East Bendigo - Kennington

An assessment of population growth drivers in East Bendigo - Kennington reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

East Bendigo - Kennington's population, as of Nov 2025, is around 14,288, reflecting an increase of 300 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 13,988. This change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 14,029 as of June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 833 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration primarily drove this growth. AreaSearch adopted 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 utilized VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is projected to increase by 2,796 persons, reflecting a total increase of 17.7% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within East Bendigo - Kennington when compared nationally

East Bendigo - Kennington has seen approximately 63 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totaling 318 homes. As of FY26, 20 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.4 new residents arrive per year for each new home built between FY21 and FY25. This rate suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more housing options and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections.

The average expected construction cost of new homes is $319,000. In the current financial year, there have been $31.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating high levels of local business activity. Compared to the rest of Victoria, East Bendigo - Kennington shows around 63% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 70th percentile nationally. New developments consist of 62.0% detached dwellings and 38.0% attached dwellings, marking a shift from the current housing pattern of 82.0% houses.

This change may indicate decreasing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. East Bendigo - Kennington has an average population density of around 204 people per approval, reflecting its low-density character. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to gain approximately 2,530 residents by 2041. Development activity appears to be keeping pace with projected growth, although increasing competition among buyers can be expected as the population expands.

East Bendigo - Kennington has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 22 projects likely impacting this area. Notable initiatives include St Aidans Road Kennington Social Housing, Prime Business Park, Marnie Place Estate, and Kennington Reservoir Dam Wall Rehabilitation. The following list details those expected to be most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment performance in East Bendigo - Kennington has been broadly consistent with national averages

East Bendigo - Kennington has a skilled workforce with key sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.5% in September 2024, with an estimated employment growth of 2.5%.

As of September 2025, the unemployment rate decreased to 3.5%, which is 0.3% below Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation was broadly similar to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Major employment industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. The area has a particular specialization in health care & social assistance, employing 1.3 times the regional level.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 1.7% of local workers, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.5%, while the labour force grew by 2.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Vic. recorded an employment decline of 0.7% and a labour force decline of 0.6%. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.13%, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Bendigo - Kennington's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows East Bendigo - Kennington SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $50,448 and an average income of $65,986. These figures are slightly higher than the national averages of $48,741 and $60,693 for Rest of Vic respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $56,582 (median) and $74,010 (average). Census 2021 data ranks East Bendigo - Kennington's household, family, and personal incomes modestly, between the 29th and 40th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 28.9% of residents earn $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, reflecting broader area patterns where 30.3% fall within this range. Housing costs are manageable with 86.8% retained, but disposable income is below average at the 33rd percentile, placing the area in the 5th decile for SEIFA income ranking.

East Bendigo - Kennington is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The latest Census data shows that in East Bendigo - Kennington, 82.4% of dwellings are houses with the remaining 17.6% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is compared to Non-Metro Vic., where 90.6% of dwellings are houses. Home ownership in East Bendigo - Kennington stands at 40.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.7% and rented ones at 33.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,430, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. The median weekly rent figure in East Bendigo - Kennington is $295, the same as Non-Metro Vic.'s average. Nationally, mortgage repayments are lower at $1,863 and rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

East Bendigo - Kennington features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 61.7% of all households, including 22.1% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.3%, with lone person households at 34.2% and group households making up 4.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

The educational profile of East Bendigo - Kennington exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 28.9%, exceeding the Rest of Vic average of 21.7%. This rate reflects the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications.

This includes advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (21.6%). Educational participation is high, with 26.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

East Bendigo - Kennington has 75 active public transport stops operating, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by six individual routes that collectively provide 979 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as good, with residents typically located 244 meters from the nearest stop.

The service frequency averages 139 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

East Bendigo - Kennington faces significant health challenges.

Common health conditions are prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 52%, slightly higher than the average SA2 area's rate of around 48%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (10.8%) and mental health issues (10.7%). About 61% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 62% in Rest of Vic. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24%, with 3,424 people falling into this age group, compared to the state average of 18.9%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

East Bendigo - Kennington ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

East Bendigo-Kennington, surveyed in 2016, had low cultural diversity with 89.9% citizens, 88.0% born in Australia, and 91.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion (50.6%). The 'Other' category was slightly overrepresented at 0.9%.

Top ancestry groups were English (31.5%), Australian (28.3%), and Irish (11.2%). Notably, Scottish (9.2%) and Sri Lankan (0.3%) groups were disproportionately represented compared to regional averages of 8.7% and 0.1%, respectively.

East Bendigo - Kennington hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

East Bendigo - Kennington has a median age of 43, which is equal to the Rest of Vic figure and higher than the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 14.2%, while the 5-14 group is smaller at 9.8% compared to Rest of Vic. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 25-34 age group has grown from 12.2% to 14.2%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 10.6% to 11.7%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 11.9% to 10.5% and the 55-64 group dropped from 12.8% to 11.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in East Bendigo - Kennington's age structure. The 25-34 group is projected to grow by 57%, reaching 3,172 people from the current 2,023. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 15-24 and 65-74 cohorts.