Kinglake
Statistical Area - sa2

Kinglake lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Kinglake's population is around 4,404 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 200 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,204 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,399 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 13.8 persons per square kilometer. Kinglake's growth of 4.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth of 2.3%. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 56.9% of overall 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 areas not covered, 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, Kinglake is forecast to experience significant population increase, growing by 1,276 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 28.9% in total over the 17 years.

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

Kinglake granted around 15 residential property approvals annually. Development approval data from the ABS covers financial years, showing 79 homes approved between FY-21 and FY-25, with one recorded so far in FY-26. On average, 3.1 new residents settle per home built over the past five financial years (FY-21 to FY-25). This supply lagging demand leads to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures, with new dwellings averaging $560,000 in construction cost value.

Commercial approvals reached $18.1 million this financial year, indicating steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Kinglake shows 55.0% higher development activity per person. Recent development has been entirely standalone homes, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population count is 607 people per dwelling approval.

By 2041, Kinglake is expected to grow by 1,271 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

Kinglake has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

No infrastructure changes are currently identified for this area by AreaSearch. Major projects planned include Inland Rail from Beveridge to Albury, North East Link - Connections, North East Link - Tolling Services Package, and North East Link - Early Works.

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

Employment performance in Kinglake has been broadly consistent with national averages

Kinglake's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. The construction sector stands out with a high representation, an unemployment rate of 3.4%, and estimated employment growth of 1.9% in the past year.

As of June 2025, 2,526 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.3% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment is concentrated in construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction employment is particularly high at 2.1 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical jobs are lower at 5.1% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. Local employment opportunities appear limited based on Census data analysis. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, labour force by 1.4%, reducing unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In Greater Melbourne, employment grew by 3.5% while unemployment rose by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows Victoria's employment growth at 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kinglake's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1%% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Kinglake had a median taxpayer income of $50,494 and an average of $63,259 in financial year 2022. This was lower than the national averages of $54,892 and $73,761 for Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth, estimated median income is approximately $55,599 and average income is around $69,654 as of March 2025. In the 2021 Census, Kinglake's incomes ranked modestly, between the 45th and 54th percentiles. Income analysis showed that 37.3% of Kinglake's population (1,642 individuals) had incomes ranging from $1,500 to $2,999. After housing expenses, 85.8% of income remained for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Kinglake is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Kinglake's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 99.6% houses and 0.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Melbourne metro's 93.9% houses and 6.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kinglake stood at 37.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 57.5% and rented ones at 5.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,811, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,167, and the national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Kinglake was $306, significantly below Melbourne metro's $431 and the national figure of $375.

Kinglake features high concentrations of family households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households make up 78.0% of all households, including 36.2% couples with children, 32.1% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.0%, comprising 19.3% lone person households and 2.3% group households of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.9.

The educational profile of Kinglake exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 18.3%, 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 11.8%, followed by graduate diplomas (3.3%) and postgraduate qualifications (3.2%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 48.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (14.5%) and certificates (34.3%).

Educational participation is high at 31.2%, including primary education (11.5%), secondary education (9.3%), and tertiary education (2.8%). Kinglake has four schools with a combined enrollment of 301 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1005) with balanced educational opportunities. All four schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. Local school capacity is limited at 6.8 places per 100 residents, compared to the regional average of 14.9, resulting in many families traveling for schooling.

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

Analysis of public transport in Kinglake reveals 25 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops are serviced by 4 individual bus routes, collectively providing 239 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents typically located 1803 meters from the nearest transport stop.

Service frequency averages 34 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 9 weekly trips per individual stop.

Kinglake's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Kinglake's health metrics closely match national benchmarks. Common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts are fairly standard.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 51% of the total population (~2,254 people), slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's 60.1%. Mental health issues impact 9.7% of residents, while asthma affects 8.5%. 68.4% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 70.6%. The area has 17.3% of residents aged 65 and over (761 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 19.2%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Kinglake's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.9% of its population being Australian citizens and 89.1% born in Australia. English was spoken as the only language at home by 95.3% of residents. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 34.8% of Kinglake's population.

Notably, the category 'Other' made up 1.4%, which is higher than the regional average of 0.5%. The top three ancestry groups were English (30.8%), Australian (30.5%), and Irish (8.9%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences in representation compared to Greater Melbourne: Hungarian at 0.5% vs 0.3%, Dutch at 2.0% vs 1.5%, and Macedonian at 0.5% vs 0.7%.

Kinglake hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Kinglake is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. The 55-64 age group comprises 15.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 25-34 age group represents 9.7%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75-84 age group grew from 3.3% to 5.3% of the population. Conversely, the 45-54 age group declined from 17.2% to 15.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Kinglake. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 124%, reaching 526 people from 235, leading the demographic shift. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 51% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0-4 age group shows minimal growth of just 8%, with an increase of 20 people.