Kew - South

Kew - South has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Kew - South's population is around 12,362 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 761 people (6.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,601 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,352 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 125 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,861 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Kew - South's 6.6% growth since census positions it within 0.8 percentage points of the SA3 area (7.4%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to decline by 218 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 322 people. See the age section for more details.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Kew - South according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Kew - South has experienced around 46 dwellings receiving development approval annually, with 231 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 27 so far in FY-26. With population declining over recent years, development activity has been adequate in relative terms, which is a positive for buyers, while new dwellings are developed at an average construction cost of $1,099,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Additionally, $3.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting the area's residential character.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Kew - South shows approximately 69% of the construction activity per person and places within the 52nd percentile of areas assessed nationally. New building activity consists of 73.0% detached houses and 27.0% townhouses or apartments, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (53.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. With around 313 people per dwelling approval, Kew - South shows characteristics of a low density area.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Kew - South may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Kew - South 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 42 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Eastern Freeway Upgrades: Hoddle Street to Burke Road, 442-444 Barkers Road Development, Arteur, and 1207-1209 Burke Road Townhomes, 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.

AreaSearch analysis places Kew - South well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Kew - South possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 2.9%, and 1.7% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,049 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.8% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is somewhat below standard (67.5% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 45.9% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area shows particularly strong specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level. Meanwhile, construction has a limited presence with 5.1% employment compared to 9.7% regionally. The ratio of 0.6 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 1.7% and the labour force increased by 2.4%, resulting in unemployment rising by 0.7 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 Kew - South. 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 Kew - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 15.2% 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 Kew - South SA2's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Kew - South SA2's median income among taxpayers is $66,789 and the average income stands at $129,930, 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 $72,299 (median) and $140,649 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Kew - South, between the 85th and 92nd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate 33.8% of the population (4,178 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, diverging from the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 32.8%. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 44.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Kew - South displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Kew - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 52.6% houses and 47.4% 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 Kew - South was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 44.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (30.2%) or rented (25.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Melbourne metro average at $3,050, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $501, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Kew - South's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Kew - South features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 70.0% of all households, comprising 32.8% couples with children, 25.9% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.0%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households comprising 4.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.6 people matches the Greater Melbourne average.

Kew - South demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Kew - South significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 57.4% 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 35.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.0%) and graduate diplomas (5.2%). Vocational pathways account for 16.3% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (9.6%) and certificates (6.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in secondary education, 10.0% in tertiary education, and 7.4% pursuing primary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 67 active transport stops operating within Kew - South, comprising a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are serviced by 11 individual routes, collectively providing 10,774 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 184 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 78%, with 6% walking and 2% cycling. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling. A high 45.9% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 1,539 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 160 weekly trips per individual stop.

Kew - South'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 Kew - South, 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 (9,939 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 asthma and arthritis, impacting 6.9% and 6.7% of residents, respectively, while 72.7% 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 22.3% of residents aged 65 and over (2,757 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Kew - South is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 31.2% of its population born overseas and 26.1% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Kew - South is Christianity, which makes up 47.4% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.8% 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 Kew - South are English, comprising 22.2% of the population, Australian, comprising 17.8% of the population, and Chinese, comprising 12.1% 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: Irish is notably overrepresented at 10.8% of Kew - South (vs 6.5% regionally), Greek at 3.1% (vs 2.7%) and Sri Lankan at 0.6% (vs 0.8%).

Kew - South's median age exceeds the national pattern

The 42-year median age in Kew - South is significantly above Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and similarly considerably older than Australia's 38 years. The 15 - 24 age group shows strong representation at 18.3% compared to Greater Melbourne, whereas the 35 - 44 cohort is less prevalent at 10.2%. This 15 - 24 concentration is well above the national 12.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 15.8% to 18.3% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 6.7% to 8.0%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.9% to 11.4% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 11.3% to 9.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Kew - South. Leading the demographic shift, the 85+ group will grow by 57% (237 people), reaching 654 from 416. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 100% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 45 to 54 and 25 to 34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.