Mill Park - South

Mill Park - South is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Mill Park - South's population is around 11,608 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 368 people (3.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,240 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,322 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 110 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,354 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 69.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the 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. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is forecast, with the area expected to increase by 3,038 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 23.7% in total over the 17 years.

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

Mill Park - South has recorded around 29 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 146 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 6 approvals have been recorded. With population declining over recent years, new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new homes are being built at an average value of $338,000. Additionally, $1.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating the area's residential nature.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mill Park - South records markedly lower building activity (82.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, though development activity has picked up in recent periods. This is likewise lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and pointing to possible development constraints. New development consists of 15.0% detached houses and 85.0% medium and high-density housing. This trend toward denser development provides accessible entry options and appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing (currently 90.0% houses), indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. At around 993 people per approval, Mill Park - South shows a mature, established area.

Population forecasts indicate Mill Park - South will gain 2,752 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Mill Park - South has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 10 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Mill Park Place Framework, Tram Route 86 Extension, The Stables Kindergarten Redevelopment, and Peter Hopper Lake Revitalisation, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

Mill Park - South shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Mill Park - South possesses a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 5.3%, and 0.5% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 6,011 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.5% above Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation lags significantly (66.0% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 21.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Meanwhile, professional & technical services have a limited presence with 6.6% employment compared to 10.1% regionally. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw employment increasing by 0.5% alongside the labour force increasing by 1.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%, labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Mill Park - South. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Mill Park - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Mill Park - South SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $52,748 with the average level standing at $60,856. This is lower than average on a national basis and compares to levels of $57,688 and $75,164 across Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $57,100 (median) and $65,877 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household income ranks at the 44th percentile ($1,647 weekly), while personal income sits at the 26th percentile. Distribution data shows the predominant cohort spans 35.0% of locals (4,062 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.8% in the same category. After housing, 85.9% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Mill Park - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 89.8% houses and 10.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Mill Park - South was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 40.0%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (35.8%) or rented (24.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Melbourne metro average at $1,733, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $369, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Mill Park - South's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

Mill Park - South features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 78.0% of all households, comprising 37.9% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 13.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.0%, with lone person households at 19.1% and group households comprising 2.7% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational attainment in Mill Park - South aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (26.3%) substantially below the Greater Melbourne average of 37.0%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 17.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 31.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (20.2%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 46 active transport stops operating within Mill Park - South, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 8 individual routes, collectively providing 3,849 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 204 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 91%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. Some 21.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 549 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 83 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mill Park - South's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data indicates relatively positive outcomes for Mill Park - South residents, with AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions showing results broadly in line with national benchmarks. A fairly standard level of common health conditions is seen across both young and old age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 49% of the total population (~5,711 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.7% and 7.0% of residents, respectively, while 70.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 20.9% of residents aged 65 and over (2,426 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Mill Park - South is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Mill Park - South scores highly on cultural diversity, with 38.5% of its population born overseas and 43.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Mill Park - South is Christianity, which makes up 56.0% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Islam, which comprises 6.2% of the population, compared to 5.6% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Mill Park - South are Australian, comprising 15.5% of the population, Other, comprising 15.1% of the population, and English, comprising 14.7% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 20.1%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Macedonian is notably overrepresented at 4.5% of Mill Park - South (vs 0.7% regionally), Greek at 6.6% (vs 2.7%) and Italian at 10.7% (vs 5.2%).

Mill Park - South's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The 39-year median age in Mill Park - South is somewhat higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and similarly very close to the 38-year national average. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 65 - 74 cohort is notably over-represented (13.0% locally), while 5 - 14 year-olds are under-represented (10.0%). Post-2021 Census data shows the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 10.8% to 13.0% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 4.5% to 6.4%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 15.5% to 13.6% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 12.1% to 10.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Mill Park - South. Leading the demographic shift, the 75 to 84 group will grow by 92% (686 people), reaching 1,433 from 746. Demographic aging continues as residents 65 and older represent 51% of anticipated growth. The 0 to 4 group displays more modest growth at 8%, adding only 47 residents.