Mount Dandenong - Olinda

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

Mount Dandenong - Olinda's population, as of February 2026, is around 9,666. This figure reflects a decrease since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,706. The change was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 9,609 in June 2024 and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in 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 uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, they utilise VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted 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, reflecting a total increase of 1.8% over the 17-year period.

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 averaged around 6 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 33 homes. In FY26 so far, 4 approvals have been recorded. The population decline in recent years has resulted in adequate development activity relative to other areas, benefiting buyers while new properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost of $689,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. Commercial development approvals totaling $1.7 million have been recorded this financial year, reflecting the area's residential nature.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Dandenong - Olinda has significantly less development activity, being 83.0% below the regional average 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 with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking 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 44thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 26 projects that may affect the region. 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 a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 2.6% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.1%. As of September 2025, 5,319 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 2.7 percentage points lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%.

Workforce participation was slightly below average at 68.0%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. A significant portion of residents, 37.4%, worked from home based on Census responses. Employment is concentrated in education & training, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. The area has a high specialization in education & training, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.8% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. Over the past year, employment increased by 1.1%, while the labour force grew by 0.6%, leading to a decrease in unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.0%, with the labour force growing by 3.3% and unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand 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 no changes in 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 has a very high national income level according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers is $57,568 and the average income stands at $75,921. These figures compare to Greater Melbourne's of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $62,317 (median) and $82,184 (average). Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Mount Dandenong - Olinda cluster around the 67th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 31.5% of the population falls 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%) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Mount Dandenong - Olinda. After housing costs, residents retain 86.9% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and 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, was 99.1% houses and 0.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% 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 $2,000. Median weekly rent in Mount Dandenong-Olinda was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. 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 fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 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 account for 22.1%, with lone person households at 20.2% and group households comprising 1.9%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

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

Mount Dandenong - Olinda's educational attainment is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15+, 38.5% possess university qualifications, compared to SA3 area's 23.8% and Australia's 30.4%. 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+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 13.6% and certificates at 19.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.9% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary (9.7%), secondary (8.0%), and tertiary (4.8%) education.

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

Mount Dandenong-Olinda has 135 active public transport stops, all bus services. These are covered by 15 routes offering 1,935 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents typically living 402 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 90%. On average, there are 1.8 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 37.4% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 276 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 14 weekly trips per stop on average. The provided map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's center point.

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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Mount Dandenong - Olinda.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low across both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover was found to be very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~5,470 people). The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 9.0 and 8.9% of residents respectively. 67.1% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 23.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,281 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

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 dominated religiously, comprising 31.7%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.0%.

Ancestrally, the top three groups were English (30.9%), Australian (24.5%), and Scottish (9.9%), all higher than regional averages. Notably, Dutch (2.8%) Hungarian (0.5%), and Polish (1.1%) groups were overrepresented compared to regional figures.

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 national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Dandenong - Olinda has a higher percentage of residents aged 65-74 (14.0%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (5.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group increased from 5.3% to 7.8% of the population, while the 25 to 34 age group decreased from 8.4% to 5.8%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Mount Dandenong - Olinda's age structure. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 160%, reaching 439 people from its current total of 169. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 77% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 0 to 4 and 65 to 74 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.