Moorabbin - Heatherton
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Moorabbin - Heatherton are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Moorabbin - Heatherton's population is around 9,878 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 762 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,116 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,722 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 308 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 844 persons per square kilometer. Moorabbin - Heatherton's growth rate of 8.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's 5.6%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.0% 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 by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, the area is expected to grow by 2,092 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, recording a gain of 19.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Moorabbin - Heatherton among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Moorabbin-Heatherton has recorded approximately 97 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 485 homes over the past five financial years from FY21 to FY25, with 5 already recorded in FY26. The average new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years was 0.3. This suggests that supply is meeting or surpassing demand, providing greater buyer choice while supporting potential for population growth above projections.

New dwellings are developed at an average value of $465,000, aligned with broader regional development. Additionally, $58.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Moorabbin-Heatherton has 90.0% more development activity per person. Recent construction comprises 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% attached dwellings, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This reflects a change from the current housing mix of 78.0% houses due to reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 88 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

Looking ahead, Moorabbin-Heatherton is expected to grow by 1,922 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.

Moorabbin - Heatherton has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 40 projects that may impact the area. Notable projects include Bluff Road Hampton East Redevelopment, Southpoint Highett, Nero Highett, and Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Moorabbin - Heatherton shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Moorabbin - Heatherton has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 6.5% in June 2021.

Over the past year, employment remained relatively stable. As of June 2025, there are 5,280 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 6.5%, which is 1.9% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation stands at 66.5%, slightly above Greater Melbourne's 64.1%.

Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance (27%), professional & technical services (18%), and retail trade (13%). Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing employs only 3.4% of local workers, lower than Greater Melbourne's 5.2%. The area hosts more jobs than residents, with a ratio of 2.0 workers per resident as at the Census, functioning as an employment hub attracting workers from nearby areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force levels increased by 1.4%, while employment declined by 0.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 1.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.5% during the same period. State-level data from Sep-25 shows that Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Moorabbin - Heatherton's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years.

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

In Moorabbin - Heatherton, based on AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data from financial year 2022, the median income among taxpayers was $58,786 and the average was $73,926. Nationally, these figures stood at $54,892 and $73,761 respectively for Greater Melbourne. Considering a Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $64,729 (median) and $81,400 (average). According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Moorabbin - Heatherton clustered around the 69th percentile nationally. Income distribution showed that 30.9% of residents earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, mirroring Melbourne's metropolitan region at 32.8%. Notably, 31.0% had incomes above $3,000 per week. Housing costs consumed 16.8% of income, leaving disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

Moorabbin - Heatherton is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Moorabbin-Heatherton's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 78.1% houses and 21.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting Melbourne metro's 54.8% houses and 45.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moorabbin-Heatherton stood at 30.2%, with the rest being mortgaged (40.7%) or rented (29.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,167. Median weekly rent in Moorabbin-Heatherton was $440, compared to Melbourne metro's $410. Nationally, Moorabbin-Heatherton's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,300 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 at $440.

Moorabbin - Heatherton has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 72.2% of all households, including 37.2% couples with children, 23.0% couples without children, and 11.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.8%, with lone person households at 24.1% and group households comprising 3.5%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.4.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 38.6% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (16.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.3% in primary, 8.1% in secondary, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education. Six schools operate within Moorabbin-Heatherton, educating approximately 1,888 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1103). The educational mix includes three primary, one secondary, and two K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (19.1 places per 100 residents vs 15.7 regionally), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Moorabbin-Heatherton has 89 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 25 individual routes, collectively facilitating 6,034 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 187 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 862 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 67 weekly trips per stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Moorabbin - Heatherton, with both younger and older age groups exhibiting low prevalence rates for common health conditions.

Approximately 56% (~5,581 people) have private health cover, which is notably high. Mental health issues and asthma were the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.2 and 6.9% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 72.3%, reported being completely free from medical ailments compared to 70.4% across Greater Melbourne. As of 18th September 2021, Moorabbin - Heatherton has a lower percentage of seniors aged 65 and over at 16.8% (1,664 people) than the overall Greater Melbourne figure of 19.3%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in the area remain strong and largely align with those of the general population.

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

Moorabbin-Heatherton has a high level of cultural diversity, with 36.4% of its population born overseas and 30.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Moorabbin-Heatherton, accounting for 45.6% of people. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in Moorabbin-Heatherton compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 4.1% versus 1.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.3%), Australian (18.9%), and Other (12.8%). There are significant differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Russian is overrepresented at 1.9%, Polish at 1.9%, and Greek at 4.2%.

Moorabbin - Heatherton's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Moorabbin - Heatherton's median age is 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 45-54 cohort makes up 14.0% of Moorabbin - Heatherton's population, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 10.9%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 10.4% to 13.0%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 15.4% to 14.0% and the 25 to 34 group has dropped from 12.1% to 10.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Moorabbin - Heatherton's age profile will change significantly. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to grow by 366 people (62%), from 592 to 959. Conversely, the 0 to 4 age group is expected to decrease by 12 residents.