Malvern - Glen Iris
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Malvern - Glen Iris reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Malvern - Glen Iris' population is approximately 22,202 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,963 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 20,239. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 21,680 in June 2024 and an additional 607 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 3,604 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's 9.7% growth since the 2021 Census exceeded both the SA4 region (7.1%) and national averages. Overseas migration contributed approximately 96.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 with adjustments made via weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Malvern - Glen Iris is expected to grow by approximately 2,624 persons to 2041, recording a gain of around 9.5% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Malvern - Glen Iris when compared nationally

Malvern - Glen Iris has recorded approximately 166 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 831 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY26. The average new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years was 0.1.

This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and supporting population growth. The average value of new properties being constructed is $505,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In FY26, there have been $94.8 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum compared to Greater Melbourne, where Malvern - Glen Iris shows moderately higher development activity at 38.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. Recent construction in the area comprises 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% attached dwellings, reflecting a shift towards higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

This represents a significant change from the current housing mix of 39.0% houses. The location has approximately 170 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Looking ahead, Malvern - Glen Iris is projected to grow by 2,102 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Malvern - Glen Iris has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 53 projects potentially impacting the region. Notable initiatives include the 173 Burke Road Mixed-Use Development, Cabrini Hospital Major Redevelopment, Harold Holt Swim Centre Improvements, and Glen Iris Village Corner. The following list details those 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.

The labour market in Malvern - Glen Iris shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Malvern - Glen Iris has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 2.6%, lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

Over the past year, employment stability has been relative. There are 13,150 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0% below Greater Melbourne's figure and workforce participation at 66.8%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.7 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction shows lower representation at 5.4% compared to the regional average of 9.7%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 0.4%, labour force by 1.4%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.9 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.5% and unemployment rise by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Malvern - Glen Iris's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.5% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, Malvern - Glen Iris had a median income among taxpayers of $73,466. The average income stood at $148,491. These figures place Malvern - Glen Iris in the top percentile nationally. Comparing to Greater Melbourne's levels of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% from financial year ended June 2022 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $82,399 for median income and $166,548 for average income. From the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Malvern - Glen Iris rank highly nationally, between the 87th and 94th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 30.9% of the community (6,860 individuals) earn over $4,000 annually, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 to $2,999 bracket leads at 32.8%. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 41.8% earning over $3,000 per week. This supports premium retail and service offerings in the area. Housing accounts for 14.0% of income. Strong earnings place residents within the 87th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Malvern - Glen Iris features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Malvern - Glen Iris, as per the latest Census, 39.2% of dwellings were houses while 60.8% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Melbourne metropolitan area's figures of 46.2% houses and 53.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Malvern - Glen Iris stood at 36.9%, similar to Melbourne metro's rate. Mortgaged dwellings constituted 30.4%, with rented properties making up 32.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,800, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,817. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $410, slightly below Melbourne metro's $416. Nationally, Malvern - Glen Iris's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Malvern - Glen Iris features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 62.5% of all households, broken down into couples with children (27.9%), couples without children (25.4%), and single parent families (7.9%). Non-family households account for 37.5%, with lone person households at 33.4% and group households comprising 4.1%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.4.

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

Educational attainment in Malvern-Glen Iris significantly surpasses broader benchmarks. 57.3% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 37.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.0%). Vocational pathways account for 17.1% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 7.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in tertiary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 7.6% pursuing primary education. There are nine schools operating within Malvern-Glen Iris, educating approximately 3,748 students. The area demonstrates exceptional educational performance with an ICSEA score of 1165, placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes four primary and five K-12 schools. There are 16.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 10.1, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Malvern-Glen Iris has 101 active public transport stops. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 17 routes operating in total, serving 9,592 weekly passenger trips.

Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 174 meters. Daily service frequency across all routes is 1,370 trips, with each stop averaging approximately 94 weekly trips.

Malvern - Glen Iris'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 Malvern - Glen Iris. Both young and old age cohorts see low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 86% of the total population (19,004 people), compared to 80.7% across Greater Melbourne.

Nationally, this average stands at 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 7.2 and 7.0% of residents respectively. A total of 72.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.4% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 20.6% of residents aged 65 and over (4,566 people), higher than the 18.8% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Malvern - Glen Iris was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Malvern-Glen Iris had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 27.4% of its residents born overseas and 19.8% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Malvern-Glen Iris, comprising 46.3% of the population. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented at 5.3%, compared to 4.1% across Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestral groups were English (25.1%), Australian (20.1%), and Irish (9.7%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Polish residents made up 1.6% of Malvern-Glen Iris, slightly higher than the regional average of 1.4%, while Russian residents comprised 0.7% compared to 0.6% regionally, and Hungarian residents were at 0.5%.

Malvern - Glen Iris's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Malvern - Glen Iris has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. The 75-84 cohort is notably over-represented at 7.6%, while the 35-44 cohort is under-represented at 12.5% compared to the Greater Melbourne average. Between 2021 and the present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 12.9% to 14.2%, and the 25-34 cohort has increased from 14.7% to 15.8%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.8% to 12.1%, and the 5-14 group has dropped from 10.5% to 9.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Malvern - Glen Iris's age profile will evolve significantly. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to expand by 670 people (40%), from 1,678 to 2,349. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 72% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.