Glen Waverley - East
Statistical Area - sa2

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 approximately 22,732 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,129 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,603. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 22,689 in June 2024 and an additional 79 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,481 persons per square kilometer, placing Glen Waverley - East in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on these trends, Glen Waverley - East is projected to have an above median population growth, increasing by 4,065 persons to 2041, representing a total gain of 17.7% over the 17-year period.

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, totalling 581 homes. As of FY2026, 34 approvals have been recorded. The population has declined in recent years, suggesting that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, offering good choice to buyers. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $1,198,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties.

There have been $12.3 million in commercial approvals this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Glen Waverley - East maintains similar construction rates per person, supporting market stability aligned 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.

With around 184 people per approval, Glen Waverley - East reflects a low density area. Future projections show Glen Waverley - East adding approximately 4,022 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 strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 27 projects that are expected to impact the area significantly. Among these key projects are: 15-17 Marriott Parade Townhouse Development, 855-869 Ferntree Gully Road Townhouse Development, Luna Glen Waverley, and 2-4 Kingsway Mixed-Use Development. The following list provides details on those likely to be most relevant.

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

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 strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 1.9% as of June 2025, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.2%. As of June 2025, 11,571 residents were in work and workforce participation was 57.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and retail trade. The area has a significant specialization in professional & technical services, 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%. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 4.2%, while labour force increased by 4.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glen Waverley - East's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Glen Waverley - East has a median taxpayer income of $44,935 and an average income of $69,908 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is above the national average, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $49,478 (median) and $76,976 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 62nd percentile ($1,949 weekly), while personal income is at the 29th percentile. Distribution data shows that 28.6% of locals (6,501 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income category. Economic strength is evident with 30.2% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 63rd percentile. 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 in Glen Waverley - East, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 2016, comprised 89.5% houses and 10.5% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings, compared to Melbourne metropolitan area's 69.6% houses and 30.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glen Waverley - East was recorded at 46.3%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (30.6%) or rented (23.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, higher than Melbourne metropolitan average of $2,383. Median weekly rent in Glen Waverley - East was recorded at $500, compared to Melbourne metro's $440. Nationally, Glen Waverley - East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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%, comprising 17.4% lone person households and 2.9% group households. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.7.

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

Glen Waverley - East has a notably high level of educational attainment. 47.9% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, surpassing the SA4 region's 29.8% and Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent 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 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 10.9% and certificates 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. There are 8 schools operating within Glen Waverley - East, educating approximately 5,855 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1124. Education provision is balanced with 6 primary and 2 secondary schools serving distinct age groups. Glen Waverley - East functions as an education hub, offering 25.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.8, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Public transport analysis indicates 82 active transport stops operating within Glen Waverley - East. These are a mix of bus stops serviced by 30 individual routes. Collectively, they provide 4900 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as good with residents typically located 243 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 700 trips per day across all routes equating to approximately 59 weekly trips per individual stop.

Glen Waverley - East's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Glen Waverley - East.

Prevalence of common health conditions is very low across all age groups. Private health cover rate is very high at approximately 54% of the total population (~12,366 people). Most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 6.1 and 5.5% of residents respectively. 75.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 75.3% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 21.2% of residents aged 65 and over (4,823 people), higher than the 17.5% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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 Australia, with 60.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. Additionally, 58.6% were born overseas during the same period. Christianity is the predominant religion in Glen Waverley-East, making up 36.3%.

However, Buddhism is significantly higher than average, comprising 9.6% compared to Greater Melbourne's 7.9%. The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (32.1%), English (13.5%), and Other (13.4%). Notably, Sri Lankan (2.5%) and Indian (8.0%) groups are overrepresented compared to the regional averages of 2.1% and 6.8%, respectively, while Korean representation is slightly higher at 1.4%.

Glen Waverley - East hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Glen Waverley - East is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and Australia's average of 38 years. The 75-84 age group constitutes 8.1% of the population, compared to a lower representation of the 25-34 cohort at 10.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 13.5% to 14.0%, while the 65 to 74 cohort has decreased from 10.5% to 9.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Glen Waverley - East. Notably, the 85+ age group is projected to grow by 102%, reaching 1,578 people from a current figure of 781. Conversely, the 5-14 age cohort is expected to decline by 101 people.