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 was around 28,007 as of Nov 2025. This reflected an increase of 3,244 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 24,763. The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 27,786 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses of 1,339 since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 745 persons per square kilometer. Grovedale - Mount Duneed's growth of 13.1% since the 2021 census exceeded non-metro area's 6.0%. Interstate migration contributed approximately 68.6% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopted 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 utilised VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections predicted exceptional growth, placing Grovedale - Mount Duneed in the top 10 percent of regional areas nationally over the period. The area was expected to expand by 15,940 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, with an increase of 56.1% in total 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 approved approximately 460 residential properties annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 2,302 homes were approved, with an additional 179 approved in FY26 as of now. On average, each dwelling built over these five years accommodated about 2.1 new residents per year, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

The average expected construction cost value for new homes is approximately $261,000. This financial year has seen $62.5 million in commercial approvals, suggesting robust commercial development momentum. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Grovedale - Mount Duneed records 77.0% more construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. However, construction activity has recently eased. Nationally, this activity is above average, reflecting developers' confidence in the area.

New building activity comprises predominantly detached houses at 93.0%, with medium and high-density housing making up the remaining 7.0%. This maintains the area's traditional low-density character, focusing on family homes that appeal to those seeking space. With around 86 people per dwelling approval, Grovedale - Mount Duneed exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Population forecasts indicate that the area will gain approximately 15,715 residents by 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with these growth projections, though buyers may face increased competition as the population grows.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 49 projects that may affect the region. Notable projects include Deakin University Waurn Ponds Expansion, Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, Baanip Boulevard - Boundary Road Signalised Intersection and Boundary Road Extension, Levande Highton Retirement Village. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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.

AreaSearch assessment positions Grovedale - Mount Duneed ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Grovedale - Mount Duneed has an unemployment rate of 2.9% as of June 2025, with estimated employment growth of 1.9% over the past year. This is lower than Rest of Vic.'s unemployment rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Grovedale - Mount Duneed stands at 65.0%, higher than Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Retail trade is particularly strong, with 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%. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, labour force by 2.3%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.4 percentage points.

In comparison, Rest of Vic. saw employment decline by 0.9% and labour force decline by 0.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Grovedale - Mount Duneed's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7%% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows median income in Grovedale - Mount Duneed is $53,903 and average income is $66,901. This compares to Rest of Vic.'s median income of $48,741 and average income of $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $60,458 (median) and $75,036 (average). Census 2021 data shows Grovedale - Mount Duneed's household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly, between the 46th and 52nd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 35.7% of individuals earn $1,500 - 2,999, similar to metropolitan regions (30.3%). After housing costs, 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 dwellings were 89.9% houses and 10.1% other types at the latest Census, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s 84.6% houses and 15.4% others. Home ownership in Grovedale - Mount Duneed was 32.2%, with mortgages at 41.9% and rentals at 26.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, above Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,712. Median weekly rent was $390, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s $335. Nationally, Grovedale - Mount Duneed's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,733 versus Australia's $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 constitute 71.9% of all households, including 32.5% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 10.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 28.1%, with lone person households at 23.6% and group households making up 4.5% 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 of 27.9% among residents aged 15+, exceeding 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 them - advanced diplomas comprise 12.1% and certificates make up 23.8%. Educational participation is high at 29.6%, including 9.4% in primary education, 6.8% in tertiary education, and 6.6% pursuing secondary education.

There are nine schools operating within Grovedale - Mount Duneed, educating approximately 2,962 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1031) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with seven primary and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are 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 offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 22 routes that facilitate 2,850 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents have good accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 232 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 407 trips per day across all routes, translating 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, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 52% of the total population (~14,675 people), leading that of the average SA2 area. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 9.8 and 8.9% of residents respectively. A total of 66.6% of residents declared 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 (4,413 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's cultural diversity is roughly in line with the wider region's average. As of June 2016, 87.8% of its population were citizens, 81.3% were born in Australia, and 87.6% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 45.2% of people in Grovedale-Mount Duneed as of June 2016.

However, there was an overrepresentation in the Other category, with 1.5% compared to 1.2% across Rest of Vic.. The top three ancestry groups were English (28.7%), Australian (27.6%), and Irish (8.6%). Notably, Dutch representation was at 2.0%, Scottish at 8.6%, and Croatian at 0.6%.

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 below the Rest of Vic average of 43 and somewhat younger than the Australian median of 38. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 18.9% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 8.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group grew from 15.6% to 18.9%, and the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 13.2% to 14.9%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort declined from 9.8% to 8.6%, and the 15 to 24 group dropped from 13.8% to 12.7%. Demographic modeling suggests Grovedale-Mount Duneed's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 25 to 34 cohort projected to grow by 88%, adding 4,649 residents to reach 9,929.