Macedon
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Macedon are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Macedon's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, was around 3,647 by Nov 2025. This figure represents an increase of 124 people from the 2021 Census total of 3,523, indicating a 3.5% growth. The change is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 3,645 in June 2024 and nine new validated addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 50 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed approximately 57.1% to overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, it uses VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting via weighted aggregation to SA2 levels and applying growth rates by age group until 2041. Nationally, statistical areas are projected to have above median population growth, with Macedon expected to expand by 744 persons by 2041, a 20.4% increase over 17 years.

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

Macedon has granted approximately five residential properties approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, twenty-five homes were approved, with one additional approval in FY26 so far. This results in an average of 4.2 people moving to the area for each dwelling built over these years.

Demand significantly exceeds new supply, leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost value of $721,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY26, $425,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Macedon has significantly less development activity, 84.0% below the regional average per person.

This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Recent development has comprised entirely of detached houses, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Future projections indicate Macedon adding 742 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Macedon has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified eight projects that could impact the local area. Key projects include the Hanging Rock to Daylesford Shared Trail, Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct, Hamilton Road Reconstruction New Gisborne to Riddells Creek, and Gisborne Business Park Development. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Macedon performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Macedon has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 1.4% and it experienced an estimated employment growth of 4.1% over the past year up to June 2025.

As of this date, 2,070 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 3.2%, which is below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation in Macedon is broadly similar to Greater Melbourne's rate of 64.1%. The leading employment industries among residents include professional & technical services, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Notably, education & training has an employment share that is 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, accommodation & food services are under-represented in Macedon's workforce with only 3.5% compared to Greater Melbourne's 6.4%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.1% while labour force grew by 4.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded an employment growth of 3.5%, labour force growth of 4.0%, and an increase in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with significant variations between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Macedon's employment mix suggests a local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.6% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Macedon has exceptionally high income levels nationally. The median assessed income is $66,000 and the average income stands at $104,849. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's figures of a median income of $54,892 and an average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Macedon would be approximately $74,026 (median) and $117,599 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census data ranks household, family, and personal incomes in Macedon between the 78th and 90th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 27.7% of the community earns $4,000 or more (1,010 individuals), differing from regional patterns where $1,500 - $2,999 dominates with 32.8%. A substantial proportion of residents (41.8%) earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout Macedon. After housing costs, residents retain 87.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Macedon, as recorded at the latest Census held on 29 August 2016, consisted of 98.0% houses and 2.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's figures of 94.7% houses and 5.3% other dwellings. In Macedon, home ownership stood at 44.8%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (46.7%) or rented (8.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,492, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,014. The median weekly rent figure for Macedon was $361, compared to Melbourne metro's $400. Nationally, Macedon's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 80.8% of all households, including 39.0% couples with children, 34.7% couples without children, and 6.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 19.2%, with lone person households at 17.4% and group households making up 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.8.

Macedon demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Macedon's educational attainment exceeds broader averages, with 42.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 27.7% in the SA3 area and 27.7% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (17.9%). Educational participation is high, with 30.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.4% in primary, 10.2% in secondary, and 4.1% pursuing tertiary education.

Macedon's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,845 students as of the latest data point. The area has an ICSEA score of 1128, indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. It functions as an education hub with 50.6 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities compared to the regional average of 16.4.

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

Macedon has two active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by seven routes in total, facilitating 391 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is limited, with residents living an average of 1839 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 55 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 195 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Macedon is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Macedon shows above-average health outcomes with both younger and older age groups experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 74% of Macedon's total population of 2,687 people have private health cover, compared to 58.9% across Greater Melbourne and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions in Macedon are arthritis (affecting 7.8% of residents) and asthma (7.2%), while 71.9% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 69.3% across Greater Melbourne.

In Macedon, 21.4% of residents are aged 65 and over (781 people), higher than the 18.7% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors in Macedon are particularly strong, outperforming those of the general population in health metrics.

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

Macedon had a lower cultural diversity, with 84.1% born in Australia, 90.1% being citizens, and 95.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 38.3%. Buddhism was overrepresented at 0.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.6%.

Top ancestry groups were English (29.2%), Australian (27.9%), and Irish (11.4%). Dutch (2.1%) Polish (1.1%) and Scottish (9.4%) were notably overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.5%, 0.8% and 8.8% respectively.

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

The median age in Macedon is 46 years, which exceeds Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and is also higher than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age cohort in Macedon is notably over-represented at 16.6%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 3.0%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 5.8% to 8.5%, and the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 9.5% to 11.3%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 14.2% to 11.4%, and the 25 to 34 age group has dropped from 5.6% to 3.0%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Macedon, with the 45 to 54 age cohort projected to expand by 230 people (38%) from 605 to 836. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.