Moonee Ponds
Statistical Area - sa2

Moonee Ponds lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Moonee Ponds' population is 17,819 as of Aug 2025. This figure shows an increase of 1,595 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,224. The change was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 17,823 in June 2024 and an additional 413 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4,086 persons per square kilometer, placing Moonee Ponds in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 9.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeds the national average of 8.6%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, though all drivers were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts 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 methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Moonee Ponds is forecasted to grow by 4,945 persons to 2041, with a total increase of 27.8% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Moonee Ponds among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Moonee Ponds averaged around 210 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 1,054 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25 and two so far in FY-26. On average, 1.6 people moved to the area each year for each dwelling built over these five years. This indicates a balanced market between supply and demand, supporting stable conditions.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $923,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26 so far, $62.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Moonee Ponds records elevated construction activity at 45.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, offering good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. This activity is well above the national average, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New development consists of 7.0% detached dwellings and 93.0% medium and high-density housing, providing accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This represents a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 45.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options.

With around 381 people per approval, Moonee Ponds indicates a mature market. By 2041, Moonee Ponds is expected to grow by 4,949 residents. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Moonee Ponds has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that are expected to affect the region. Notable projects include the Moonee Valley Racing Club Grandstand & Clubhouse Redevelopment, Moonee Valley Park, York Street Park (A Park Close to Home) - Pascoe Vale South, and Chain of Ponds Collaboration Moonee Ponds Creek Improvement. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Employment performance in Moonee Ponds exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Moonee Ponds has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 4.3% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 6.4%.

As of June 2025, 11,326 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, 0.3% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was at 70.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training are dominant employment sectors among residents. Professional & technical jobs were particularly notable, with levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Manufacturing, however, was under-represented, with only 4.3% of Moonee Ponds' workforce compared to 7.2% in Greater Melbourne. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 6.4%, while labour force grew by 7.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% and a rise in unemployment of 0.5 percentage points. As of Sep-25, state-level data showed Victorian employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Moonee Ponds' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Moonee Ponds' median taxpayer income was $66,481 with an average of $92,840 in financial year 2022 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is notably higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. By March 2025, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $73,202 and $102,226 respectively, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Moonee Ponds rank between the 73rd and 86th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 30.7% of individuals (5,470 people) earn between $1,500 - 2,999 per week, aligning with broader trends across regional levels at 32.8%. A substantial proportion, 33.1%, earn above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. Housing expenses consume 14.5% of income. Residents rank within the 75th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Moonee Ponds displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Moonee Ponds' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 44.7% houses and 55.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 42.6% houses and 57.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moonee Ponds was higher at 30.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.8% and rented ones at 39.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,200. The median weekly rent figure in Moonee Ponds was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $370. Nationally, Moonee Ponds' mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 versus the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $400 compared to the national figure of $375.

Moonee Ponds features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 60.2% of all households, consisting of 25.7% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 6.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 39.8%, with lone person households at 34.4% and group households making up 5.4%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.3.

Educational achievement in Moonee Ponds places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Moonee Ponds has a high level of educational attainment among residents aged 15 and above. 48.8% hold university qualifications, surpassing the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. University qualifications include bachelor degrees (30.1%), postgraduate qualifications (13.0%), and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational pathways account for 22.0%, with advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 11.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes tertiary education (8.1%), primary education (6.9%), and secondary education (5.9%). Moonee Ponds has four schools with a combined enrollment of 1,131 students. The International Comparative School Effectiveness Analysis (ICSEA) score for the area is 1137, indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. The educational mix includes three primary schools and one K-12 school. There are 6.3 school places per 100 residents, below the regional average of 12.5, suggesting some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Moonee Ponds has 85 active public transport stops. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 20 individual routes operating in total, serving 19,190 weekly passenger trips combined.

The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 166 meters. Across all routes, there are an average of 2,741 daily trips, equating to around 225 weekly trips per individual stop.

Moonee Ponds's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Moonee Ponds residents show relatively good health outcomes, with low prevalence rates for common conditions among the general population. However, these rates are higher than the national average for older and at-risk cohorts.

Private health cover is exceptionally high in Moonee Ponds, with approximately 67% of its total population (11,956 people) having it, compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 8.9% of residents and asthma impacting 7.4%. A significant majority, 71.3%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's 72.0%. Moonee Ponds has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 17.1% (3,052 people) compared to Greater Melbourne's 16.0%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Moonee Ponds 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

Moonee Ponds, as per the census data from June 2016, exhibited higher cultural diversity compared to most other local areas. Its population comprised 29.1% overseas-born individuals and 25.3% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Moonee Ponds, accounting for 51.9% of its inhabitants.

Notably, Judaism was more prevalent here at 0.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.1%. Regarding ancestry, the top three groups were English (20.0%), Australian (17.6%), and Italian (12.1%). Some ethnicities showed significant differences: Maltese at 1.7% in Moonee Ponds versus 1.6% regionally, Greek at 3.7% versus 3.2%, and Croatian at 1.1% versus 1%.

Moonee Ponds's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Moonee Ponds is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Moonee Ponds has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (19.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.5%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 65-74 has increased from 8.4% to 9.3%, while the 45-54 age group has decreased from 13.1% to 12.2%. By 2041, Moonee Ponds' age composition is expected to shift notably. The 65-74 age group is projected to grow by 57%, reaching 2,610 people from the current 1,657.