Maryborough Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Maryborough Surrounds reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Maryborough Surrounds' population was around 5,772 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 246 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,526. The change was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 5,717 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 3.5 persons per square kilometer. Maryborough Surrounds' 4.5% growth since census positioned it within 1.0 percentage points of the non-metro area's 5.5%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Interstate migration contributed approximately 87.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 used VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections indicated a decline of 180 persons by 2041, with the 25 to 34 age group projected to increase by 111 people.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Maryborough Surrounds recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Maryborough Surrounds has seen approximately 24 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with 123 homes approved over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, and two recorded so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling built has resulted in approximately 2.5 new residents per year over these five financial years, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $424,000, aligning with regional trends.

This financial year has seen $15.0 million in commercial approvals, reflecting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to the Rest of Vic., Maryborough Surrounds has 14.0% less new development per person but ranks among the 53rd percentile nationally when assessed against other areas. Recent development has been exclusively detached houses, preserving the area's traditional low-density character and appealing to families seeking space.

With around 300 people per dwelling approval, Maryborough Surrounds exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. Given expectations for stable or declining population, housing pressure should remain relatively low in Maryborough Surrounds, potentially presenting opportunities for buyers.

Maryborough Surrounds has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones are Maryborough and District Hospital Redevelopment, Deledio Recreation Reserve Pavilion (Dunolly Football Netball Club), Central Goldfields Land Use Planning Framework, and Maryborough Central Activity District (MCAD). The following details those most relevant.

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

Employment drivers in Maryborough Surrounds are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Maryborough Surrounds has a balanced workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate was 7.2% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 7.7%. As of this date, 2,243 residents were employed while the unemployment rate stood at 3.4%, which is above Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Maryborough Surrounds lagged significantly at 44.1% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and agriculture, forestry & fishing.

Manufacturing was particularly notable with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. However, construction was under-represented with only 6.6% of Maryborough Surrounds's workforce compared to 10.4% in Rest of Vic.. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census data analysis. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 7.7%, while the labour force increased by 6.9%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. experienced employment decline of 0.9% and labour force decline of 0.4%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data from Sep-25 showed VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Maryborough Surrounds's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 5.4% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Maryborough Surrounds had a median taxpayer income of $40,557 and an average of $48,744 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was lower than the national average, with Rest of Vic.'s median income at $48,741 and average income at $60,693. By March 2025, estimated incomes based on a 10.11% Wage Price Index growth were approximately $44,657 (median) and $53,672 (average). Census data showed that Maryborough Surrounds' household, family, and personal incomes fell between the 2nd and 3rd percentiles nationally. The $400 - $799 earnings band captured 31.8% of the community (1,835 individuals), contrasting with the broader area where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket led at 30.3%. A significant portion of the community faced economic challenges, with 42.4% in sub-$800 weekly brackets. Despite modest housing costs, allowing for 89.2% income retention, total disposable income ranked at just the 6th percentile nationally.

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

Maryborough Surrounds had 96.0% houses and 4.0% other dwellings in its latest Census evaluation, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s 93.8% houses and 6.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Maryborough Surrounds stood at 55.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.0% and rented ones at 10.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,046, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,127. The median weekly rent figure was $200, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $230. Nationally, Maryborough Surrounds' mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,046 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Maryborough Surrounds features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 63.9% of all households, including 20.8% couples with children, 31.6% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.1%, with lone person households at 34.0% and group households making up 2.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Vic.

Maryborough Surrounds faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 12.4%, significantly below the VIC average of 33.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.9%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.8%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.7%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 42.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 9.8% and certificates at 32.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 25.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.8% in primary, 8.0% in secondary, and 1.9% pursuing tertiary education. Maryborough Surrounds' 5 schools have a combined enrollment of 407 students, focusing exclusively on primary education with secondary options available in surrounding areas. School places per 100 residents stand at 7.0, below the regional average of 10.7, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Maryborough Surrounds has 14 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 16 individual routes providing a total of 140 weekly passenger trips. Residents' access to transport is limited, with an average distance of 1695 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 20 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 10 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Maryborough Surrounds is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Maryborough Surrounds faces significant health challenges with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 46% (~2,649 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (13.6%) and mental health issues (10.3%). Conversely, 55.4% report being free from medical ailments compared to 56.8% in Rest of Vic.. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 29.8% (1,721 people), higher than the 27.9% across Rest of Vic.. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Maryborough Surrounds had a cultural diversity index below average, with 88.1% of its population being Australian citizens, 88.7% born in Australia, and 97.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 47.0% of people in Maryborough Surrounds. Notably, Judaism's representation was slightly higher than the regional average, comprising 0.1% compared to 0.1% across Rest of Vic..

The top three ancestry groups were English (35.4%), Australian (31.3%), and Scottish (9.8%). Significant differences existed in the representation of certain ethnicities: Hungarian was overrepresented at 0.4% versus 0.3% regionally, Dutch at 1.7% compared to 1.6%, and Irish at 9.3% versus 9.2%.

Maryborough Surrounds ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Maryborough Surrounds has a median age of 53, which is considerably higher than the Rest of Vic.'s figure of 43 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Relative to Rest of Vic., Maryborough Surrounds has a higher concentration of residents aged 55-64 (18.5%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.3%). This 55-64 concentration is well above the national figure of 11.2%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 8.6% to 9.5% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 11.6%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Maryborough Surrounds's age structure. The 25 to 34 group is expected to grow by 25%, reaching 528 people from the current 423. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 and 5 to 14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.