Koo Wee Rup

Koo Wee Rup lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Koo Wee Rup's population is around 12,252 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 2,183 people (21.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,069 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,009 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 724 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 29 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Koo Wee Rup's 21.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%) and the state average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 76.3% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including natural growth and overseas migration, were positive factors.

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. Regarding demographic trends, exceptional growth, placing in the top 10 percent of national areas, is predicted over the period, with the area expected to grow by 7,542 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 59.6% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Koo Wee Rup was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Koo Wee Rup has recorded around 197 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 986 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26105 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 3.3 people moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), demand is significantly outpacing supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers. New homes are being built at an average construction value of $257,000—below the regional average—suggesting more affordable housing options. Additionally, $475,000 in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating the area's residential nature.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Koo Wee Rup records 88.0% more new home approvals per person, offering buyers greater choice, though development activity has moderated in recent periods. This is substantially higher than the national average, suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. New development consists of 98.0% detached houses and 2.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low-density nature with an emphasis on detached housing to attract space-seeking buyers. With around 68 people per dwelling approval, Koo Wee Rup shows characteristics of a growth area.

Population forecasts indicate Koo Wee Rup will gain 7,299 residents through to 2041 (based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Development is keeping a reasonable pace with projected growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Koo Wee Rup has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 47 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Costco Pakenham Warehouse, Cardinia Motor Recreation and Education Park, Kala Estate, and The Rise Estate - Pakenham, 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.

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Employment conditions in Koo Wee Rup demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Koo Wee Rup has a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with the construction sector a particular standout in terms of representation, an unemployment rate of only 3.4%, and 4.4% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 6,712 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.4% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (74.5% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 17.8% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are construction, health care & social assistance, and manufacturing. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in construction, with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average. Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 3.3% versus the regional average of 10.1%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 4.4% and the labour force increased by 4.9%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 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 Koo Wee Rup. 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 Koo Wee Rup's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.3% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Koo Wee Rup SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $55,893 with the average level standing at $64,918. This is below the national average and compares to levels of $57,688 and $75,164 across Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $60,504 (median) and $70,274 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Koo Wee Rup cluster around the 52nd percentile nationally. Distribution data shows 40.9% of the population (5,011 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 55th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Koo Wee Rup is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Koo Wee Rup, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 92.0% houses and 8.1% 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 Koo Wee Rup was in line with that of Melbourne metro, at 31.0%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (53.4%) or rented (15.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Melbourne metro average at $1,940, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $320, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Koo Wee Rup's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Koo Wee Rup features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 77.1% of all households, comprising 37.0% couples with children, 29.4% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.9%, with lone person households at 21.0% and group households comprising 1.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational outcomes in Koo Wee Rup fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (12.9%) substantially below the Greater Melbourne average of 37.0%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 9.2%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.9%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.8%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 43.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.5%) and certificates (32.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 2.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 6 active transport stops operating within Koo Wee Rup, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 5 individual routes, collectively providing 554 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents typically located 943 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 95%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.9 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. Some 17.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 79 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 92 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Koo Wee Rup is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Koo Wee Rup faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~6,273 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne.

The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 9.2% and 8.4% of residents, respectively, while 68.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents show an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 17.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,077 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Koo Wee Rup ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Koo Wee Rup was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 86.3% of its population born in Australia, 90.1% being citizens, and 92.7% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Koo Wee Rup is Christianity, which makes up 42.8% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Other, which comprises 1.1% of the population, compared to 2.3% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Koo Wee Rup are Australian, comprising 33.1% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 18.4%, English, comprising 30.0% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 20.1%, and Irish, comprising 7.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Dutch is notably overrepresented at 2.7% of Koo Wee Rup (vs 1.2% regionally), Sri Lankan at 0.6% (vs 0.8%) and Italian at 4.1% (vs 5.2%).

Koo Wee Rup's population is younger than the national pattern

At 34 years, Koo Wee Rup's median age is somewhat lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 37 and similarly considerably younger than Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Koo Wee Rup has a higher concentration of 5 - 14 residents (14.9%) but fewer 45 - 54 year-olds (9.4%). Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 12.0% to 14.6% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 4.8% to 6.3%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.8% to 9.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Koo Wee Rup. The 35 to 44 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 56%, adding 1,006 residents to reach 2,795.