Kew - South

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

As of November 2025, Kew - South's population is approximately 12,350. This figure represents an increase of 749 people, a 6.5% growth since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 11,601. This change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 12,352 in June 2024 and an additional 126 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density stands at 2,858 persons per square kilometer, placing Kew - South in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Its growth rate of 6.5% is within 0.4 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 6.9%, indicating competitive growth 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. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, the area's population is expected to decline by 218 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like those aged 75 to 84 are projected to increase by 322 people over this period.

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

Kew - South has received approximately 46 dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 231 homes have been approved, with an additional 15 approved so far in FY26. The area's population has declined recently, yet development activity has remained relatively adequate, benefiting buyers.

Developers target the premium market segment, with new dwellings valued at approximately $1,099,000 on average. This financial year, $3.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Kew - South shows around 69% of construction activity per person and ranks among the 52nd percentile nationally when assessed against other areas.

New building activity comprises approximately 73.0% detached houses and 27.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited for buyers seeking space. Interestingly, developers are constructing more traditional houses than the current mix suggests at Census (53.0%), indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. With around 313 people per dwelling approval, Kew - South exhibits signs of a developing market. Given stable or declining population forecasts, the area may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Kew - South has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 42 projects likely to affect the area. Key projects are Eastern Freeway Upgrades (Hoddle Street to Burke Road), 442-444 Barkers Road Development, Arteur, and 1207-1209 Burke Road Townhomes. Below is a list of those most relevant.

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 has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.6% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.5%.

As of September 2025, 7,044 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.1%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.7%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Dominant sectors included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area had a strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level.

Construction had limited presence at 5.1%, compared to 9.7% regionally. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.6, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities. From September 2024 to September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.5%, labour force by 2.7%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% and unemployment rise of 0.3 percentage points during the same period. By November 25, Victoria's employment grew year-on-year by 1.13% (adding 41,950 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kew - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 15.2% over ten years.

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

The Kew - South SA2 has one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers is $65,866 and average income stands at $130,274. These figures are higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $73,875 (median) and $146,115 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, household, family and personal incomes in Kew - South rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 92nd percentiles. Income brackets show that 33.8% of the population fall within the $4000+ range, differing from the regional norm where the $1,500 - 2,999 category is predominant at 32.8%. Higher earners are notably present with 44.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of their 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 in Kew - South, as per the latest Census, consisted of 52.6% houses and 47.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 55.5% houses and 44.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kew - South was at 44.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.2% and rented dwellings at 25.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,050, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $3,000. Median weekly rent in Kew - South was recorded at $501, compared to Melbourne metro's $451. Nationally, Kew - South's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Kew - South features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 70.0% of all households, including 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 is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

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% nationwide and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent 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+, with advanced diplomas at 9.6% and certificates at 6.7%. Educational participation is high, with 32.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.6% in secondary education, 10.0% in tertiary education, and 7.4% pursuing primary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Kew - South indicates that there are 67 active transport stops currently operating. These include a mix of lightrail and bus services. The area is served by 12 individual routes in total, which collectively facilitate 5,911 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located approximately 184 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 844 trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly 88 weekly trips per individual stop.

Kew - South's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows strong health performance in Kew-South for both young and elderly residents, with low prevalence of common conditions. Private health cover rate is high at approximately 81% (10,028 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 77.7%. Nationally, it stands at 55.3%.

Asthma and arthritis are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 6.9% and 6.7%, respectively. 72.7% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 73.8%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.6% (2,665 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 19.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 31.2% of its population born overseas and 26.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Kew-South, making up 47.4% of the population. Judaism is overrepresented in Kew-South compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 0.8% versus 0.9%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.2%), Australian (17.8%), and Chinese (12.1%). Notably, Irish (10.8%) and Sri Lankan (0.6%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Kew-South compared to regional averages of 8.8% and 0.7%, respectively. Greek ethnicity is slightly underrepresented at 3.1%.

Kew - South's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Kew - South is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 15-24 age group constitutes 17.9% of the population in Kew - South, compared to Greater Melbourne's percentage, while the 35-44 cohort makes up 10.5%. This 15-24 concentration is higher than the national average of 12.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 15.8% to 17.9%, while the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 13.9% to 11.7% and the 5-14 group has fallen from 11.3% to 10.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Kew - South, with the 75-84 age group expected to grow by 29%, reaching 1,210 people from 938. Notably, all growth in the total population will be accounted for by the combined 65+ age groups, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 45-54 and 0-4 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.