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's population was 20,239 people as of Aug 2021. By Aug 2025, it is estimated to be around 22,250, reflecting an increase of 2,011 people (9.9%) since the 2021 Census. This change is inferred from the ABS's estimated resident population of 21,680 as of June 2024 and an additional 628 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 3,612 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Malvern - Glen Iris's growth of 9.9% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (7.0%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 96.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch uses 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, Malvern - Glen Iris is expected to grow by 2,624 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 9.2% in total over the 17 years.

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

Malvern - Glen Iris has recorded approximately 166 residential property approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces development approval data on a financial year basis, showing 831 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with six more approved in FY-26 so far. Over these five years, an average of 0.1 new residents per dwelling was recorded. This suggests that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, offering greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth above projections.

The average value of new dwellings constructed is $1,027,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26 alone, commercial development approvals totalled $94.8 million, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Malvern - Glen Iris has seen slightly more development activity, at 38.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods. Recent construction comprises 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns, which are currently 39.0% houses.

This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers, potentially due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. The location has approximately 170 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Looking ahead, Malvern - Glen Iris is projected to grow by 2,054 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

Influence on an area's performance is significantly impacted by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 56 such projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects 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.

Employment conditions in Malvern - Glen Iris demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Malvern - Glen Iris has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 2.6%.

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 rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is at 66.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment concentrations are in professional & technical (1.7 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

Construction shows lower representation at 5.4% versus the regional average of 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over June 2024 to June 2025, employment increased by 0.4%, labour force by 1.4%, causing unemployment rate rise by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.5% and unemployment rise by 0.5%. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth at 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, based on simple weighting 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

AreaSearch reports that Malvern - Glen Iris had a median income among taxpayers of $73,466 and an average income of $148,491 in the financial year 2022. This places it in the top percentile nationally, compared to Melbourne's median and average incomes of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. By March 2025, current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $80,893 and an average income of around $163,503, based on the Wage Price Index growth rate of 10.11% since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census data shows that Malvern - Glen Iris ranks highly for household, family, and personal incomes, between the 87th and 94th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 30.9% of individuals in Malvern - Glen Iris earn over $4,000 annually, contrasting with the region where the leading income bracket is $1,500 to $2,999. The district shows considerable affluence, with 41.8% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 14.0% of income, while strong earnings place residents in the 87th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking is 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

Malvern - Glen Iris dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 39.2% houses and 60.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This differed from Melbourne metro's figures of 46.2% houses and 53.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Malvern - Glen Iris was 36.9%, similar to Melbourne metro, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (30.4%) or rented (32.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,800, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,817. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $410, slightly below Melbourne metro's $416. Nationally, Malvern - Glen Iris's mortgage repayments were 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 account for 62.5% of all households, including 27.9% couples with children, 25.4% couples without children, and 7.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 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

Malvern - Glen Iris has a higher educational attainment than the broader Australian and Victorian averages. 57.3% of its residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 33.4% in Victoria. This is predominantly due to bachelor degrees (37.0%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.0%). Vocational pathways account for 17.1%, 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 9 schools operating within Malvern - Glen Iris, educating approximately 3,748 students. The area's educational performance is exceptional (ICSEA: 1165), placing its schools among the most advantaged nationally. It includes 4 primary and 5 K-12 schools. As an education hub, it offers 16.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 10.1, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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 serving a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are covered by 17 routes that together facilitate 9,592 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 174 meters to the nearest one.

The service frequency is 1,370 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 94 weekly trips per stop.

Malvern - Glen Iris's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows robust health metrics across Malvern - Glen Iris, with low prevalence of common conditions among both young and elderly cohorts. Approximately 86% of residents have private health cover, higher than Greater Melbourne's 80.7%, and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are most prevalent at 7.2% and 7.0% respectively, with 72.6% reporting no medical ailments, close to Greater Melbourne's 73.4%.

The area has 20.6% residents aged 65+, totaling 4,576 people, higher than Greater Melbourne's 18.8%. Seniors' health outcomes align with the general population's 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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 27.4% of its population born overseas and 19.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Malvern-Glen Iris, making up 46.3% of people. Notably, Judaism comprises 5.3%, higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 4.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.1%), Australian (20.1%), and Irish (9.7%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences: Polish is overrepresented at 1.6% compared to 1.4% regionally, Russian at 0.7% versus 0.6%, and Hungarian 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 marginally higher than Australia's median age of 38. The 75-84 age cohort is notably over-represented in Malvern - Glen Iris at 7.6%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 35-44 year-olds are under-represented at 12.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.9% to 14.2%, and the 25 to 34 cohort has risen from 14.7% to 15.8%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 13.8% to 12.1%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 10.5% to 9.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Malvern - Glen Iris's age profile will evolve significantly. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to expand by 666 people (40%), from 1,682 to 2,349. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 73% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.