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This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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Sales Activity
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Population
Epping - East has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends
Epping - East's population was approximately 13,555 as of May 2026. This figure indicates a rise of 411 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,144. The change is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 13,555 in June 2025 and an additional 171 validated new addresses post-Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,744 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 88.7% to recent population gains in the area.
AreaSearch uses 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 employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, exceptional growth is predicted for the area between 2026 and 2041, placing it in the top 10 percent of Australian statistical areas. The population is expected to increase by 5,975 persons during this period, reflecting a total increase of 44.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Epping - East according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Epping - East averaged approximately 41 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 208 homes. As of FY-26, 40 approvals have been recorded. Despite a population decline during this period, development activity has been adequate relative to population changes, which could be beneficial for buyers. The average construction cost value of new homes is around $225,000, lower than regional levels, indicating more affordable housing options for buyers.
In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $17.2 million, suggesting balanced commercial development activity in the area. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Epping - East shows significantly reduced construction activity, with 78.0% fewer approvals per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, reflecting the area's established nature and potentially indicating planning limitations. New developments consist of 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Epping - East's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes. With approximately 2300 people per dwelling approval, Epping - East reflects a highly mature market.
According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is projected to add around 5975 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Epping - East
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Epping - East has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified ten projects likely to affect the area. Notable ones are Derby Meadows Preschool Redevelopment, Aurora Estate Expansion, Melbourne Food Innovation and Export Hub (MFIX), and New Epping. The following list details those most relevant.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
New Epping Health Hub
The New Epping Health Hub is a $1 billion state-of-the-art health and innovation precinct forming a significant public-private health cluster. Anchored by the now-operational Northern Private Hospital and the adjacent Northern Hospital, the 7-hectare hub features 80,000sqm of medical floorspace. Construction is currently underway on the $100 million New Epping Medical building, a six-storey facility providing 8,200sqm of specialist suites. Simultaneously, the $813 million Northern Hospital expansion is progressing, with the four-storey Ambulatory Care Centre structurally complete as of late 2025 and an emergency department tower under development. The precinct integrates specialist medical, research, and wellness facilities within a masterplan featuring a 2.7km nature loop.
New Epping
A 2 billion dollar urban renewal project by Riverlee transforming a 51-hectare former quarry into a carbon-neutral mixed-use precinct. The masterplan includes 2,500 dwellings across townhouses and apartments, alongside 110,000sqm of commercial space. Significant milestones reached in 2024-2025 include the opening of the Northern Private Hospital and progress on the Punthill Apartment Hotel, scheduled for 2026. The site features an 11-hectare central green spine with wetlands and a 2.7km walking trail.
Northern Hospital Redevelopment
The $813 million Northern Hospital Redevelopment is a two-stage expansion of the Epping campus to meet the rising healthcare needs of Melbourne's fast-growing northern growth corridor. Stage 1 is delivering a four-storey Ambulatory Care Centre, which reached structural completion in October 2025 and is on track for opening in mid-2026. The new building will house outpatient, clinical and administration services with a ground link to the existing hospital. Stage 2, with John Holland appointed as Managing Contractor in October 2025, will deliver a new seven-level emergency department and inpatient unit tower fronting Cooper Street. The expanded ED will include a dedicated paediatric zone, a specialised mental health and alcohol and other drugs hub, an emergency observation unit, additional inpatient beds and more car parking. Early Works packages were advertised in late 2025, with Main Works packages being released progressively through early 2026. Once fully operational in late 2029, the redevelopment will provide nearly 200 emergency treatment spaces and support an additional 30,000 emergency patients each year. Both stages are expected to support up to 2,200 jobs during construction.
Epping Activity Centre Plan
The Epping Activity Centre Plan is a long-term strategic framework that builds on the City of Whittlesea's Epping Central Structure Plan (June 2023) and forms part of the Victorian Government's Activity Centres Program under the Housing Statement. It identifies Epping as one of 10 priority Melbourne activity centres targeted to deliver more housing close to public transport, jobs and services. The plan supports between 9,800 and 13,900 new homes across the activity centre core and an 800 metre walkable catchment around Epping train station. Key features include simplified built form and design controls in the core, a deemed-to-comply pathway to streamline assessment, increased building heights graduating down toward sensitive interfaces, improved public realm and open space, and continued focus on Northern Hospital, Pacific Epping shopping centre and Melbourne Polytechnic as anchor uses. New planning controls including the Housing Choice and Transformation Zone, Built Form Overlay and Activity Centre Zone Schedule 1 were applied through planning scheme amendment GC252, approved on 11 April 2025.
Melbourne Food Innovation and Export Hub (MFIX)
The Melbourne Food Innovation and Export Hub (MFIX) is a planned 50-hectare precinct designed to co-locate food production, R&D, and export logistics. Situated next to the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market, it aims to create a world-class cluster for advanced food manufacturing and high-value exports. The project is a core component of the City of Whittlesea Agri-Food Plan 2023-2026, targeting the creation of over 6,000 jobs and positioning Northern Melbourne as a premier global food-tech destination.
Wollert Rail Extension
The Wollert Rail Extension is a proposed heavy rail link branching from the Mernda line at Lalor to serve the high-growth areas of Epping North and Wollert. The project involves a Feasibility Study funded by a joint 500,000 AUD initiative between the Victorian and Australian Governments to investigate demand, alignment options, and station locations. It aims to support a corridor identified in the Victorian Infrastructure Plan to accommodate an expected 40,000 daily trips by 2040.
Cooper Street Employment Precinct
The Cooper Street Employment Precinct is a state-significant industrial and commercial hub in Epping. It supports over 25,000 jobs across advanced manufacturing, logistics, and technology sectors. Key sub-precincts include Cooper Street West, East, and Macquarie, with major estates like 4Ten Epping and the Epping Logistics Estate under active development. The precinct is a primary gateway for Melbourne's north, featuring high-quality landscaped business parks and strategic proximity to the Hume Freeway and the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable, and Flower Market.
Wollert Neighbourhood Centre
A $40 million state-of-the-art neighbourhood centre designed by international architects OMA as a 'social condenser'. The 9,000sqm facility integrates a full-line supermarket and specialty retail with essential community infrastructure including childcare, health services, and education spaces. Designed to promote social cohesion, it features a central public courtyard, an amphitheatre, and an accessible rooftop dedicated to sports and urban agriculture. The project addresses the rapid population growth in Melbourne's north by blending commercial utility with communal experience.
Employment
The labour market performance in Epping - East lags significantly behind most other regions nationally
Epping - East has a skilled workforce with the construction sector being prominent. The unemployment rate was 6.0% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 0.6%. As of December 2025, 7,094 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 1.2% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.
Workforce participation was lower at 67.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 18.6% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The key industries for employment were health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction had a notable concentration with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.
Professional & technical services had limited presence at 4.3%, compared to the regional average of 10.1%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.6% while labour force grew by 1.2%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 2.4%, labour force grow by 2.8%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment could expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Epping - East's employment mix indicates potential local employment growth of 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment
The median income among taxpayers in Epping - East SA2 was $51,439 in financial year 2023. The average income stood at $57,720 during the same period. In comparison, Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes were $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on a 9.62% growth since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $56,387 (median) and $63,273 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, household income ranked at the 45th percentile ($1,675 weekly), while personal income was at the 27th percentile. Income analysis showed that 38.4% of locals (5,205 people) fell into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. This is consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.8% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 84.0% of income remaining, ranking at the 46th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Epping - East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region
Epping - East's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 81.1% houses and 18.9% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Epping - East was 29.6%, similar to Melbourne metro's figure, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (44.8%) or rented (25.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,708, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Epping - East was recorded at $360, compared to Melbourne metro's figure of $390. Nationally, Epping - East's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Epping - East features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 79.3% of all households, including 42.4% couples with children, 21.3% couples without children, and 14.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 20.7%, with lone person households at 18.5% and group households comprising 2.3%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational attainment in Epping - East aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics
The area's university qualification rate is 22.5%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 34.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 22.8%.
Educational participation is high, with 34.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.5% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 5.7% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
The analysis of public transportation in the area of Epping - East indicates that there are currently 43 active transport stops operating within this region. These stops primarily serve buses, with a total of 9 individual routes providing service to the area. Collectively, these routes facilitate approximately 4026 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in this area is rated as good, with residents typically located about 247 meters from their nearest transport stop. As it is predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward from Epping - East. The car remains the primary mode of transportation for these residents, with approximately 89% using this method and only 6% utilizing the train.
On average, there are around 1.6 vehicles per dwelling in this area, which is higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, about 18.6% of residents work from home, a figure that may have been influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages approximately 575 trips per day, equating to around 93 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Epping - East is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts
Epping - East faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 48% of the total population (~6,533 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.
The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, impacting 7.5 and 6.8% of residents respectively, while 72.5% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 17.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,309 people), higher than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Epping - East is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics
Epping - East has a high cultural diversity, with 37.2% of its population born overseas and 46.6% speaking a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in Epping - East is Christianity, accounting for 52.2% of the population. Islam is notably overrepresented, comprising 12.0%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 5.6%.
The top three ancestry groups are Other (17.8%), Australian (16.7%), and English (14.5%), which is lower than the regional average of 20.1%. Certain ethnic groups show significant differences: Macedonian at 5.8% (regional average 0.7%), Italian at 10.8% (regional average 5.2%), and Greek at 4.9% (regional average 2.7%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Epping - East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern
Epping-East has a median age of 37 years, aligning with Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's average of 38 years. The 55-64 age group constitutes 12.2% of Epping-East's population, higher than Greater Melbourne's percentage. Conversely, the 25-34 age group makes up 14.1%, lower than Greater Melbourne's figure. Between 2021 and present, the 65-74 age group has increased from 8.1% to 9.7%. Meanwhile, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 15.0% to 14.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Epping-East's age structure. Notably, the 45-54 group is expected to grow by 59%, reaching 2,588 people from its current size of 1,625.