Hawthorn East

Population growth drivers in Hawthorn East are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Hawthorn East's population is around 17,439 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,755 people (11.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,684 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,318 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 180 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 4,565 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought resource. Hawthorn East's 11.2% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (7.4%) 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 90.7% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including natural growth and interstate migration, were positive factors.

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, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected, with the area expected to grow by 2,474 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 13.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Hawthorn East recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Hawthorn East has seen around 62 new homes approved each year, with 311 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 54 so far in FY-26. With an average of 1.8 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply and demand appear well-balanced, creating stable market conditions, though recent data shows this has intensified to 17.7 people per dwelling over the past 2 financial years, indicating growing popularity and potential undersupply. New homes are being built at an average construction cost of $739,000, showing that developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. Additionally, $45.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting robust local business investment.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn East has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks in the 32nd percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. New building activity consists of 44.0% detached houses and 56.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 518 people per dwelling approval, Hawthorn East shows a developed market.

Population forecasts indicate Hawthorn East will gain 2,353 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Hawthorn East has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 31 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Eastern Freeway Upgrades - Bulleen to Springvale Road, Camberwell Junction Activity Centre Development, Camberwell House, and Nido Early School Hawthorn East, 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.

Employment conditions in Hawthorn East demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Hawthorn East possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 2.9%, and 2.5% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 11,210 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (76.1% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 49.1% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical, with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 5.6% versus the regional average of 9.7%. The ratio of 0.7 workers for each resident, as at the Census, indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 2.5% and the labour force increased by 2.4%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 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 Hawthorn 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 Hawthorn East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.8% 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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Hawthorn East SA2 is exceptionally high nationally, with the median assessed at $70,020 while the average income stands at $121,551. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's figures of a median income of $57,688 and an average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $75,797 (median) and $131,579 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Hawthorn East, between the 79th and 92nd percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 29.8% of the community (5,196 individuals), aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 32.8%. A significant 38.0% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 15.1% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 79th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Hawthorn East features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within Hawthorn East, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 32.0% houses and 68.0% 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 Hawthorn East was in line with that of Melbourne metro, at 29.8%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (28.8%) or rented (41.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Melbourne metro average at $2,492, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $411, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Hawthorn East's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed the national figure of $375.

Hawthorn East features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 59.9% of all households, comprising 25.3% couples with children, 26.6% couples without children, and 6.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 40.1%, with lone person households at 33.5% and group households comprising 6.5% of the total. The median household size of 2.2 people is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in Hawthorn East significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 61.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 33.4% in VIC. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 37.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Vocational pathways account for 17.0% of qualifications among those aged 15+; advanced diplomas (9.2%) and certificates (7.8%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.4% in tertiary education, 7.8% in primary education, and 7.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 41 active transport stops operating within Hawthorn East, comprising a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are serviced by 8 individual routes, collectively providing 6,851 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 220 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 69%, with 15% by train and 7% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 0.9 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A high 49.1% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 978 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 167 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hawthorn 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 Hawthorn 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 is exceptionally high at approximately 79% of the total population (13,741 people). This compares to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 7.9% and 7.6% of residents, respectively, while 73.3% 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 16.3% of residents aged 65 and over (2,844 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.

Hawthorn East was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Hawthorn East is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 32.0% of its population born overseas and 25.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Hawthorn East is Christianity, which makes up 38.2% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 2.3% of the population, compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Hawthorn East are English, comprising 22.8% of the population, Australian, comprising 18.8% of the population, and Chinese, comprising 9.9% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: French is notably overrepresented at 0.8% of Hawthorn East (vs 0.5% regionally), Greek at 2.5% (vs 2.7%) and Sri Lankan at 0.5% (vs 0.8%).

Hawthorn East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

At 36 years, Hawthorn East's median age is nearly matching the Greater Melbourne average of 37 and is similarly modestly under the Australian median of 38. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn East has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (20.8%) but fewer 5 - 14 year-olds (9.0%). This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. Since the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 13.2% to 15.2% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.6% to 10.9% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 10.5% to 9.0%. Demographic modeling suggests Hawthorn East's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 65 to 74 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 34%, adding 465 residents to reach 1,817. Senior residents (65+) will drive 50% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. On the other hand, the 15 to 24 cohort is projected to decline by 119 people.