Hawthorn - North

Hawthorn - North is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Hawthorn - North's population is around 10,850 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 960 people (9.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,890 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,820 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 32 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 4,410 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 - North's 9.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (7.4%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 86.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 utilizing 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 national statistical areas is expected, with the area expected to grow by 1,272 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 11.4% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Hawthorn - North is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Hawthorn - North has seen around 13 new homes approved each year, totalling 68 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 10 approvals have been recorded. As the area has experienced population decline, development activity has been adequate in relative terms, which is a positive for buyers, while new homes are being built at an average value of $1,301,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Additionally, $3.5 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting the area's residential character.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn - North shows substantially reduced construction (77.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. This activity is similarly below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 42.0% standalone homes and 58.0% townhouses or apartments. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 1267 people per dwelling approval, Hawthorn - North reflects a highly mature market.

Population forecasts indicate Hawthorn - North will gain 1,242 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Hawthorn - North has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 34 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Scotch Hill Gardens, Richmond Riverside, Glenferrie Station Activity Centre Development, and Clyde Street Development, 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 performance in Hawthorn - North exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Hawthorn - North features a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of only 4.0%, and 2.6% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,023 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.8% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (75.9% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 49.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area has particular employment specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level. In contrast, construction employs just 4.7% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 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, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 2.6% while labour force increased by 2.4%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.2 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%, labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Hawthorn - North. 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 - North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.9% 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 Hawthorn - North SA2's income level is exceptionally high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Hawthorn - North SA2's median income among taxpayers is $68,076 and the average income stands at $127,336, which compares to figures for Greater Melbourne's of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $73,692 (median) and $137,841 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Hawthorn - North, between the 83rd and 91st percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate the largest segment comprises 29.1% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (3,157 residents), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.8% in the same category. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 39.6% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing accounts for 14.9% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 83rd percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Hawthorn - North 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 - North, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 28.2% houses and 71.7% 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 - North was in line with that of Melbourne metro, at 30.4%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (25.7%) or rented (43.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Melbourne metro average at $2,800, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $401, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Hawthorn - North's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are exceeding the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 58.5% of all households, comprising 24.6% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 6.0% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 41.5%, with lone person households at 33.6% and group households comprising 7.9% 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 - North places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Hawthorn - North significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 59.9% 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 37.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.1%). Vocational pathways account for 16.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (9.1%) and certificates (7.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.0% in tertiary education, 6.8% in primary education, and 6.8% 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 25 active transport stops operating within Hawthorn - North, comprising a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are serviced by 10 individual routes, collectively providing 7,762 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 219 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 63%, with 14% by train and 11% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 0.9 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A high 49.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 1,108 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 310 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hawthorn - North'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 - North, 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 80% of the total population (8,723 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 9.0% and 7.8% of residents, respectively, while 73.4% 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 15.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,644 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Hawthorn - North was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Hawthorn - North was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 25.9% of its population born overseas and 18.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Hawthorn - North is Christianity, which makes up 40.4% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.6% 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 - North are English, comprising 25.2% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 20.1%, Australian, comprising 20.2% of the population, and Irish, comprising 11.5% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 6.5%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Hungarian is notably overrepresented at 0.5% of Hawthorn - North (vs 0.3% regionally), Polish at 1.0% (vs 0.8%) and Sri Lankan at 0.6% (vs 0.8%).

Hawthorn - North's population is younger than the national pattern

At 34 years, Hawthorn - North's median age is somewhat lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 37 and similarly considerably younger than Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn - North has a higher concentration of 15 - 24 residents (21.8%) but fewer 5 - 14 year-olds (7.5%). This 15 - 24 concentration is well above the national 12.5%. Since the 2021 Census, the area has become younger, with the median age dropping 1.0 years to 34 from 35. Specifically, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 15.8% to 21.8% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 4.8% to 6.2%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 13.8% to 11.4% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 9.4% to 7.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Hawthorn - North. The 25 to 34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 20%, adding 440 residents to reach 2,670. Meanwhile, both 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 age groups will see reduced numbers.