Essendon - East

Population growth drivers in Essendon - East are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Essendon - East's population was approximately 13,265 as of February 2026, reflecting an increase of 1,074 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents an 8.8% increase from the previous census figure of 12,191 people. This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,946 in June 2024 and an additional 313 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio was approximately 3,736 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Essendon - East has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.1%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 89.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting using a method of 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. Based on demographic trends and the latest annual ERP population numbers, Essendon - East is expected to grow by approximately 1,113 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of about 6.0% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Essendon - East recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Essendon - East has recorded approximately 60 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling 302 homes. As of FY-26, 28 approvals have been recorded. The average population increase per dwelling built in the area over these years is 0.8 people. This new supply has kept pace with or exceeded demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction cost value of new homes being built is $445,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY-26, $1.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Essendon - East records roughly half the building activity per person and ranks among the 65th percentile nationally when measured by new building activity. This activity consists of 24.0% standalone homes and 76.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a focus on higher-density living that caters to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift is notable compared to the current housing mix, which is 40.0% houses.

The area has approximately 282 people per dwelling approval, suggesting room for growth. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Essendon - East is expected to grow by 794 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Essendon - East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include LUMA Sunshine North, Moonee Valley Racing Club Grandstand & Clubhouse Redevelopment, 881 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon, and Moonee Valley Park. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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AreaSearch assessment positions Essendon - East ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Essendon - East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 4.0% as of the past year. Employment growth over this period was estimated at 4.4%.

By September 2025, 8,250 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.7%, 1.0% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation stood at 75.6%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. Census data indicated that 40.8% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment among residents were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

The area showed notable concentration in public administration & safety, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, manufacturing had lower representation at 4.7% compared to the regional average of 7.2%. Limited local employment opportunities were suggested by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.4%, labour force grew by 4.8%, resulting in a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Essendon - East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localised population projections.

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

Essendon - East SA2 had exceptionally high national income levels according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Median income among taxpayers was $67,311 and average income stood at $96,507. These figures compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $72,864 (median) and $104,469 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, individual earnings stood out at the 86th percentile nationally ($1,111 weekly). Distribution data showed the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominated with 32.3% of residents (4,284 people), mirroring regional levels where 32.8% occupied this bracket. Essendon - East demonstrated considerable affluence with 32.0% earning over $3,000 per week. Housing accounted for 14.8% of income while strong earnings ranked residents within the 71st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Essendon - East displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Essendon - East's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 39.9% houses and 60.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Essendon - East was at 28.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.3% and rented ones at 42.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,000. The median weekly rent figure was $371, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Essendon - East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 versus the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $371 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 59.1% of all households, including 26.3% couples with children, 24.0% couples without children, and 7.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up 40.9%, with lone person households at 36.0% and group households comprising 4.9%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in Essendon - East places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Essendon - East is notably high, with 47.8% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 30.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.1% and graduate diplomas at 4.9%. Vocational pathways account for 23.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 11.1% and certificates 12.1%. Educational participation is high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 8.3% in tertiary education, 7.6% in primary education, and 6.5% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.3% in tertiary education, 7.6% in primary education, and 6.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 86 active transport stops operating within Essendon - East. These include a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. The area is served by 20 individual routes that collectively provide 8,789 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 145 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 72%, while train accounts for 14%.

Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 40.8% of residents work from home, a figure that may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,255 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 102 weekly trips per individual stop.

Essendon - East's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Essendon - East. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low for both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (9,245 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.4 and 8.1% of residents respectively. A total of 71.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents showed notably healthy outcomes with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.7% of residents aged 65 and over (2,483 people), higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Essendon - East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Essendon-East has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 26.8% of its population born overseas and 24.5% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Essendon-East, making up 53.4% of the population. Hinduism's presence is notably higher in Essendon-East at 4.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.4%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.6%), Australian (17.3%), and Other (10.9%). Italian, Maltese, and Irish ethnicities show significant overrepresentation: Italians comprise 10.2% versus the regional average of 5.2%, Maltese at 1.7% versus 1.1%, and Irish at 10.8% compared to 6.5%.

Essendon - East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Essendon - East has a median age of 37, matching Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and remaining comparable to Australia's median age of 38 years. The 65-74 age group makes up 10.4% of Essendon - East's population compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 9.1%. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has grown from 4.2% to 6.0%, and the 65-74 cohort increased from 9.0% to 10.4%. Conversely, the 0-4 cohort has declined from 4.1% to 3.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Essendon - East's age structure. The 75-84 group is expected to grow by 54%, reaching 1,220 people from the current 791, with those aged 65 and above comprising 58% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 25-34 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.