Lysterfield

Lysterfield is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Lysterfield's population is around 6,669 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 75 people (1.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,594 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,614 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 45 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 360 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 77.9% 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 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. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of Australian statistical areas is expected, with the area expected to increase by 344 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 4.3% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Lysterfield is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Lysterfield has recorded around 18 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 92 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 6 approvals have been recorded. With population declining over recent years, new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new homes are being built at an average value of $499,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Additionally, $820,000 in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating the area's residential nature.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Lysterfield records about 60% of the building activity per person and places within the 31st percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. This is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 82.0% standalone homes and 18.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 100.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The estimated count of 535 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment.

Population forecasts indicate Lysterfield will gain 289 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Lysterfield has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 45thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 4 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Angliss Hospital Expansion, Kings Park Masterplan, Knoxfield Industrial Estate Redevelopment, and Dorset Road Extension, 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.

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.

The exceptional employment performance in Lysterfield places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Lysterfield possesses a well-educated workforce, with the construction sector a particular standout in terms of representation, an unemployment rate of just 1.9%, and 1.3% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 4,132 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (76.3% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 29.0% 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, retail trade, and health care & social assistance. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in construction, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 7.4% 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 1.3% and the labour force increased by 1.5%, resulting in unemployment rising by 0.2 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 Lysterfield. 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 Lysterfield's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 12.9% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The Lysterfield SA2's income level is extremely high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Lysterfield SA2's median income among taxpayers is $66,959 and the average income stands at $81,406, which compares to figures for Greater Melbourne's of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $72,483 (median) and $88,122 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household incomes rank exceptionally at the 94th percentile ($2,756 weekly). Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 30.1% of residents (2,007 people), mirroring regional levels where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Lysterfield demonstrates considerable affluence with 46.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 88.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Lysterfield, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 99.7% houses and 0.3% 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 Lysterfield was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 38.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (54.3%) or rented (7.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Melbourne metro average at $2,200, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $435, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Lysterfield's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 88.6% of all households, comprising 55.3% couples with children, 24.3% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 11.4%, with lone person households at 10.7% and group households comprising 0.7% of the total. The median household size of 3.1 people is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Educational qualifications in Lysterfield trail regional benchmarks, with 28.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 37.0% in Greater Melbourne. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 20.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 32.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (21.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.5% of residents aged 15+ currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 6.2% 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 25 active transport stops operating within Lysterfield, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 6 individual routes, collectively providing 749 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 263 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 96%. Vehicle ownership averages 2.3 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 29.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 107 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 29 weekly trips per individual stop.

Lysterfield'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 Lysterfield, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (3,994 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne.

The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 7.0% and 6.2% of residents, respectively, while 74.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 16.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,089 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Lysterfield was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Lysterfield was found to be above average in terms of cultural diversity, with 23.3% of its population born overseas and 18.9% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Lysterfield is Christianity, which makes up 55.0% of the population. This compares to 43.0% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Lysterfield are Australian, comprising 25.4% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 18.4%, English, comprising 23.0% of the population, and Other, comprising 9.3% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 14.6%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Sri Lankan is notably overrepresented at 1.7% of Lysterfield (vs 0.8% regionally), Hungarian at 0.5% (vs 0.3%) and Italian at 6.7% (vs 5.2%).

Lysterfield's population is slightly older than the national pattern

At 41 years, Lysterfield's median age is significantly above the Greater Melbourne average of 37 as well as somewhat older than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 55 - 64 cohort is notably over-represented (17.0% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (8.0%). This 55 - 64 concentration is well above the national 11.2%. Following the 2021 Census, the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 8.1% to 9.8% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 3.1% to 4.5%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 17.0% to 14.1% and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 9.4% to 8.0%. Demographic modeling suggests Lysterfield's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 75%, adding 226 residents to reach 530. Demographic aging continues as residents 65 and older represent 83% of anticipated growth. On the other hand, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 cohorts.