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 is around 7,216 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,979 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,237 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,967 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 609 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 139 persons per square kilometer. Diggers Rest's growth of 37.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.6%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 73.4% of overall population gains.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing 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. Considering these projections, exceptional growth is predicted over the period, with the area expected to expand by 8,327 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, an increase of 112.0% in total over the 17 years.

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 234 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 1,172 homes. As of FY-26 so far, 29 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling has accommodated around 2.7 new residents annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating strong demand which supports property values. The average construction cost value of these new homes is $319,000, below regional norms, reflecting more affordable housing options for purchasers.

In the current financial year, commercial development approvals totalling $235,000 have been recorded, demonstrating Diggers Rest's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Diggers Rest has 164.0% more new home approvals per person, offering buyers ample choice despite a recent slowdown in building activity, which remains above national averages and reflects strong developer confidence in the area. The majority of new building activity consists of detached dwellings (96.0%) with townhouses or apartments making up 4.0%, maintaining Diggers Rest's traditional low density character focused on family homes. With approximately 32 people per dwelling approval, Diggers Rest exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 8,078 residents by 2041, with building activity keeping pace with these projections despite potential heightened competition as the population grows.

Population forecasts indicate Diggers Rest will gain 8,078 residents through to 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though 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 to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 42 projects that could affect this region. Notable ones include Diggers Rest Station Precinct (Level Crossing Removals and Station Upgrades), Grandview Estate, Diggers Rest Town Centre (proposed mixed-use precinct), and Nightjar Estate. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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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 in the past year was estimated at 3.3%. As of June 2025, 4,136 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.2% below Greater Melbourne's and workforce participation 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%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.3%, labour force by 4.3%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne had employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project national 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 of approximately 6.2% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations 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 released for financial year 2022 shows Diggers Rest had a median income among taxpayers of $59,931 and an average of $66,147. This was slightly above the national average. In comparison, Greater Melbourne had a median income of $54,892 and an average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Diggers Rest would be approximately $67,219 (median) and $74,190 (average) as of September 2025. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Diggers Rest cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that the $1,500 - $2,999 earnings band captures 43.5% of the community (3,138 individuals), which aligns with the broader area where this cohort also represents 32.8%. High housing costs consume 16.7% of income. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 65th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th 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 compares to 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. Median weekly rent was $396 in Diggers Rest, compared to Melbourne metro's $369. Nationally, Diggers Rest's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 76.2% of all households, including 36.2% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 23.8%, with lone person households at 21.5% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with Greater Melbourne's 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. The school has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1032) and offers balanced educational opportunities, focusing exclusively on primary education. Secondary options are available in nearby areas. Local school capacity is limited, with 7.2 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.5, 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 transport stops in Diggers Rest. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 3 routes serving these stops, providing a total of 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 above-average health outcomes with a low prevalence of common health conditions among its general population.

However, this rate is higher than the national average for older and at-risk cohorts. Approximately 52% of Diggers Rest's total population (~3,781 people) have private health cover, which is slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 9.6% and 9.0% of residents respectively. A total of 71.7% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 65.7% across Greater Melbourne. Diggers Rest has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 9.2%, with 667 people in this age group compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.4%. While health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population, overall health outcomes are promising.

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 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 24.9% of residents born overseas and 24.7% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 47.2%. The 'Other' religious category was overrepresented at 5.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.5%.

In terms of ancestry, Australians comprised 23.8%, English 20.7% (lower than the regional average of 26.3%), and Other groups made up 10.8%. Notably, Maltese (3.0%) were overrepresented compared to the regional average of 2.8%, as were Polish (1.2%) and Croatian (1.3%).

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 those aged 5-14 have 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 modeling projects significant changes in Diggers Rest's age profile. The 35-44 cohort is expected to grow by 109%, adding 1,524 residents to reach a total of 2,918.