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 is around 13,568 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,611 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,957 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,562 in June 2025 and an additional 417 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,213 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Hawthorn - South's 13.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (6.6%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 96.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises 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 are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. An above median population growth is projected for the area, with an expected expansion of 2,111 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a 15.5% increase over the 16 years.

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

Hawthorn-South has received around 168 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years ending FY25, totalling 840 homes. As of FY26, 25 approvals have been recorded. The population has fallen during this period, suggesting that new supply has kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice. The average construction value of these dwellings is $734,000, indicating a focus on 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 136.0% more construction activity per person as of FY25, reflecting robust developer interest in the area. 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 contrasts with the current housing composition of 22.0% houses, suggesting decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles. With around 938 people per dwelling approval, Hawthorn-South reflects a highly mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain 2,105 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 population projections.

Population forecasts indicate Hawthorn - South will gain 2,105 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 34 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Hawthorn Station Activity Centre Development, Michael Tuck Stand and Glenferrie Oval Revitalisation, Hawthorn Park, Audrey Auburn. The following 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 4.5% in the past year. Employment growth was estimated at 1.6%.

As of December 2025, 9,031 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.8%, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation was 77.1%, higher than Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 49.8% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Professional & technical jobs were particularly concentrated, at 1.7 times the regional average. Construction was under-represented, with only 5.0% of Hawthorn - South's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.8, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 1.6%, labour force by 2.5%, leading to a 0.8 percentage point rise in unemployment. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest Hawthorn - South's employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to its current employment mix.

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

The Hawthorn - South SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $67,628 and an average income of $126,497 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This places it among the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $74,134 (median) and $138,666 (average) as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census figures, individual earnings in this area stood out at the 91st percentile nationally, with a weekly income of $1,207. Income analysis revealed that the predominant cohort spans 32.4% of locals (4,396 people) earning between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 32.8% similarly occupied this range. The locality demonstrated considerable affluence with 32.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consumed 15.5% of income, though strong earnings still placed 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, consisted of 22.1% houses and 77.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawthorn-South stood at 25.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.7% and rented ones at 48.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,000. Median weekly rent in the area was $400, slightly above Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Hawthorn-South's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,100 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $400 versus 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 constitute 50.8% of all households, including 18.6% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 5.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 49.2%, with lone person households at 41.4% and group households comprising 7.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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 has higher educational attainment than national averages: 62.0% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 37.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.4%). Vocational pathways account for 16.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 7.2%. Educational participation is high: 31.2% of residents are currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 13.7% in tertiary, 6.7% in secondary, 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 48 active public transport stops, serving a mix of lightrail and bus routes. These are covered by 9 individual routes, offering 6,846 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 153 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most commuters travel outward from this primarily residential area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 60%, with trains used by 17% and walking by 9%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.7 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 49.8% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes is 978 trips per day on average, equating to about 142 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hawthorn - South's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results for Hawthorn - South according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Approximately 80% of the total population (10,840 people) has private health cover, compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 8.7% of residents and asthma impacting 7.8%, while 73.0% report being completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 14.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,976 people), with health outcomes among seniors ranking broadly in line with the national average.

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, surveyed between June 2016 and June 2021, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 32.1% of its residents born overseas and 24.3% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Hawthorn-South, comprising 37.3% of the population. Notably, Judaism was more prevalent in Hawthorn-South at 1.3%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (24.0%), Australian (18.2%), and Other (10.0%). Some ethnic groups showed significant variations: Polish was overrepresented at 1.0% versus 0.8% regionally, Sri Lankan stood at 0.6% compared to the regional average of 0.8%, and Scottish residents were notably higher at 9.0% compared to the regional figure of 5.6%.

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

Hawthorn-South has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Hawthorn-South has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (25.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.8%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.6%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has increased from 15.6% to 18.8%, while the proportion of those aged 25 to 34 has risen from 24.1% to 25.7%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has decreased from 14.5% to 12.3%, and the proportion of those aged 5 to 14 has dropped from 7.9% to 6.8%. Population forecasts for Hawthorn-South indicate significant demographic changes by 2041. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow strongly, adding 495 residents to reach a total of 3,987. However, the 15-24 age group is forecast to decrease by 70 residents.