Kew - South
Statistical Area - sa2

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, reflecting a 6.5% increase since the 2021 Census which reported 11,601 people. This growth is inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2024 and the Census date. The population density of 2,858 persons per square kilometer places Kew - South in the upper quartile nationally. Its 6.5% growth since census is close to the SA3 area's 6.9%, indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of recent population gains. 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, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 are used, adjusted employing weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Kew - South's population is projected to decline by 218 persons overall, but the 75 to 84 age group is expected to increase by 322 people.

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, a total of 231 homes were approved, with an additional 9 approved so far in FY26. The area's population has been declining recently, yet development activity has remained adequate relative to this trend, which may benefit buyers.

Developers are targeting the premium market segment, with new dwellings valued at an average of $1,099,000. In terms of commercial development, $3.3 million in approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential character for the area. When compared to Greater Melbourne, Kew - South shows approximately 69% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 53rd percentile nationally when assessed against other areas.

In terms of new building activity, 73.0% are detached houses and 27.0% are townhouses or apartments, reflecting 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 a developing market. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Kew - South may experience less housing pressure in the future, potentially creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Kew - South has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 42 projects that may affect the region. Notable projects include Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Hoddle Street to Burke Road, development at 442-444 Barkers Road, Arteur project, and townhomes at 1207-1209 Burke Road. The following list details those most likely to be 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 a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.5%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

In the year to June 2025, employment grew by 2.8% while labour force increased by 3.0%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment to 2.1%. The dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Kew - South specializes particularly in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level. Construction has limited presence with 5.1% employment compared to 9.7% regionally.

As of June 2025, there are 7,069 residents in work, indicating a level of local employment opportunities above the norm with a worker-to-resident ratio of 0.6. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project that Kew - South's employment mix could grow by approximately 7.5% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Kew - South's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year ended June 2022. Kew - South's median income among taxpayers was $65,866 and average income stood at $130,274, compared to Greater Melbourne's figures of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year ended June 2022, current estimates would be approximately $73,875 (median) and $146,115 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Kew - South, between the 86th and 92nd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate 33.8% of population (4,174 individuals) fall within $4000+ range, differing from regional norm where $1,500-$2,999 category predominates at 32.8%. Higher earners comprise substantial presence with 44.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and 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

In Kew - South, as recorded in the latest Census, 52.6% of dwellings were houses while 47.4% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This differs slightly from Melbourne's metropolitan area which had a higher proportion of houses at 55.5%. Home ownership in Kew - South stood at 44.1%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 30.2% and rented properties accounting for the remaining 25.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in this area was $3,050, which is higher than Melbourne's metropolitan average of $3,000. The median weekly rent figure in Kew - South was recorded at $501 compared to Melbourne's $451. Nationally, Kew - South's 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 constitute the remaining 30.0%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households comprising 4.8%. 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 is notably high, with 57.4% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This compares to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% statewide (VIC). Bachelor degrees are the most common at 35.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.0%) and graduate diplomas (5.2%). Vocational pathways account for 16.3%, 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. This includes 10.6% in secondary education, 10.0% in tertiary education, and 7.4% pursuing primary education. There are approximately 9,746 students educated across a robust network of 10 schools within Kew - South. The area's educational performance is exceptional (ICSEA: 1170), placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes 1 primary school and 9 K-12 schools. Kew - South functions as an education hub, with 79.0 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 19.2, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' in enrolments, please refer to their parent campus.

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

Transport analysis shows 67 active stops in Kew - South area offering lightrail and bus services. These are covered by 12 routes serving 5,911 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 184 meters to the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency is 844 trips across all routes, equating to about 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 of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Kew - South. Both young and old age cohorts saw low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 81% of the total population (10,028 people), compared to 77.7% across Greater Melbourne.

Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area were asthma and arthritis, impacting 6.9 and 6.7% of residents respectively. 72.7% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.8% across Greater Melbourne. As of 2021, 21.6% of residents were aged 65 and over (2,665 people), which is higher than the 19.4% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Kew - South was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Kew-South was found to have a higher level of 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, accounting for 47.4% of the population. Notably, Judaism is slightly overrepresented in Kew-South compared to Greater Melbourne, with 0.8% versus 0.9%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups in Kew-South are English (22.2%), Australian (17.8%), and Chinese (12.1%). There are also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Irish is overrepresented at 10.8% compared to the regional average of 8.8%, Greek is slightly underrepresented at 3.1% versus 3.4%, and Sri Lankan is also slightly underrepresented at 0.6% compared to 0.7%.

Kew - South hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Kew-South is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group constitutes 17.9% of the population in Kew-South, compared to Greater Melbourne's percentage and above the national average of 12.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows this age group grew from 15.8% to 17.9%, while the 45-54 cohort declined from 13.9% to 11.7% and the 5-14 group decreased from 11.3% to 10.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Kew-South. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 29%, reaching 1,210 people from 938. Notably, all growth in the total population will come from the combined 65+ age groups, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 45-54 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.