Doreen - South
Statistical Area - sa2

Doreen - South 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 - South's population is approximately 12,111 as of August 2025. This represents a 15.7% increase from the 2021 Census population of 10,471 people. The change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data showing 11,810 in June 2024 and an additional 95 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,412 persons per square kilometer, placing Doreen - South in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The area's growth rate exceeded both national (8.6%) and state averages, indicating it is a regional growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 43.6% of overall population gains recently, with all drivers including interstate migration and overseas migration being positive factors.

AreaSearch projections for Doreen - South are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses Victorian State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made via 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. Future projections indicate exceptional growth, placing Doreen - South in the top 10% nationally, with an expected increase of 6,658 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 52.5% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Doreen - South among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Doreen - South has seen approximately 83 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 418 approvals across the past five financial years from FY21 to FY25, with four approvals so far in FY26. On average, about 5.8 new residents have arrived per year per dwelling constructed over these five financial years.

This supply is substantially lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $401,000, which is under regional levels, indicating more accessible housing choices for buyers. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Doreen - South records around 58% of the building activity per person and places among the 53rd percentile of areas assessed nationally in terms of development activity.

Recent construction comprises 96.0% detached dwellings and 4.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The location has approximately 303 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. Population forecasts indicate Doreen - South will gain 6,357 residents through to 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 - South has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. One major project has been identified by AreaSearch that may impact the area: Mernda Community Hospital, River Run, Aspect Mernda, and Mernda Rise Estate are key projects. The following details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Doreen - South has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%, with estimated employment growth of 2.1% over the past year as of June 2025.

There are 6,665 residents employed, and the unemployment rate is 2.0% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation in Doreen - South is high at 74.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical services employ only 6.7% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by the Census working population count versus resident population. From June 2024 to June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.1%, and labour force grew by 1.5%, leading to a 0.6 percentage point decrease in unemployment. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment rising 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 an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, and employment growth outpaced the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 forecasts project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Doreen - South's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Doreen - South's median income among taxpayers was $60,502 with an average of $69,468, both figures above the national average. Greater Melbourne had a median income of $54,892 and an average of $73,761 during this period. Using Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $66,619 (median) and $76,491 (average). Census 2021 income data showed household, family and personal incomes in Doreen - South clustered around the 74th percentile nationally. In terms of income distribution, 45.2% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999, reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 32.8% occupied this range. High housing costs consumed 17.9% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 71st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Doreen - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 91.6% houses and 8.4% other dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 87.2% houses and 12.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Doreen - South was at 14.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 62.5% and rented ones at 23.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Melbourne metro's $1,900 and the Australian average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Doreen - South was $386, compared to Melbourne metro's $371 and the national figure of $375.

Doreen - South features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 83.6% of all households, including 46.5% couples with children, 21.8% couples without children, and 14.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 16.4%, with lone person households at 14.8% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

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

Doreen's educational qualifications lag behind South trail regional benchmarks, with 28.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.5% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (13.4%) and certificates (25.1%). Educational participation is high at 33.0%, including primary education (13.2%), secondary education (7.3%), and tertiary education (4.0%).

Ashley Park Primary School and Ivanhoe Grammar School - Plenty Campus serve a total of 472 students in Doreen, which has balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 1037). The area has limited school capacity with 3.9 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 13.1, leading many families to seek schooling elsewhere.

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

Thirty-three active public transport stops operate within Doreen-South. These are a mix of bus stops serviced by three routes. They facilitate 2,027 weekly passenger trips in total.

Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 241 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 289 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 61 weekly trips per individual stop.

Doreen - South's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Doreen - South, particularly for younger cohorts with low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 54% (~6,588 people) have private health cover, higher than Greater Melbourne's 49.8%.

Common medical conditions include asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.5 and 8.3% respectively. About 75.2% declare no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 74.0%. Doreen - South has fewer seniors, with 8.0% (965 people) aged 65 and over compared to Greater Melbourne's 13.2%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention.

Doreen - South 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

Doreen-South was found to have a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 24.6% of its population born overseas and 24.9% speaking a language other than English at home, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing conducted on August 10, 2016. The predominant religion in Doreen-South was Christianity, comprising 43.5% of its population. However, the most notable overrepresentation was observed in the 'Other' category, which accounted for 2.8% of the population compared to 4.4% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups represented were Australian (24.7%), English (22.5%), and Other (11.4%). These figures are substantially higher than the regional averages of 17.3%, 15.5%, and 17.4% respectively for these groups. Additionally, there were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Macedonian at 1.5% compared to the regional average of 4.6%, Sri Lankan at 0.9% versus 0.8%, and Italian at 6.7% against a regional average of 9.6%.

Doreen - South hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Doreen-South is 33, making it younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Doreen-South has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (21.6%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (7.3%). This concentration in the 35-44 age group is significantly higher than the national average of 14.2%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has increased from 20.1% to 21.6%, while those aged 45 to 54 have risen from 10.8% to 12.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 17.9% to 13.7%, and the proportion of residents aged 0 to 4 has dropped from 10.4% to 9.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Doreen-South, with the 45 to 54 age group projected to grow by 99%, adding 1,476 residents and reaching a total of 2,961.