Drouin
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Drouin's population was around 22,148 as of Aug 2025. This showed an increase of 2,375 people (12.0%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 19,773. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,816 in June 2024 and an additional 381 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 67 persons per square kilometer. Drouin's growth exceeded non-metro areas (5.5%) and its SA4 region. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 77.0% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovers areas, they utilized VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, a significant population increase in the top quartile of Australian non-metropolitan areas is forecasted, with Drouin expected to increase by 8,481 persons, reflecting an overall increase of 36.7%.

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

Drouin has received around 265 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that between financial year 2021 (FY-21) and FY-25, Drouin had a total of 1,328 dwellings approved. As of February 2026, there have been 22 dwelling approvals in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, each dwelling built has resulted in an average of 2.5 new residents per year.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $405,000, which aligns with regional patterns. In FY-26 alone, commercial development approvals have totalled $42.4 million, indicating strong local business investment. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Drouin exhibits moderately higher construction activity, being 24.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This has maintained reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand.

Recent data shows a slight easing in construction activity. Nationally, Drouin's construction activity is significantly above average, suggesting strong developer interest in the area. New building activity consists of 93.0% standalone homes and 7.0% medium to high-density housing, preserving the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. Drouin reflects a developing area, with around 132 people per approval. Future projections indicate that Drouin will add approximately 8,134 residents by 2041. Current development appears well-suited to meet future needs, supporting steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Drouin has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 26thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 26 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Drouin Fields Estate, The Fairways Estate, Highfields, and Drouin Primary School Upgrade and Modernisation. For more relevant projects, refer to the following list.

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

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, Drouin has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Drouin has a balanced workforce consisting of white and blue collar jobs. The construction sector is notably prominent among residents' occupations.

As of June 2025, Drouin's unemployment rate stands at 3.4%. In this month, 10,143 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.3% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. The workforce participation rate in Drouin is similar to that of Rest of Vic., at 57.4%. Key industries employing residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

Notably, construction employment is 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, accommodation & food services employ fewer residents than the regional average, with only 5.1% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 6.9%. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Drouin's labour force decreased by 0.7%, while employment declined by 1.2%. This resulted in an unemployment rate increase of 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Vic.'s employment and labour force both experienced smaller declines, leading to a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data as of Sep-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs. The state's unemployment rate was 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.5%. However, Victoria's employment growth outpaced the national average of 0.26%. Job and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Drouin's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Drouin's median taxpayer income in financial year 2022 was $48,676 and average income was $57,258 according to latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than national averages of $53,911 median and $67,927 average as reported in June 2022. Rest of Vic.'s median income was $48,741 with average income at $60,693 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for Drouin as of March 2025 are approximately $53,597 median and $63,047 average. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Drouin rank modestly between the 29th to 33rd percentiles. Income distribution reveals that 34.3% of Drouin's population (7,596 individuals) earn within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, consistent with surrounding region trends at 30.3%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Drouin; only 84.3% of income remains, ranking at the 33rd percentile.

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

Drouin's dwelling structure, as assessed in the latest Census, consisted of 90.4% houses and 9.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s 91.6% houses and 8.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Drouin stood at 36.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.5% and rented ones at 21.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,625, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,600. The median weekly rent in Drouin was $330, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $320. Nationally, Drouin's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,625 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Drouin has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 73.0% of all households, including 30.1% couples with children, 30.4% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.0%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Vic.

Drouin shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area has university qualification rates of 15.9%, significantly lower than the Victorian average of 33.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 43.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (32.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.8%), secondary education (7.7%), and tertiary education (2.9%). There are nine schools operating within Drouin, educating approximately 4,460 students. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 988). The educational mix includes seven primary schools, one secondary school, and one K-12 school.

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

Drouin's public transport analysis shows that there are currently 59 active transport stops in operation. These include a mix of train and bus services. A total of 25 individual routes serve these stops, collectively facilitating 1,058 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as moderate, with residents typically situated 435 meters away from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 151 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 17 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Drouin is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows significant issues in Drouin, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 48% (around 10,697 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues are the most common medical condition, affecting 10.4% of residents, followed by arthritis at 9.6%. Approximately 62.6% of residents report having no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of Vic.'s 63.7%. Drouin has 19.1% (4,239 people) of its population aged 65 and over, which is lower than the Rest of Vic.'s 20.8%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly reflecting the general population's health profile.

Drouin is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Drouin's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.0% of its population born in Australia, 90.1% being citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Drouin, comprising 45.0% of the population. While Judaism's representation was not significantly different from the rest of Victoria (0.1%), other religions were underrepresented compared to regional averages.

The top three ancestry groups in Drouin were English (32.6%), Australian (31.9%), and Irish (8.0%). Notable divergences included Dutch being slightly overrepresented at 2.8% compared to the region's 2.7%, Hungarian at 0.4% versus 0.3%, and Scottish underrepresented at 7.9% compared to 8.5%.

Drouin's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Drouin has a median age of 38, which is less than the Rest of Vic.'s figure of 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 14.4%, higher than Rest of Vic., while the 65-74 cohort stands at 10.7%. Post-2021 Census, the 35-44 age group increased from 11.5% to 13.6%; conversely, the 55-64 cohort decreased from 12.4% to 11.2%, and the 65-74 group fell from 11.7% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Drouin's age profile. Notably, the 25-34 group is expected to grow by 64%, reaching 5,204 from its current figure of 3,182.