Mount Dandenong - Olinda

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 Nov 2025. This reflects a decrease of 40 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,706. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,609 in June 2024 and an additional 25 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 118 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 64.1% 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, 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. Future population trends anticipate lower quartile growth, with the area expected to grow by 230 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 1.8% in total over the 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 received approximately six dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 33 homes. In the current financial year FY-26, four approvals have been recorded to date. The population in the area has declined recently, yet development activity has remained adequate relative to this decline, which may benefit buyers. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $689,000, indicating a focus on premium segment dwellings.

Additionally, $1.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, reflecting the residential nature of the area. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Dandenong - Olinda has significantly less development activity, with 83.0% fewer approvals per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. The recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional low density character and appealing to those seeking family homes with space. As of now, there are an estimated 1403 people in the area per dwelling approval.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda is projected to grow by 173 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 26 projects that could affect the area. Notable ones include Six Senses Resort And Spa At Burnham Beeches, Mount Dandenong Tourist Road Landslide Repair Works, 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 an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 2.6% as of September 2025, with estimated employment growth of 1.1% over the past year.

There were 5,319 residents in work at this time, with an unemployment rate of 2.0%, lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Major employment sectors include education & training, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Education & training has a higher share of employment at 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.8% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census data comparisons. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 1.1%, labour force by 0.6%, and unemployment fell by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's employment growth of 3.0% and unemployment rise of 0.3%. State-wide in Victoria, employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year to November 25, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%, and employment growth outpaced the national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 project national employment to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Dandenong - Olinda's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

The Mount Dandenong - Olinda SA2 had a very high national income level according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $53,368 and the average income stood at $74,334. These figures compared to Greater Melbourne's of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $59,858 (median) and $83,373 (average) as of September 2025. Census data showed household, family and personal incomes in Mount Dandenong - Olinda cluster around the 67th percentile nationally. Income distribution revealed that 31.5% of the population (3,044 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.8% in the same category. A substantial proportion of high earners (31.1% above $3,000/week) indicated strong economic capacity throughout Mount Dandenong - Olinda. After housing costs, residents retained 86.9% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed 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 structures, as per the latest Census, were predominantly houses at 99.1%, with other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other') accounting for 0.9%. This compares to Melbourne metro's 93.8% houses and 6.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Dandenong - Olinda stood at 39.8%, with mortgaged dwellings 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 comprise 77.9% of all households, including 35.9% couples with children, 32.6% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.1%, with lone person households at 20.2% and group households comprising 1.9%. 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 notable with 38.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to 23.8% in the broader SA3 area and 30.4% nationally as of the latest available data. Bachelor degrees are the 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 and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 13.6% and certificates for 19.7%. Educational participation is high in the area, with 27.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.7% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 4.8% pursuing tertiary education as of the latest available data.

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. Together, these provide 2,571 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents typically living 402 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 367 trips per day across all routes, which equates 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 seen across both young and old age groups. Private health cover is high at approximately 56% (~5,461 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 52.4%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, affecting 9.0 and 8.9% respectively. 67.1% of residents 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 strong, performing better than 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 showed lower 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 at 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.

Mount Dandenong - Olinda hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

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 75 to 84 age group grew from 5.3% to 7.2% of the population, while the 25 to 34 age group declined from 8.4% to 6.2%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Mount Dandenong - Olinda's age structure. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 193%, reaching 439 people from 149. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 83% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 age groups are projected to decrease in number.