Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
Find a Recent Sale
Sales Detail
Population
An assessment of population growth drivers in Lalor - East reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends
Lalor - East's population, as of May 2026, is approximately 10,289, indicating a rise of 342 individuals since the 2021 Census figure of 9,947. This increase is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 10,253 in June 2025 and an additional 91 validated new addresses post-Census. The population density stands at 3,099 persons per square kilometer, placing Lalor - East in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. Overseas migration accounted for roughly 84.6% of recent population growth in the area. 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, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Lalor - East is forecasted to increase its population significantly, with an expected rise of 3,739 persons by 2041, reflecting a total gain of approximately 36.0% over the 16-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Lalor - East according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Lalor - East has seen approximately 35 new homes approved each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 175 homes were approved, with a further 23 approved so far in FY26. Despite a decrease in population during this period, the development activity has been relatively adequate, which could be beneficial for buyers.
The average construction value of new properties is $337,000. This financial year, $278,000 worth of commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Lalor - East shows significantly reduced construction activity, with 75.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes, which is also below national averages, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints in the area. The new building activity consists of 43.0% detached houses and 57.0% townhouses or apartments, a shift from the current housing pattern of 83.0% houses. This change could indicate diminishing developable land availability and a response to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With around 281 people per dwelling approval, Lalor - East is characterized as a low density area.
According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Lalor - East is projected to add approximately 3,703 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Lalor - East
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Lalor - East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 35thth percentile nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects that could affect the region. Notable initiatives include David Street Apartments (2), Lalor Recreation Reserve Master Plan, Melbourne Wholesale Markets, and New Epping Health Hub. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
New Epping Health Hub
The New Epping Health Hub is a $1 billion state-of-the-art health and innovation precinct forming a significant public-private health cluster. Anchored by the now-operational Northern Private Hospital and the adjacent Northern Hospital, the 7-hectare hub features 80,000sqm of medical floorspace. Construction is currently underway on the $100 million New Epping Medical building, a six-storey facility providing 8,200sqm of specialist suites. Simultaneously, the $813 million Northern Hospital expansion is progressing, with the four-storey Ambulatory Care Centre structurally complete as of late 2025 and an emergency department tower under development. The precinct integrates specialist medical, research, and wellness facilities within a masterplan featuring a 2.7km nature loop.
New Epping
A 2 billion dollar urban renewal project by Riverlee transforming a 51-hectare former quarry into a carbon-neutral mixed-use precinct. The masterplan includes 2,500 dwellings across townhouses and apartments, alongside 110,000sqm of commercial space. Significant milestones reached in 2024-2025 include the opening of the Northern Private Hospital and progress on the Punthill Apartment Hotel, scheduled for 2026. The site features an 11-hectare central green spine with wetlands and a 2.7km walking trail.
Northern Hospital Redevelopment
The $813 million Northern Hospital Redevelopment is a two-stage expansion of the Epping campus to meet the rising healthcare needs of Melbourne's fast-growing northern growth corridor. Stage 1 is delivering a four-storey Ambulatory Care Centre, which reached structural completion in October 2025 and is on track for opening in mid-2026. The new building will house outpatient, clinical and administration services with a ground link to the existing hospital. Stage 2, with John Holland appointed as Managing Contractor in October 2025, will deliver a new seven-level emergency department and inpatient unit tower fronting Cooper Street. The expanded ED will include a dedicated paediatric zone, a specialised mental health and alcohol and other drugs hub, an emergency observation unit, additional inpatient beds and more car parking. Early Works packages were advertised in late 2025, with Main Works packages being released progressively through early 2026. Once fully operational in late 2029, the redevelopment will provide nearly 200 emergency treatment spaces and support an additional 30,000 emergency patients each year. Both stages are expected to support up to 2,200 jobs during construction.
Epping Activity Centre Plan
The Epping Activity Centre Plan is a long-term strategic framework that builds on the City of Whittlesea's Epping Central Structure Plan (June 2023) and forms part of the Victorian Government's Activity Centres Program under the Housing Statement. It identifies Epping as one of 10 priority Melbourne activity centres targeted to deliver more housing close to public transport, jobs and services. The plan supports between 9,800 and 13,900 new homes across the activity centre core and an 800 metre walkable catchment around Epping train station. Key features include simplified built form and design controls in the core, a deemed-to-comply pathway to streamline assessment, increased building heights graduating down toward sensitive interfaces, improved public realm and open space, and continued focus on Northern Hospital, Pacific Epping shopping centre and Melbourne Polytechnic as anchor uses. New planning controls including the Housing Choice and Transformation Zone, Built Form Overlay and Activity Centre Zone Schedule 1 were applied through planning scheme amendment GC252, approved on 11 April 2025.
Melbourne Food Innovation and Export Hub (MFIX)
The Melbourne Food Innovation and Export Hub (MFIX) is a planned 50-hectare precinct designed to co-locate food production, R&D, and export logistics. Situated next to the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market, it aims to create a world-class cluster for advanced food manufacturing and high-value exports. The project is a core component of the City of Whittlesea Agri-Food Plan 2023-2026, targeting the creation of over 6,000 jobs and positioning Northern Melbourne as a premier global food-tech destination.
Melbourne Wholesale Markets
State-of-the-art wholesale fresh produce and flower market relocated from Footscray to Epping in 2015. Spans 67 hectares with 95,000 square metres of warehousing space, serving as Victoria's primary distribution hub for fresh produce. Features advanced logistics, sustainability initiatives including solar power, rainwater harvesting, and a high recycling rate. Plans to expand warehousing to 130,000 square metres. Recent developments include rent disputes and potential expansions.
Thomastown and Lalor Place Framework
The Thomastown and Lalor Place Framework is a strategic document endorsed by the City of Whittlesea Council in April 2023. It provides a shared vision between the community and Council to guide future development, prioritizing infrastructure investment, community facilities, transport, and economic initiatives in the suburbs of Thomastown and Lalor.
Lalor Recreation Reserve Master Plan
Comprehensive 10-year master plan for Lalor Recreation Reserve featuring integrated playscape with formal and nature play elements, meandering walking and running paths with exercise stations, upgraded sports facilities including pavilion refurbishment with new public toilets, improved lighting for safety, formal car parking areas with 80 bays, community hub with shelters and BBQ facilities, enhanced entry points and wayfinding, and sustainable landscaping with biodiversity improvements to create a vibrant community asset.
Employment
Employment conditions in Lalor - East face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally
Lalor East has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 8.8% as of December 2025. This is 4.1% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, indicating room for improvement.
Workforce participation lags significantly at 55.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 15.7% of residents work from home. The key industries of employment are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Manufacturing employs 1.5 times the regional level in Lalor East.
In contrast, professional & technical services employ only 4.8% of local workers, lower than Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Over a 12-month period ending December 2025, Lalor East's labour force increased by 1.2%, while employment declined by 0.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.4 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne where employment rose by 2.4% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lalor East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch
According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Lalor - East SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $50,455 and an average income of $56,371. These figures are below the national averages of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively for Greater Melbourne. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated median and average incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $55,309 and $61,794 respectively. Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Lalor - East fall between the 4th and 15th percentiles nationally. Income distribution indicates that 29.6% of locals (3,045 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 32.8%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Lalor - East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
Lalor - East's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consists of 82.9% houses and 17.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Melbourne metro has 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lalor - East stands at 40.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.0% and rented ones at 34.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,663, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Lalor - East is $350, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Lalor - East's mortgage repayments are lower at $1,663 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are less than the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Lalor - East features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size
Family households comprise 70.7% of all households, including 30.7% couples with children, 23.4% couples without children, and 14.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.3%, with lone person households at 24.9% and group households comprising 4.5%. The median household size is 2.6 people, matching the Greater Melbourne average.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational outcomes in Lalor - East fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment
The area's university qualification rate is 21.4%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 27.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.0%) and certificates (17.9%). Educational participation is high, with 28.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 8.3% in primary, 6.5% in secondary, and 5.3% in tertiary education.
Educational participation is notably high, with 28.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.3% in primary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
The analysis of public transport in Lalor - East found that there are 41 active transport stops currently operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 2,258 weekly passenger trips provided by the collective service of four individual routes. The accessibility to these transport services is rated as good, with residents typically located within 200 meters from their nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. The car remains the dominant mode of transport for residents, at 82%, while 11% use the train. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling in the area.
According to the 2021 Census data, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions, 15.7% of residents work from home. The service frequency averages at 322 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 55 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Lalor - East's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts
Lalor - East residents have shown relatively positive health outcomes according to AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions, which are broadly in line with national benchmarks. The prevalence of common health conditions is quite low among the general population but higher than the national average among older, at-risk cohorts. Only approximately 48% (~4,887 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the national average of 55.7%.
The most common medical conditions are arthritis (impacting 8.8% of residents) and mental health issues (7.3%), while 69.0% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Health outcomes among the working-age population are typical. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.4% (2,096 people) than Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. While health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, they rank lower nationally than those of the broader population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Lalor - East is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics
Lalor-East, one of Australia's most culturally diverse areas, has a population where 52.8% were born overseas and 65.2% speak languages other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Lalor-East, comprising 48.8% of its population. Notably, Islam is overrepresented, with 14.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 5.6%.
Regarding ancestry, 'Other' is the largest group in Lalor-East at 22.6%, higher than the regional average of 14.6%. Australian and English groups are underrepresented at 11.0% and 10.9% respectively, compared to regional averages of 18.4% and 20.1%. Divergences exist in other ethnic groups too: Macedonian is overrepresented at 6.2%, Greek at 7.5%, and Vietnamese at 5.5%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Lalor - East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern
The median age in Lalor-East is 38 years, closely matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Lalor-East has a higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (7.6%) but fewer individuals aged 5-14 (9.7%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 25-34 has increased from 15.8% to 16.6%, while the 5-14 age group has decreased from 10.4% to 9.7%. By 2041, Lalor-East's age composition is projected to change significantly. Notably, the 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 56%, reaching 1,775 people from its current total of 1,141.