Frankston North

Frankston North is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Frankston North's population is around 19,812 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 359 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,453 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 19,794 from the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 81 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,496 persons per square kilometer. Frankston North's growth rate of 1.8% since the Census positions it within 1.4 percentage points of the SA4 region (3.2%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 73.7% 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, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted 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. Future trends indicate a population increase just below the median of national areas, with an expected expansion of 1,539 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 7.7% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Frankston North, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Frankston North averaged approximately 32 new dwelling approvals annually over recent years. Between FY-21 and FY-25160 homes were approved, with an additional 37 approved in FY-26 as of now. Despite population decline during this period, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, indicating a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction cost value for new properties was $259,000, below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $163.6 million, reflecting robust local business investment. Comparatively, Frankston North has roughly half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person when measured against Greater Melbourne. Nationally, it ranks in the 29th percentile of areas assessed, offering more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. This lower activity level may reflect market maturity and potential development constraints.

New building activity comprises 61.0% detached dwellings and 39.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options across various price brackets from traditional family housing to more affordable compact alternatives. This shift indicates reduced availability of development sites and addresses evolving lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Currently, the housing mix is 89.0% houses. Frankston North has a dwelling approval rate of around 606 people per dwelling, indicative of a highly mature market. By 2041, it is projected to grow by approximately 1,521 residents (AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates persist, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Frankston North has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that could affect this region. Notable ones include Frankston to Baxter Rail Upgrade, Compass Business Park, Frankston Revitalisation Project, and Karingal Hub Shopping Centre Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment drivers in Frankston North are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Frankston North has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. The construction sector is prominent, with an unemployment rate of 9.9% and estimated employment growth of 3.2% in the past year. As of December 2025, 8,902 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.1%, higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation is lower at 60.2% compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census data, 18.9% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Leading employment industries are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction has a notably high concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services have limited presence at 4.7% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the difference between working population and resident population counts. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.2%, while labour force grew by 1.6%, leading to a 1.4 percentage point decrease in unemployment. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 2.4% and the labour force grow by 2.8%, with unemployment increasing by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Frankston North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The Frankston North SA2's median income among taxpayers was $54,398 in financial year 2023. The average income stood at $63,504 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated median and average incomes for Frankston North SA2 as of March 2026 would be approximately $59,631 and $69,613 respectively. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Frankston North all fell between the 21st and 21st percentiles nationally. The predominant income cohort spanned 32.6% of locals (6,458 people) with incomes ranging from $1,500 to $2,999, similar to the surrounding region where 32.8% fell within this range. Housing affordability pressures were severe in Frankston North, with only 80.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 18th percentile nationally.

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

Frankston North's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 88.7% houses and 11.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Frankston North stood at 28.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.0% and rented ones at 37.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,597, lower than Melbourne metro's $2,000. The median weekly rent figure was $341, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Frankston North's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,597 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 64.5% of all households, including 22.2% couples with children, 22.8% couples without children, and 18.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.5%, with lone person households at 31.1% and group households comprising 4.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational outcomes in Frankston North fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 17.2%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (29.3%). Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary education (10.3%), secondary education (7.1%), and tertiary education (3.7%).

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

Frankston North has 121 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes that together facilitate 2,333 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 185 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 90%, with an average vehicle ownership of 1.2 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 18.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

On average, there are 333 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 19 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Health performance in Frankston North is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Frankston North faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Several health conditions affect both younger and older age groups, with private health cover being relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~10,005 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 12.3% and 9.5% of residents respectively, while 59.6% report having no medical ailments, lower than Greater Melbourne's 72.6%.

The working-age population experiences notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. Frankston North has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 18.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally in line with national rankings.

In terms of cultural diversity, Frankston North records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Frankston North had a higher than average cultural diversity, with 12.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 22.8% born overseas. The predominant religion was Christianity, making up 39.9% of the population. However, Judaism was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 1.0% in Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (29.6%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (8.0%). Notably, Hungarian (0.5%) and Russian (0.6%) were overrepresented, while Maori was at 1.2%.

Frankston North's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Frankston North is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and equivalent to Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Frankston North has a higher percentage of residents aged 75-84 (7.0%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (11.1%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 13.5% to 15.4%, while the population aged 25-34 has declined from 16.4% to 15.3%. By 2041, Frankston North's age composition is projected to shift notably. The number of residents aged 85 and above is expected to grow by 102%, reaching 976 from 483. Those aged 65 and above are projected to comprise 61% of the population growth. Conversely, declines are projected for the populations aged 35-44 and 0-4 years.