Grovedale - Mount Duneed
Statistical Area - sa2

Grovedale - Mount Duneed lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Grovedale - Mount Duneed's population is approximately 27,987 as of Aug 2025. This represents a 13.0% increase from the 2021 Census figure of 24,763 people. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 27,785 in Jun 2024 and an additional 1,332 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 744 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth exceeded non-metro areas (5.5%) and its SA3 region, making it a growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 68.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs 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 years 2032 to 2041. Future projections indicate exceptional growth in the top 10 percent of regional areas nationally. The area is expected to expand by 15,940 persons to 2041, representing a total increase of 56.2% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Grovedale - Mount Duneed was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Grovedale-Mount Duneed has granted around 460 residential property approvals annually. Development approval data from the ABS shows 2,302 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with 99 approvals so far in FY-26. Each dwelling built attracts an average of 2.1 new residents per year. New homes are constructed at an average cost of $412,000, aligning with regional trends.

Commercial development approvals totalled $62.5 million this financial year. Compared to the Rest of Vic., Grovedale-Mount Duneed has 77.0% more building activity per person. New building activity consists of 93.0% detached dwellings and 7.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's low-density character. There are approximately 86 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Population forecasts project Grovedale-Mount Duneed to gain 15,735 residents by 2041.

Construction pace is reasonable but may face increasing competition as population grows.

Grovedale - Mount Duneed has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 52 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Deakin University Waurn Ponds Expansion, Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, Baanip Boulevard - Boundary Road Signalised Intersection and Boundary Road Extension, and Levande Highton Retirement Village. The following list details those most relevant.

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

The employment environment in Grovedale - Mount Duneed shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Grovedale - Mount Duneed has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 2.9% as of June 2025. This is 0.9% lower than the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

The area's employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.9%. As of June 2025, there are 14,839 residents in work, with a workforce participation rate of 65.0%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Retail trade has an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.8% versus the regional average of 7.5%.

Employment levels increased by 1.9% during the year to June 2025, with labour force increasing by 2.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. experienced employment decline of 0.9% and labour force decline of 0.4%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, with the state's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest Grovedale - Mount Duneed's local employment could grow by approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the area's current employment mix.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Grovedale - Mount Duneed has a median income of $53,903 and an average income of $66,901. This is slightly above the national average. In comparison, Rest of Vic.'s median income is $48,741 with an average of $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Grovedale - Mount Duneed would be approximately $59,353 (median) and $73,665 (average) as of March 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family, and personal incomes in Grovedale - Mount Duneed rank modestly, between the 46th and 52nd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 35.7% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999, which aligns with the metropolitan region where this cohort also represents 30.3%. After housing expenses, 84.9% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Grovedale - Mount Duneed is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Grovedale-Mount Duneed's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s 84.6% houses and 15.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Grovedale-Mount Duneed was 32.2%, similar to Non-Metro Vic., with mortgaged dwellings at 41.9% and rented ones at 26.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,712. Median weekly rent was $390, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $335. Nationally, Grovedale-Mount Duneed's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Grovedale - Mount Duneed features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households compose 71.9 percent of all households, including 32.5 percent couples with children, 27.4 percent couples without children, and 10.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.1 percent, with lone person households at 23.6 percent and group households comprising 4.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Grovedale - Mount Duneed exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 27.9% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the Rest of Vic average of 21.7%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 18.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 35.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 12.1% and certificates at 23.8%. Educational participation is high, with 29.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 9.4% in primary, 6.8% in tertiary, and 6.6% pursuing secondary education.

Nine schools operate within Grovedale - Mount Duneed, educating approximately 2,962 students. These schools demonstrate typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1031) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with 7 primary and 2 secondary schools serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents stand at 10.6, below the regional average of 16.7, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Grovedale - Mount Duneed has 116 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus stations. There are 22 individual routes serving these stops.

Collectively, they facilitate 2,850 weekly passenger trips. Residents' accessibility to transport is rated as good, with an average distance of 232 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 407 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 24 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Grovedale - Mount Duneed is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Grovedale-Mount Duneed faces significant health challenges.

Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is approximately 52% of the total population (~14,665 people), slightly higher than the average SA2 area. Mental health issues impact 9.8% of residents, while asthma affects 8.9%. Approximately 66.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.9% across Rest of Vic. The area has 15.8% of residents aged 65 and over (4,410 people), which is lower than the 16.8% in Rest of Vic. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Grovedale-Mount Duneed, surveyed in June 2016, had a population with cultural diversity roughly matching the broader region's average. 87.8% were citizens, 81.3% were born in Australia, and 87.6% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 45.2%.

The 'Other' religious category had a slightly higher representation at 1.5%, compared to the regional average of 1.2%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (28.7%), Australian (27.6%), and Irish (8.6%). Notably, Dutch ancestry was equally represented at 2.0%, Scottish slightly higher at 8.6% versus 8.3%, and Croatian lower at 0.6% compared to the regional average of 1.5%.

Grovedale - Mount Duneed's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Grovedale-Mount Duneed has a median age of 35 years, which is significantly lower than Victoria's overall average of 43 and slightly younger than Australia's median age of 38. Comparing with the Victorian average, Grovedale-Mount Duneed has an over-representation of the 25-34 cohort at 18.9% compared to locally, while those aged 65-74 are under-represented at 8.1%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Grovedale-Mount Duneed's population saw changes in age distribution: the 25-34 group grew from 15.6% to 18.9%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 13.2% to 14.9%. Conversely, the 55-64 group declined from 9.8% to 8.6%, and the 15-24 age group decreased from 13.8% to 12.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Grovedale-Mount Duneed's age profile, with the strongest growth expected among the 25-34 cohort, projected to increase by 88%, adding 4,653 residents to reach a total of 9,929.