Doreen - North
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Doreen - North's population is approximately 17,234 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 935 people from the 2021 Census total of 16,299. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 17,231, with an additional 29 validated new addresses since the Census date accounting for this growth. This results in a population density of 1,825 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Doreen - North has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 3.5%, outperforming the SA3 area. Natural growth contributed approximately 56.5% to overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including overseas migration and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted 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. Population projections indicate exceptional growth in Doreen - North, placing it in the top 10 percent of national statistical areas. By 2041, the area is expected to grow by 10,505 persons based on the latest population numbers, reflecting an increase of 60.9% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Doreen - North when compared nationally

Doreen - North has experienced approximately 55 dwellings receiving development approval annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 277 homes received approval, with two more approved in FY26 so far. On average, about 4.2 new residents arrive per year for each dwelling constructed during this period.

This indicates that supply is lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $483,000. In FY26, $367,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Doreen - North has markedly lower building activity, 76.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties.

The area's development activity is also lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New developments in Doreen - North consist of approximately 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% attached dwellings, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. As of around 670 people per approval, Doreen - North shows a mature, established area. Future projections indicate that Doreen - North is expected to add approximately 10,502 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Doreen - North has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified fifteen projects that may impact this region. Notable projects include Katandra Rise Estate, Laurimar Estate, Precinct 2A Doreen Development Plan, and Bridge Inn Road Development Sites - Mernda Precinct 2A. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Doreen - North ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Doreen - North has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 2.4% as of June 2025. This is below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

The employment growth in the past year was estimated at 2.2%. There are 9,882 residents currently employed. The workforce participation rate in Doreen - North is 71.7%, higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The key industries for employment among residents are construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Construction is particularly specialized with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services employ only 5.8% of local workers, lower than Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2%, labour force increased by 1.5%, resulting in a 0.7 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with an increase in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Doreen - North's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4%% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 on Doreen - North's median income among taxpayers was $56,184 and average income was $64,511. These figures are in line with national averages. Comparing to Greater Melbourne, Doreen - North has a median income of $56,184 vs $54,892 and an average income of $64,511 vs $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Doreen - North's median income would be approximately $61,864 and average income $71,033 as of March 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Doreen - North cluster around the 71st percentile nationally. Income distribution reveals that 39.7% of locals (6,841 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, reflecting regional patterns where 32.8% occupy this range. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 76th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Doreen - North's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.5% houses and 3.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 87.2% houses and 12.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Doreen - North was at 21.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 57.4% and rented ones at 20.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $1,900. Median weekly rent in Doreen - North was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $371. Nationally, Doreen - North's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Doreen - North features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 84.7% of all households, including 50.6% couples with children, 20.0% couples without children, and 13.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 15.3%, with lone person households at 13.9% and group households comprising 1.3%. The median household size is 3.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.9.

Doreen - North shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 23.9%, significantly below the Greater Melbourne average of 37.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 16.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 38.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (12.7%) and certificates (26.2%).

Educational participation is high, with 35.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 14.0% in primary, 10.4% in secondary, and 3.9% in tertiary education. Doreen - North has 4 schools with a combined enrollment of 3,732 students, demonstrating typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1046) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 2 primary and 2 K-12 schools. The area functions as an education hub, with 21.6 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.1, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis in Doreen - North indicates 55 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four distinct routes, collectively facilitating 2,841 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is deemed good, with residents generally situated 222 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 405 trips per day, equating to roughly 51 weekly trips per individual stop.

Doreen - North's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Doreen - North, particularly among younger cohorts who exhibit very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover in this area is approximately 52%, with around 8,944 people having such coverage, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 49.8%.

Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 8.4% and 8.1% of residents respectively, while 73.4% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments. This is similar to Greater Melbourne's figure of 74.0%. The area has a lower proportion of older residents aged 65 and over, with 11.2%, compared to the broader population in Greater Melbourne at 13.2%.

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

Doreen-North, as per the data provided, shows above-average cultural diversity with 17.9% of its population born overseas and 15.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Doreen-North, accounting for 49.2% of the population. However, the most significant overrepresentation is observed in the 'Other' category, comprising 1.4% of the population compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.4%.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups in Doreen-North are Australian (26.9%, substantially higher than the regional average of 17.3%), English (25.1%, also substantially higher), and Other (7.9%, notably lower than the regional average of 17.4%). There are notable divergences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Macedonian is overrepresented at 1.6% compared to the regional average of 4.6%, Italian is slightly underrepresented at 7.2% versus 9.6%, and Maltese shows no significant difference at 1.5%.

Doreen - North hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Doreen's median age of 35 years is slightly younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and somewhat younger than the national average of 38 years. The age group of 5-14 years old represents a strong 17.4% of Doreen's population, compared to Greater Melbourne's percentage, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 10.0%. This concentration of the 5-14 age group is well above the national average of 12.2%. Between 2021 and the present day, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.7% to 14.5%, while the 75 to 84 cohort has risen from 2.6% to 3.9%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group has declined from 19.2% to 17.4%, and the 25 to 34 age group has dropped from 11.4% to 10.0%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Doreen - North, with the 45 to 54 age cohort projected to rise substantially by 77%, increasing from 2,669 to 4,723 people.