East Bendigo - Kennington
Statistical Area - sa2

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 was around 14,288 as of Nov 2025. This reflected an increase of 300 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,988. The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 14,029 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This level resulted in a density ratio of 833 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, they utilised VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation method. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, an above median population growth of Australian non-metropolitan areas was projected, with the area expected to increase by 2,796 persons, reflecting a total increase of 17.7%.

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

East Bendigo - Kennington has received approximately 63 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 318 homes. As of FY26, 11 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.4 new residents arrive per year for each new home built between FY21 and FY25. The average construction value of new homes is $319,000.

In FY26, commercial approvals amounted to $31.2 million. Compared to the rest of Victoria, East Bendigo - Kennington shows around 63% of construction activity per person and ranks in the 71st percentile nationally. New development consists of 62.0% detached dwellings and 38.0% attached dwellings, marking a shift from existing housing patterns which are currently 82.0% houses. East Bendigo - Kennington has around 204 people per approval, indicating a low-density area.

Population forecasts suggest East Bendigo - Kennington will gain approximately 2,530 residents by 2041. Development is keeping pace with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

East Bendigo - Kennington has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

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

East Bendigo - Kennington has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

East Bendigo - Kennington has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.2%.

As of June 2025, 6,556 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 0.3% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. The area specializes in health care & social assistance with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level, while 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 June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.2%, labour force increased by 1.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Vic. recorded an employment decline of 0.9% and a labour force decline of 0.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 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 growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows East Bendigo - Kennington had a median taxpayer income of $50,448 and an average income of $65,986. These figures are slightly above the national averages of $48,741 and $60,693 respectively for Rest of Vic. As of September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022 suggest median income would be approximately $56,582 and average income around $74,010. Income data from Census 2021 ranks household, family, and personal incomes in East Bendigo - Kennington modestly, between the 29th and 40th percentiles. The largest income bracket comprises 28.9% earning $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, with 4,129 residents falling into this category. This pattern is similar to the broader area where 30.3% occupy this range. Housing costs are manageable, with 86.8% retained, but disposable income ranks below average at the 33rd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in East Bendigo - Kennington, as per the latest Census, consisted of 82.4% houses and 17.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Vic. had a structure of 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Bendigo - Kennington stood at 40.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.7% and rented ones at 33.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,430, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $295, equal to Non-Metro Vic.'s figure. Nationally, East Bendigo - Kennington's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,430 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially lower at $295 than 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 make up the remaining 38.3%, with lone person households at 34.2% and group households comprising 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% among residents aged 15+, exceeding the Rest of Vic average of 21.7% and the SA3 area average of 23.6%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent 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 - advanced diplomas at 11.7% and certificates at 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. East Bendigo - Kennington has a robust network of 6 schools educating approximately 1,913 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1046) and balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 3 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents are 13.5, below the regional average of 18.0, with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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. These are served by a mix of buses along six different routes, offering a total of 979 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 244 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, there are approximately 139 daily trips and 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, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 52%, slightly higher than the average SA2 area (~7,486 people). The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (10.8%) and mental health issues (10.7%). Notably, 61.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 62.0% in Rest of Vic.. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24.0% (3,424 people), compared to the state average of 18.9%. Health outcomes among seniors show 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 showed below average cultural diversity, with 89.9% citizens, 88.0% born in Australia, and 91.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 50.6%. The 'Other' category was slightly overrepresented at 0.9%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 0.7%.

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 overrepresented, while German (3.4%) was slightly more prevalent than regionally (3.2%).

East Bendigo - Kennington hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

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