, comprising primary education (10.0%), secondary education (5.2%), and tertiary education (3.6%).

Diggers Rest Primary School serves the area with an enrollment of 518 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1032). It focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available nearby due to limited local capacity (7.2 places per 100 residents vs 14.5 regionally), leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Transport analysis shows 31 active stops operating within Diggers Rest. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. Three routes serve these stops, collectively providing 2,295 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 264 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 327 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 74 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Diggers Rest is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Diggers Rest shows better-than-average health outcomes with a low prevalence of common health conditions among its general population, although this is higher than the national average for older, at-risk groups.

Approximately 52% (~3781 people) of Diggers Rest's population has private health cover, slightly above the average for SA2 areas. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 9.6% and 9.0% of residents respectively. A higher proportion, 71.7%, report being free from any medical ailments compared to Greater Melbourne's 65.7%. Diggers Rest has a lower percentage of seniors aged 65 and over, at 9.2% (667 people), than Greater Melbourne's 15.4%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those in the broader population.

Diggers Rest 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

Diggers Rest, surveyed in August 2021, exhibited higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 24.9% of its residents born overseas and 24.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 47.2% of Diggers Rest's population. Notably, the 'Other' religious category had a higher representation in Diggers Rest (5.5%) compared to Greater Melbourne (1.5%).

Regarding ancestry, Australian heritage was most prevalent (23.8%), followed by English (20.7%), and Other (10.8%). Some ethnic groups were notably more represented than regional averages: Maltese at 3.0% (regional average 2.8%), Polish at 1.2% (regional average 1.0%), and Croatian at 1.3% (regional average 1.0%).

Diggers Rest hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Diggers Rest has a median age of 32 years, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Diggers Rest has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (21.0%), but fewer residents aged 15-24 (9.1%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 has increased from 16.9% to 19.3%, while the proportion of those aged 5-14 has risen from 11.8% to 13.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 24.6% to 21.0%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that Diggers Rest's age profile will undergo significant changes. The most notable projected growth is in the 35-44 age group, which is expected to increase by 109%, adding 1,524 residents to reach a total of 2,918.