Healesville - Yarra Glen
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Healesville-Yarra Glen's population is around 14,134 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 69 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,065. The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 14,042 in June 2024 and an additional 85 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 38 persons per square kilometer. Healesville-Yarra Glen's growth rate of 0.5% since the census is within 2.8 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate, indicating competitive fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections adjusted using weighted aggregation methods for areas not covered by ABS data. Future trends suggest the area will increase by 791 persons to 2041, reflecting a total growth rate of 4.9% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Healesville - Yarra Glen, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Healesville-Yarra Glen averaged approximately 40 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five years, from FY21 to FY25, there were 203 home approvals. As of FY26, there have been 4 approvals so far.

The population has declined in recent years, suggesting that new supply is meeting demand and offering buyers good choice. New properties are constructed at an average cost of $634,000, which is moderately above regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. In FY26, there have been $29.3 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Healesville-Yarra Glen records about three-quarters the building activity per person. Nationally, it places among the 35th percentile of areas assessed, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing properties.

This is below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 76.0% detached houses and 24.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. This represents a notable shift from the existing housing stock, which is currently 92.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. The estimated count of 501 people per dwelling approval reflects the area's quiet, low activity development environment. Looking ahead, Healesville-Yarra Glen is projected to grow by 697 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Healesville - Yarra Glen has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Five projects are identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. These include the restoration of the Yarra Valley Railway Heritage Line, Stage 1 of the Yarra Valley Trail development, the Lilydale Food Waste to Energy Project, and the upgrade and level crossing removal at Lilydale Station.

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

The employment landscape in Healesville - Yarra Glen shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Healesville - Yarra Glen has a skilled workforce with notable representation in the construction sector. The unemployment rate was 3.7% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.3%. There were 7,244 residents employed by June 2025, with an unemployment rate of 3.8%, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was 59.4%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Dominant employment sectors include construction, health care & social assistance, and manufacturing.

The area specializes in construction employment, with a share 1.7 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services have lower representation at 5.3% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. Employment opportunities appear limited locally based on Census data comparisons. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 1.3% while labour force grew by 0.6%, reducing unemployment by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne had employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a rise in unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows Victorian employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Healesville - Yarra Glen's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Healesville - Yarra Glen median taxpayer income is $48,499, average is $61,814 according to latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of March 2025 would be approximately $53,402 (median) and $68,063 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly in Healesville - Yarra Glen, between the 36th and 41st percentiles. Income distribution shows largest segment is 33.3% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (4,706 residents), aligning with regional pattern where this cohort likewise represents 32.8%. After housing costs, 85.8% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Healesville - Yarra Glen is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Healesville - Yarra Glen, as per the latest Census, consisted of 91.8% houses and 8.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Melbourne metro's 91.8% houses and 6.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Healesville - Yarra Glen stood at 41.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.0% and rented ones at 14.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Melbourne metro's $1,950 average. Median weekly rent in Healesville - Yarra Glen was $350, compared to Melbourne metro's $380. Nationally, Healesville - Yarra Glen's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Healesville - Yarra Glen has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.8% of all households, including 30.9% couples with children, 31.0% couples without children, and 11.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 26.2%, with lone person households at 24.2% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.7.

Educational outcomes in Healesville - Yarra Glen fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 21.9%, significantly lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 37.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 41.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 12.6% and certificates at 28.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.6% in primary, 7.5% in secondary, and 3.1% pursuing tertiary education. There are seven schools operating within Healesville - Yarra Glen, educating approximately 1,291 students. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 961) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with five primary and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are 9.1, below the regional average of 15.5, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Transport analysis shows 48 active stops operating within Healesville-Yarra Glen. These stops offer bus services. They are served by three routes, providing a total of 626 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents typically located 537 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 89 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 13 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Healesville - Yarra Glen is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Healesville-Yarra Glen faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~7,151 people). The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 10.4% and 8.9% of residents respectively. 64.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 66.9% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 25.2% of residents aged 65 and over (3,568 people), higher than the 19.4% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges despite performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Healesville - Yarra Glen is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Healesville-Yarra Glen, as per the census in June 2016, exhibited cultural diversity levels below average. The population born in Australia stood at 85.0%, with 90.8% being citizens and 95.8% speaking English solely at home. Christianity dominated religious beliefs, comprising 37.2% of the population.

Notably, Judaism's representation was proportionate to Greater Melbourne, at 0.1%. Ancestry-wise, top groups were English (33.2%), Australian (28.4%), and Irish (9.2%). Divergences included Dutch (2.8%, compared to 3.2% regionally), Scottish (8.9%, vs 8.0%), and Hungarian (0.3%, matching regional figures).

Healesville - Yarra Glen hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Healesville - Yarra Glen is 45 years, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Healesville - Yarra Glen has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (13.2%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (8.7%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75-84 grew from 7.3% to 9.2%, while those aged 35-44 increased from 11.4% to 12.8%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 decreased from 10.7% to 8.7%, and those aged 55-64 dropped from 14.7% to 13.5%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Healesville - Yarra Glen's age structure. The population aged 75-84 is projected to grow by 40%, reaching 1,824 people from 1,298. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ will account for 86% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both age groups 25-34 and 15-24 are projected to see reduced numbers.