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

Lysterfield's population is 6,622 as of May 2026. This reflects a growth of 28 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,594. The increase is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 6,622 in June 2025 and 46 new addresses validated since the Census date. This results in a population density of 358 persons per square kilometer. Lysterfield's growth rate of 0.4% since the census is within 2.7 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate of 3.1%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 74.5% of recent population gains 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, adjusted 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, Lysterfield is expected to increase by 323 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 4.9% over the 16-year period.

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

Lysterfield has recorded approximately 18 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling 92 homes. As of FY-26, 8 approvals have been recorded. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $499,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY-26, commercial approvals valued at $820,000 have been registered, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Lysterfield records about 60% of building activity per person and ranks among the 31st percentile nationally, suggesting relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. This is below average nationally and may reflect the area's maturity and potential planning constraints. New building activity comprises 82.0% standalone homes and 18.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Lysterfield's traditional low-density character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space. This represents a significant change from the current housing mix of 100.0% houses, possibly due to reduced availability of development sites addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

The estimated population density is 535 people per dwelling approval, indicating a quiet, low-activity development environment. Population forecasts suggest Lysterfield will gain 323 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Given 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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. Four major projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the region: Angliss Hospital Expansion, Kings Park Masterplan, Knoxfield Industrial Estate Redevelopment, and Dorset Road Extension. The following details these key projects in order of relevance.

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

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

Lysterfield has an educated workforce with 1.9% unemployment rate as of December 2025. Employment growth in the past year was estimated at 1.3%. The area's unemployment rate is 2.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is high at 75.8%.

Census responses show that 29.0% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment are construction, retail trade, and health care & social assistance, with notable concentration in construction (1.4 times the regional average). Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 7.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population.

Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.3% while unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded higher employment growth of 2.4%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lysterfield's industry mix suggests local employment should grow by 6.2% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, assuming constant 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 has an exceptionally high national income level according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in this area is $66,959 and the average income stands at $81,406. For Greater Melbourne, these figures are $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $73,400 (median) and $89,237 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in Lysterfield rank at the 94th percentile with a weekly income of $2,756. Income distribution shows that 30.1% of residents (1,993 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to regional levels where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Lysterfield demonstrates significant affluence with 46.0% earning over $3,000 per week. After housing costs, residents retain 88.8% of their 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

Lysterfield's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 99.7% houses and 0.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lysterfield stood at 38.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 54.3% and rented ones at 7.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,200, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000, while the median weekly rent figure was $435, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Lysterfield's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 88.6% of all households, consisting of 55.3% couples with children, 24.3% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 11.4%, with lone person households at 10.7% and group households comprising 0.7%. The median household size is 3.1 people, 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 Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. 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 – advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (21.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.5% of residents 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 indicates 25 active stops operating within Lysterfield, composed of buses. These stops are served by six individual routes, collectively facilitating 749 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically situated 263 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most residents commute outward; car remains the dominant mode at 96%. Average vehicle ownership per dwelling stands at 2.3, exceeding the regional average. Notably, 29% of residents work from home (2021 Census data).

Service frequency averages 107 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 29 weekly trips per 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. AreaSearch's assessment found low prevalence of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (3,966 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne. The most common medical conditions were asthma and mental health issues, impacting 7.0 and 6.2% of residents respectively. 74.5% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 15.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,041 people). Health outcomes among seniors were 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 has a higher than average cultural diversity, with 23.3% of its population born overseas and 18.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Lysterfield, comprising 55.0%, compared to 43.0% across Greater Melbourne. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (25.4%), English (23.0%), and Other (9.3%).

Notably, Sri Lankan ancestry is overrepresented at 1.7% in Lysterfield versus 0.8% regionally, Hungarian at 0.5% compared to 0.3%, and Italian at 6.7% compared to 5.2%.

Lysterfield's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Lysterfield's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly above Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Lysterfield has a notably over-represented cohort of 55-64 year-olds at 17.1%, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 8.8%. The 55-64 cohort is well above the national average of 11.2%. Post-2021 Census, the 65 to 74 age group grew from 8.1% to 9.6%, and the 85+ cohort increased from 0.8% to 1.9%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 17.0% to 14.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Lysterfield's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 76%, adding 210 residents to reach 488. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 80% of the population growth, while declines are anticipated for the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 age cohorts.