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Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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Population
Melbourne CBD - West lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends
Melbourne CBD - West's population was around 22,225 as of Aug 2025. This showed an increase of 6,577 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,648. The change was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 21,528 in June 2024 and an additional 372 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 22,005 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 42.0% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the national average (8.6%) and the state average. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 87.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.
AreaSearch is adopting 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 uses VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest population numbers, a significant increase is forecasted for this area, with an expected growth of 9,241 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 38.4% over the 17 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Melbourne CBD - West according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Melbourne CBD - West has received approximately six dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 30 dwellings were approved annually. No dwelling approvals have been recorded in FY26 so far.
On average, 92.6 people moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five financial years, indicating substantial demand outstripping supply and potentially leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. This year, commercial approvals totalled $434.4 million, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Melbourne CBD - West has had reduced construction activity, supporting stronger demand and values for established dwellings.
The area's level of new supply is also below the national average, reflecting its established nature and possible planning limitations. By 2041, projections show Melbourne CBD - West adding approximately 8544 residents. If current development rates persist, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Melbourne CBD - West has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally
The performance of a local area is greatly influenced by changes in its infrastructure. AreaSearch has identified 52 projects that could impact this area. Notable projects include the Metro Tunnel Project, which aims to ease congestion on the Werribee Line and includes the construction of the Metro Tunnel - Town Hall Station. The Queensbridge Building is another significant project in the area.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Metro Tunnel Project
The Metro Tunnel Project creates a new underground rail line from Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham through a 9km tunnel under the city. Five new underground stations at Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac transform Melbourne's transport network. Twin 9-kilometre rail tunnels connecting the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines through 5 new underground CBD stations opened in January 2025, creating capacity for 500,000 additional passengers during peak times by bypassing the existing City Loop. The $12.8 billion project is the largest investment in Melbourne's CBD rail capacity since the City Loop was completed 40 years ago. Testing completed with passenger services commenced in 2025 enabling direct travel and turn-up-and-go services with high-capacity signalling, platform screen doors, and modern trains with 20% more capacity.
Metro Tunnel Project
The Metro Tunnel will create a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne/Pakenham in the south east, with twin 9km train tunnels, bigger and more modern trains, high capacity signalling, and 5 new stations at Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac.
Level Crossing Removal Project
The project aims to remove 110 dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne by 2030, improving safety and reducing congestion for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users. It includes network improvements such as line upgrades and new or upgraded train stations, creating thousands of jobs during construction.
Metro Tunnel Project (Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham)
Twin 9 km rail tunnels under Melbourne CBD creating a new end-to-end line linking Sunbury with Cranbourne/Pakenham, with 5 new underground stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, Anzac). Testing and trial operations underway; opening targeted for late 2025 to increase capacity and bypass the City Loop with high-capacity signalling and platform screen doors.
Metro Tunnel Project
The Metro Tunnel will create a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne/Pakenham in the south-east, with twin 9km train tunnels connecting the east and west of Melbourne, 5 new underground stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, Anzac), high-capacity signalling, and platform screen doors. Testing is underway, with the project on track to open later in 2025.
225 King Street Student Accommodation
A 25-storey purpose-built student accommodation tower featuring 420 beds (409 studio units and 11 two-bedroom apartments) with comprehensive communal facilities including ground-floor study areas, concierge, lounges, meeting rooms, retail tenancies, gymnasium, rooftop walking track, and landscaped gardens. The development by SLB Developments will demolish the existing 12-storey former Victoria University building to create modern student housing with distinctive lattice facade and metal mesh elements.
Metro Tunnel (Melbourne)
City-shaping rail line creating twin 9 km tunnels with five new underground stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, Anzac). Trial operations and testing are underway with staged opening in 2025 and indications that full timetable may not commence until 2026. The project connects Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham with high-capacity signalling to relieve the City Loop.
Metro Tunnel Project - Town Hall Station
A new underground station in the heart of Melbourne's CBD, providing direct access to Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, and the arts precinct. It is part of the larger Metro Tunnel project aimed at increasing capacity and reliability on the metropolitan train network.
Employment
The labour market in Melbourne CBD - West demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia
Melbourne CBD - West has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 4.9% as of June 2025, with estimated employment growth of 6.9%.
In June 2025, there were 16,142 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 4.9%, 0.3% above Greater Melbourne's rate. Workforce participation was high at 73.2%. Key industries included accommodation & food, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Accommodation & food had a share of employment three times the regional level.
Construction was under-represented with only 3.4% of the workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The area functioned as an employment hub with 7.2 workers per resident. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 6.9%, labour force by 7.2%, raising unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In Greater Melbourne, employment grew by 3.5%, labour force expanded by 4.0%, and unemployment rose by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 showed Victoria's employment growth at 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts projected employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Melbourne CBD - West's industry mix suggested local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch
Melbourne CBD - West's median income among taxpayers was $41,790 and average income stood at $63,963 in financial year 2022. These figures compare to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761 respectively. As of March 2025, current estimates suggest the median income is approximately $46,015 and average income is around $70,430, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022. According to 2021 Census figures, personal income ranks at the 61st percentile ($861 weekly) and household income sits at the 32nd percentile. In terms of earnings profile, 33.0% of the population (7,334 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring the broader area where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 76.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 22nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Melbourne CBD - West features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
Dwelling structure in Melbourne CBD-West, as recorded at the latest Census, consisted of 0.1% houses and 99.8% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metropolitan area had 2.2% houses and 97.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Melbourne CBD-West was at 8.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 12.8% and rented ones at 78.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,710, lower than Melbourne metropolitan average of $1,962. Median weekly rent figure was recorded at $376, compared to Melbourne metro's $396. Nationally, mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Melbourne CBD - West features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households account for 36.5% of all households, including 4.9% that are couples with children, 25.9% that are couples without children, and 2.3% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 63.5%, with lone person households at 46.8% and group households comprising 16.8%. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.8.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
The educational profile of Melbourne CBD - West exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics
Educational attainment in Melbourne CBD-West is notably high, with 61.7% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% statewide (Victoria). Bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 20.5%. Vocational pathways account for 19.2%, with advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 7.6%. Educational participation is high, with 41.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.
This includes 22.8% in tertiary education, 1.1% in primary education, and 1.0% pursuing secondary education. Eltham College - King Street Campus, located within Melbourne CBD-West, had an enrollment of 0 students as of the specified date. All 1 school in the area offers integrated K-12 education. As there are no schools located within Melbourne CBD-West, residents must travel to neighboring areas for educational services. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus details.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
The Melbourne CBD-West area has 78 active public transport stops. These include train stations, light rail stops, and bus stops. There are 87 different routes serving these stops, transporting a total of 45,469 passengers weekly.
The average distance from residents' homes to the nearest transport stop is 66 meters. On average, there are 6,495 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 582 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Melbourne CBD - West's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups
Melbourne CBD-West shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover stands at approximately 51%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 56%.
Mental health issues and asthma are most prevalent at 6.8% and 5.3% respectively, while 85.6% report no medical ailments, higher than the 79.8% citywide average. Only 2.4% of residents are aged 65 or over (526 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 6.8%. Senior health outcomes align with those of the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Melbourne CBD - West is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics
Melbourne CBD-West has a population where 65.1% speak a language other than English at home and 75.3% were born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, with 22.6% of people identifying as such. Notably, Buddhism comprises 11.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 7.0%.
In terms of ancestry, Chinese comprise 25.5%, Other groups make up 21.3%, and English comprise 11.6%. Korean (2.8%), Indian (8.8%), and Vietnamese (2.5%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.5%, 5.5%, and 2.0% respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Melbourne CBD - West hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide
Melbourne CBD-West has a median age of 29, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, it has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (42.5%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (1.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 24.0% to 28.8%, while the proportion of those aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 45.8% to 42.5%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show that Melbourne CBD-West's age structure will shift significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to increase by 3,188 people (34%), reaching a total of 12,636 from the current figure of 9,447.