Mount Dandenong - Olinda
Statistical Area - sa2

Mount Dandenong - Olinda has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Mount Dandenong - Olinda's population is around 9,666 as of November 2025. This reflects a decrease from the previous population of 9,706 recorded in the 2021 Census, indicating a drop of 40 people (0.4%). The change is inferred from ABS estimates; the population was 9,609 in June 2024 and there were additional 25 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 118 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 64.1% to overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, they utilise VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest lower quartile growth, with the area expected to grow by 230 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, indicating a total increase of 1.8% over these 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Mount Dandenong - Olinda is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Mount Dandenong - Olinda has seen approximately six dwellings receive development approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling 33 homes. This fiscal year alone, three approvals have been recorded so far. Despite a declining population in recent years, the development activity has remained adequate relative to other areas, benefiting buyers while new properties are constructed at an average value of $689,000, indicating a focus on premium segment upmarket properties. Additionally, $1.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this year, reflecting the area's residential nature.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Dandenong - Olinda has significantly less development activity, 83.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This trend is also lower than nationally, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1403 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment.

Looking ahead, Mount Dandenong - Olinda is expected to grow by 173 residents through to 2041. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 26 projects that may affect the region. Notable projects include Mount Dandenong Tourist Road Landslide Repair Works, Six Senses Resort And Spa At Burnham Beeches, Dandenong Ranges Environmental Protection Program, and Sherbrooke Children's Centre Services. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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.

AreaSearch analysis places Mount Dandenong - Olinda well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Mount Dandenong - Olinda has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.5% as of June 2021, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.1%. As of June 2025, 5,361 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 2.1%, similar to Greater Melbourne's workforce participation rate of 64.1%. Key industries include education & training, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Education & training has a particularly high representation at 1.5 times the regional level, while transport, postal & warehousing is lower at 2.8% compared to the regional average of 5.2%.

AreaSearch analysis from June 2024 to June 2025 showed employment increased by 1.1%, labour force grew by 0.7%, and unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's figures. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Dandenong - Olinda's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Mount Dandenong - Olinda has a very high national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $53,368 and the average income stands at $74,334. These figures compare to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Mount Dandenong - Olinda would be approximately $59,858 (median) and $83,373 (average) as of September 2025. Census data indicates household, family and personal incomes cluster around the 67th percentile nationally in Mount Dandenong - Olinda. Income distribution shows 31.5% of the population (3,044 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across regional levels at 32.8%. A substantial proportion of high earners (31.1%) are above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout Mount Dandenong - Olinda. After housing costs, residents retain 86.9% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Mount Dandenong - Olinda's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 99.1% houses and 0.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Melbourne metro's 93.8% houses and 6.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Dandenong - Olinda stood at 39.8%, with mortgaged properties at 51.8% and rented ones at 8.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,028, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,950. Median weekly rent in the area was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $380. Nationally, Mount Dandenong - Olinda's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda features high concentrations of family households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 77.9 percent of all households, including 35.9 percent couples with children, 32.6 percent couples without children, and 8.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.1 percent, with lone person households at 20.2 percent and group households comprising 1.9 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.7.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Mount Dandenong - Olinda is notably high, with 38.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 23.8% in the broader SA3 area and 30.4% nationally as of 2021. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 33.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (13.6%) and certificates (19.7%). Educational participation is high, with 27.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest census data.

This includes 9.7% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 4.8% pursuing tertiary education. There are 7 schools operating within Mount Dandenong - Olinda, educating approximately 854 students as of 2021. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1057). The educational mix includes 6 primary and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (8.8) are below the regional average (15.5), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Mount Dandenong - Olinda has 134 active public transport stops. These are served by buses on 21 different routes. Each week, these routes facilitate 2,571 passenger trips in total.

The area's transport accessibility is rated as moderate, with residents typically living 402 meters away from the nearest stop. Across all routes, there are an average of 367 trips per day, which translates to about 19 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda'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

Mount Dandenong - Olinda residents show positive health outcomes with common conditions found equally across age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 56% (~5,461 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 52.4%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are most prevalent, affecting 9.0% and 8.9% respectively. Around 67.1% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 66.9%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.8% (2,200 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 19.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Dandenong-Olinda, surveyed in 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 80.9% born in Australia, 91.1% being citizens, and 93.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion (31.7%). Judaism was overrepresented at 0.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.1%.

Top ancestry groups were English (30.9%), Australian (24.5%), and Scottish (9.9%). Dutch, Hungarian, and Polish groups showed notable divergences in representation compared to regional averages.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Mount Dandenong - Olinda is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Dandenong - Olinda has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (14.0%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (6.2%). According to the 2021 Census, the percentage of the population aged 75-84 increased from 5.3% to 7.2%, while the percentage of those aged 25-34 decreased from 8.4% to 6.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Mount Dandenong - Olinda's age structure. The number of residents aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 193%, reaching 439 from 149. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 83% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are projected to decrease in number.