Glen Waverley - East

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

Glen Waverley - East's population is around 22,747 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,144 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,603 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 22,689 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 81 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,483 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing 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. An above median population growth is projected, with the area expected to increase by 4,065 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 17.6% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Glen Waverley - East when compared nationally

Glen Waverley - East has averaged approximately 116 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, from 2021 to 2025. This totals 581 homes approved during this period. As of June 2026, 62 approvals have been recorded in the current financial year. The population has shown a decline recently, suggesting that new supply is meeting demand and offering buyers good choice.

The average construction cost value for new properties is $790,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In terms of commercial development, there have been $12.3 million in approvals this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of activity. When compared to Greater Melbourne, Glen Waverley - East maintains similar construction rates per person, supporting market stability aligned with regional patterns.

The new development consists of 80% detached houses and 20% attached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With approximately 184 people per approval, Glen Waverley - East reflects a low-density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Glen Waverley - East is projected to add 4,007 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

AreaSearch has identified a total of 28 projects that are expected to impact the area significantly. These include major developments such as the townhouse project at 855-869 Ferntree Gully Road and another at 15-17 Marriott Parade, both likely to influence local performance. Additionally, the development at 281 Springvale Road in Glen Waverley is notable, along with Luna Park in Glen Waverley. The following list provides more details on these projects, which are considered most relevant.

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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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Glen Waverley - East performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Glen Waverley - East has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.0%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.7%. In the year ending September 2025, employment grew by an estimated 4.4%.

As of that date, 11,471 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.7%. Workforce participation is 61.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. A high 37.6% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade.

The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level. However, construction is under-represented at 6.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 4.4% while labour force grew by 4.7%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May-25, project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glen Waverley - East's industry mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

Glen Waverley - East SA2 had median taxpayer income of $47,174 and average income of $68,446 in financial year 2023. This is roughly national average, differing from Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average of $75,164. By September 2025, estimates suggest median income will be approximately $51,066 and average $74,093, accounting for Wage Price Index growth of 8.25%. In 2021 Census data, household income ranked at 62nd percentile ($1,949 weekly), personal income at 28th percentile. Predominant income cohort, 28.6% (6,505 people), falls within $1,500 - $2,999 range. High earning households, 30.2%, support elevated consumer spending despite high housing costs consuming 15.4% of income. Disposable income ranks at 63rd percentile and area's SEIFA income ranking places it in 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Glen Waverley - East, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.5% houses and 10.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glen Waverley - East was at 46.3%, with the rest being mortgaged (30.6%) or rented (23.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Glen Waverley - East was $500, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Glen Waverley - East features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 79.7% of all households, including 43.2% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.3%, with lone person households at 17.4% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in Glen Waverley - East is notably high, with 47.9% of residents aged 15 years and above holding university qualifications. This exceeds the SA4 region's rate of 29.8% and Australia's average of 30.4%. The area has a strong educational advantage, led by bachelor degrees at 29.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational pathways account for 19.9% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and above, with advanced diplomas at 10.9% and certificates at 9.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 8.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Glen Waverley - East has 82 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus routes. These stops are served by 28 unique routes that facilitate a total of 3,892 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents' average distance to the nearest stop being 243 meters. Predominantly residential, most Glen Waverley - East residents commute outwards. Cars are the primary mode of transportation, used by 83% of residents, while trains are used by 9%. The area has an average vehicle ownership rate of 1.5 per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 37.6% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 556 daily trips across all routes, equating to approximately 47 weekly trips per individual stop.

Glen Waverley - East's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results for Glen Waverley - East, with AreaSearch's assessment indicating very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The area has approximately 53% private health cover, higher than the average SA2 area but slightly below Greater Melbourne's 56.7%.

Arthritis and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 6.1 and 5.5% of residents respectively. Around 75.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Glen Waverley - East has a higher proportion of seniors, with 21.7% aged 65 and over (4,933 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. While health outcomes among seniors are strong, they rank lower nationally than those of the broader population.

Glen Waverley - 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

Glen Waverley - East has a population where 60.3% speak a language other than English at home, with 58.6% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, making up 36.3%. Buddhism's representation is significantly higher at 9.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 4.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (32.1%), English (13.5%), and Other (13.4%). Notably, Sri Lankan ancestry is overrepresented at 2.5% compared to the regional average of 0.8%, Indian at 8.0% versus 4.2%, and Korean at 1.4% against 0.3%.

Glen Waverley - East's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Glen Waverley - East is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and Australia's 38 years. The 75-84 age group comprises 8.1% of the population, compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 10.2%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 13.5% to 14.3%, and the 65 to 74 cohort has decreased from 10.5% to 9.8%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Glen Waverley - East, with the 45 to 54 group expected to grow by 26% (771 people), reaching 3,720 from 2,948. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort is projected to decline by 44 people.