Glenroy - West

Glenroy - West lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Glenroy - West's population is around 9,970 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,113 people (12.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,857 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,575 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 127 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,819 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Glenroy - West's 12.6% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (8.7%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 85.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 utilizes 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of national areas, is predicted over the period, with the area expected to expand by 4,907 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 45.3% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Glenroy - West when compared nationally

Glenroy - West has recorded around 58 residential properties granted approval per year, with 291 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 16 so far in FY-26. Given an average of 1.7 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply and demand appear well-balanced, creating stable market conditions, with recent figures showing this has accelerated to 4.8 people per dwelling over the past 2 financial years, suggesting increasing demand and tightening supply. Development projects average $251,000 in construction value, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. Additionally, $64,000 in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating minimal commercial development activity.

Relative to Greater Melbourne, Glenroy - West maintains similar construction rates (per person), keeping market balance consistent with the broader area. New development consists of 24.0% detached houses and 76.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 47.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 164 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

Looking ahead, Glenroy - West is expected to grow by 4,512 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Glenroy - West has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 22 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Glenroy Structure Plan, 71 May Street Townhouses, 60 Daley Street Townhouses, and Glenroy College Modernisation, 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.

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Employment conditions in Glenroy - West demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Glenroy - West has a highly educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 2.4%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 5,785 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.3% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. Based on Census responses, a high 28.0% 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, accommodation & food, and professional & technical. The area shows particularly strong specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level. Conversely, retail trade shows lower representation at 7.6% versus the regional average of 9.8%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels remained stable by 0.0% and labour force decreased by 0.8%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.7 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 Glenroy - West. 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 Glenroy - West's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Glenroy - West SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $65,457 and an average of $74,820 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is well above 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 $70,857 (median) and $80,993 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Glenroy - West cluster around the 58th percentile nationally. Distribution data shows the predominant cohort spans 34.7% of locals (3,459 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, reflecting patterns seen in the broader area where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 57th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Glenroy - West, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 47.4% houses and 52.6% 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 Glenroy - West lagged that of Melbourne metro, at 25.5%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (34.6%) or rented (39.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Melbourne metro average at $1,980, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $369, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Glenroy - West's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are lower than the national figure of $375.

Glenroy - West features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 69.3% of all households, comprising 29.3% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 10.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.7%, with lone person households at 25.8% and group households comprising 5.0% of the total. The median household size of 2.6 people matches the Greater Melbourne average.

The educational profile of Glenroy - West exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Glenroy - West significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 40.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 27.7% 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 24.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 27.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (15.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.0% in primary education, 7.8% in tertiary education, and 5.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 25 active transport stops operating within Glenroy - West, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 4 individual routes, collectively providing 2,006 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 230 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 66%, with 24% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average. A high 28.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 286 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 80 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Glenroy - West is well below average with considerably higher than average prevalence of common health conditions and to an even higher degree among older age cohorts

Health data reveals substantial challenges facing Glenroy - West, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a considerably higher than average prevalence of common health conditions, particularly among older age cohorts, while the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~5,593 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 7.5% and 6.2% of residents, respectively, while 74.6% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 12.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,250 people), which is lower than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, though they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

Glenroy - West is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Glenroy - West scores highly on cultural diversity, with 48.0% of its population born overseas and 50.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Glenroy - West is Christianity, which makes up 38.1% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Hinduism, which comprises 17.0% of the population, substantially higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 4.4%.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Glenroy - West are Other, comprising 28.1% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 14.6%, Australian, comprising 14.4% of the population, and English, comprising 14.2% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 20.1%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Polish is notably overrepresented at 1.3% of Glenroy - West (vs 0.8% regionally), Maltese at 1.7% (vs 1.1%) and Italian at 7.1% (vs 5.2%).

Glenroy - West's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

With a median age of 33, Glenroy - West is materially younger than the Greater Melbourne figure of 37 and is substantially under Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Glenroy - West has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (24.7%) but fewer 5 - 14 year-olds (9.0%). This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 15.5% to 17.4% of the population. Conversely, the 85+ cohort has declined from 3.6% to 2.4% and the 0 to 4 group dropped from 7.2% to 6.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Glenroy - West. The 25 to 34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 31%, adding 760 residents to reach 3,225.