Hawthorn - South

An assessment of population growth drivers in Hawthorn - South reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Hawthorn - South's population was approximately 13,497 as of November 2025, reflecting an increase of 1,540 people since the 2021 Census. The ABS estimated resident population in June 2024 was 13,481, with an additional 454 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this growth. This results in a population density ratio of 4,191 persons per square kilometer, placing Hawthorn - South in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 12.9% population growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (6.9%) and the SA4 region, indicating its status as a growth leader. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 95.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Hawthorn - South. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area, and 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 for areas not covered by ABS data.

Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth, with the area expected to expand by 2,509 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 18.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Hawthorn - South among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Hawthorn - South has experienced approximately 168 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 840 homes. As of FY26, 19 approvals have been recorded. The population has fallen during this period, suggesting new supply has kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice. The average construction value of new dwellings is $734,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment.

In FY26, $14.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, showing balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn - South records 134.0% more construction activity per person, reflecting robust developer interest. Recent construction comprises 5.0% detached houses and 95.0% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living and creating affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift from the area's existing housing (currently 22.0% houses) suggests decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles. With around 938 people per dwelling approval, Hawthorn - South reflects a mature market. Population forecasts indicate Hawthorn - South will gain 2,493 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current projections.

Population forecasts indicate Hawthorn - South will gain 2,493 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 36 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Hawthorn Station Activity Centre Development, Auburn Station Activity Centre Development, Eastern Freeway Upgrades - Bulleen to Springvale Road, and Hawthorn Park. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Hawthorn - South has been broadly consistent with national averages

Hawthorn - South has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 4.3% in the past year, showing a growth of 2.4%.

As of September 2025, 9,013 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, below Greater Melbourne's 4.7%. Workforce participation is high at 71.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Dominant sectors include professional & technical (1.7 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction is under-represented with 5.0% of workforce compared to 9.7% in Greater Melbourne.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.8, indicating ample local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and 2025, employment increased by 2.4%, labour force by 3.0%, raising unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne had employment growth of 3.0% and a 0.3 percentage point unemployment rise. Statewide in Victoria, employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year to November 2025, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hawthorn - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

The median taxpayer income for Hawthorn - South SA2 was $66,086 and the average was $150,486 according to AreaSearch's postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. This places it in the top percentile nationally compared to Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $74,122 (median) and $168,785 (average), based on a 12.16% increase since financial year 2022 as per the Wage Price Index growth. In 2021 Census figures, individual earnings were at the 91st percentile nationally ($1,207 weekly). Income analysis shows that 32.4% of locals (4,373 people) predominantly earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, reflecting a pattern seen in the surrounding region where 32.8% fall within this range. The locality demonstrates affluence with 32.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 69th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Hawthorn-South's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 22.1% houses and 77.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 55.5% houses and 44.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawthorn-South was at 25.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.7% and rented dwellings at 48.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, below Melbourne metro's average of $3,000. Median weekly rent in Hawthorn-South was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $451. Nationally, Hawthorn-South's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,100 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were higher at $400 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 50.8 percent of all households, including 18.6 percent couples with children, 25.2 percent couples without children, and 5.1 percent single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 49.2 percent, with lone person households at 41.4 percent and group households comprising 7.8 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

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

Hawthorn - South's educational attainment significantly exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 62.0% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 33.4% in Victoria. This educational advantage is led by bachelor degrees at 37.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.4%). Vocational pathways account for 16.3% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas making up 9.1% and certificates 7.2%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 31.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.7% in tertiary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing primary education.

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

Hawthorn-South has 47 active public transport stops offering train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by 9 routes that facilitate 3,706 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 153 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 529 daily trips across all routes, equating to approximately 78 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hawthorn - South's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Hawthorn - South. Prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups is very low. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 87% of the total population (11,715 people), compared to 77.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues impact 8.7% of residents, while asthma impacts 7.8%. A total of 73.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.8% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 14.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,996 people), lower than the 19.4% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Hawthorn-South has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 32.1% of its population born overseas and 24.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Hawthorn-South, comprising 37.3% of its population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in Hawthorn-South compared to Greater Melbourne, with 1.3% versus 0.9%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24%), Australian (18.2%), and Other (10%). There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Polish is slightly overrepresented at 1%, Sri Lankan is underrepresented at 0.6%, and Scottish is notably more prevalent at 9% compared to regional averages.

Hawthorn - South hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Hawthorn-South's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn-South has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (24.1%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.0%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 15.6% to 19.3%, while the 35 to 44 age group has decreased from 14.5% to 12.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Hawthorn-South. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to grow by 14%, adding 469 residents to reach a total of 3,717. Conversely, the 0 to 4 age cohort shows minimal growth of just 2% (adding only 5 people).