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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Glen Waverley - East's population is around 22,747 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,144 people (5.3%) 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 population level 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, which was essentially the sole driver of population gains during recent periods.

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 is utilising 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 from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Regarding demographic trends, an above-median population growth relative to national areas is projected, with the area expected to increase by 4,065 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, recording 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 around 116 new dwelling approvals annually, totalling 581 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 66 approvals have been recorded. With population declining over recent years, new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $790,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. There have also been $12.3 million in commercial approvals this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Glen Waverley - East maintains similar construction rates (per person), supporting market stability in line with regional patterns. New development consists of 80.0% detached houses and 20.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. At around 184 people per approval, Glen Waverley - East reflects a low density area.

Future projections show Glen Waverley - East adding 4,007 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). 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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 28 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include 855-869 Ferntree Gully Road Townhouse Development, 15-17 Marriott Parade Townhouse Development, 281 Springvale Road Glen Waverley Development, and Luna Glen Waverley, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

Glen Waverley - East ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Glen Waverley - East possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 2.1%, and 4.2% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 11,572 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.7% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation lags significantly (62.3% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 37.6% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and retail trade. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level. On the other hand, construction is under-represented, with only 6.5% of Glen Waverley - East's workforce compared to 9.7% in Greater Melbourne. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 4.2% while the labour force increased by 4.7%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Glen Waverley - East. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Glen Waverley - East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Glen Waverley - East SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $47,174 and an average of $68,446 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is approximately average nationally, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $51,066 (median) and $74,093 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household income ranks at the 62nd percentile ($1,949 weekly), while personal income sits at the 28th percentile. Distribution data shows the predominant cohort spans 28.6% of locals (6,505 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.8% in the same category. Economic strength emerges through 30.2% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 63rd percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Glen Waverley - East, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 89.5% houses and 10.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Glen Waverley - East was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 46.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (30.6%) or rented (23.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Melbourne metro average at $2,600, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $500, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Glen Waverley - East's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 79.7% of all households, comprising 43.2% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 20.3%, with lone person households at 17.4% and group households comprising 2.9% of the total. The median household size of 2.9 people is 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 47.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 29.8% in the SA4 region and 30.4% in Australia. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead 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+; advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (9.0%).

Educational participation is notably 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

Public transport analysis reveals 82 active transport stops operating within Glen Waverley - East, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 28 individual routes, collectively providing 3,892 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 243 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 83%, with 9% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 37.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 556 trips per day 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 demonstrates outstanding results across Glen Waverley - East, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover slightly leads the average SA2 area at approximately 53% of the total population (~12,124 people). This compares to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be arthritis and asthma, impacting 6.1 and 5.5% of residents, respectively, while 75.4% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 21.7% of residents aged 65 and over (4,933 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, though they rank lower nationally than 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 is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country, with 60.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 58.6% born overseas. The main religion in Glen Waverley - East is Christianity, which makes up 36.3% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Buddhism, which comprises 9.6% of the population, substantially higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 4.2%.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Glen Waverley - East are Chinese, comprising 32.1% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 6.5%, English, comprising 13.5% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 20.1%, and Other, comprising 13.4% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Sri Lankan is notably overrepresented at 2.5% of Glen Waverley - East (vs 0.8% regionally), Indian at 8.0% (vs 4.2%) and Korean at 1.4% (vs 0.3%).

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

The 42-year median age in Glen Waverley - East is significantly above Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and similarly considerably older than Australia's 38 years. The 75 - 84 age group shows strong representation at 8.1% compared to Greater Melbourne, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 10.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 13.5% to 14.3% of the population. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 10.5% to 9.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Glen Waverley - East. Leading the demographic shift, the 45 to 54 group will grow by 26% (771 people), reaching 3,720 from 2,948. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort is projected to decline by 44 people.