Mount Eliza
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Mount Eliza reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Mount Eliza's population was around 19,028 as of Aug 2025. This showed an increase of 294 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 18,734. The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 19,009 in June 2024 and additional 56 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 819 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Mount Eliza's 1.6% growth since census was within 0.7 percentage points of the SA3 area's 2.3%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 used VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting with weighted aggregation method to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projected demographic shifts indicated a population increase just below the median of statistical areas nationally, with Mount Eliza expected to grow by 1,849 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 9.6% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Mount Eliza according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Mount Eliza has granted around 51 residential properties approval annually. Development approval data from the ABS shows 256 homes approved over five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with 14 already recorded in FY-26. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to other areas, benefiting buyers interested in new dwellings averaging $1,219,000. Commercial development approvals totalled $45.4 million this financial year, indicating strong local business investment.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Eliza has roughly half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 38th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively limited buyer choice favouring existing properties. Construction comprises predominantly detached houses (88.0%) with a smaller proportion of medium and high-density housing (12.0%), maintaining the area's low density character while attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 465, reflecting its quiet development environment. By 2041, Mount Eliza is projected to grow by 1,830 residents, with current construction levels expected to meet demand adequately and potentially support growth exceeding current forecasts.

Looking ahead, Mount Eliza is expected to grow by 1,830 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Mount Eliza has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects potentially affecting this region. Notable projects include Mount Eliza Landfill Capping Rehabilitation Works, Mount Eliza: Canadian Bay Carpark, Mount Eliza: Emil Madsen Reserve - East Pavilion, and Moondah Mansion Retirement Village.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Mount Eliza performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Mount Eliza has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate is 1.2% as of June 2025, which is 3.4 percentage points lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.1%. There are 9,683 residents employed currently, with workforce participation similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training, with notable concentration in the latter (1.2 times regional average). Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.2% compared to the regional average of 5.2%.

Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 4.1%, while labour force grew by 4.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.5% and unemployment rise by 0.5 percentage points. Statewide, Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year as of Sep-25, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Nationally, employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary between sectors. Applying these projections to Mount Eliza's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch reported that Mount Eliza had a median income among taxpayers of $61,130 and an average level of $105,186 in the financial year 2022. These figures place Mount Eliza in the top percentile nationally, compared to Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Considering a 10.11% growth since the financial year 2022, current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $67,310 and an average of $115,820 by March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, Mount Eliza's household incomes rank at the 91st percentile with weekly earnings of $2,547. In terms of income bands, 29.2% of Mount Eliza residents earn over $4,000 per week (5,556 individuals), while in the region, the leading band is $1,500 - 2,999 at 32.8%. The district shows significant affluence with 42.6% earning over $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 87.6% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Mount Eliza's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 91.8% houses and 8.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 85.5% houses and 14.5% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Mount Eliza was 46.2%, similar to Melbourne metro, with the rest being mortgaged (45.2%) or rented (8.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,989. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $512, compared to Melbourne metro's $380. Nationally, Mount Eliza's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mount Eliza features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 82.2% of all households, including 44.0% couples with children, 30.2% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 17.8%, with lone person households at 16.9% and group households comprising 1.0%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.4.

Mount Eliza demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Mount Eliza exceeds broader benchmarks, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ having university qualifications compared to 23.5% in the SA4 region and 25.0% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 30.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (13.6%) and certificates (16.9%). Educational participation is high, with 31.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.6% in primary education, 10.5% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education. Mount Eliza has a robust network of 7 schools educating approximately 4,974 students and demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages (ICSEA: 1109). The educational mix includes 4 primary, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. Mount Eliza functions as an education hub with 26.1 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 14.3 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Mount Eliza has 31 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 1,264 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these services is rated as limited, with residents on average located 669 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 180 trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 40 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Mount Eliza is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Mount Eliza shows above-average health outcomes for both young and elderly cohorts, with low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 74% of its total population (14,023 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Melbourne's 57.9% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (7.8%) and asthma (7.0%), with 71.5% of residents reporting no medical ailments, higher than Greater Melbourne's 63.9%.

Mount Eliza has 23.8% of residents aged 65 and over (4,522 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 29.9%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Mount Eliza, surveyed in June 2016, had a population with 77.0% born in Australia, 90.9% being citizens, and 93.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 46.6%. Judaism, however, was slightly overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (33.8%), Australian (25.3%), and Irish (9.3%). Notable divergences included Scottish (9.1% vs regional 9.0%), Dutch (1.7% vs 1.8%), and Welsh (0.7% vs 0.6%) groups.

Mount Eliza hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Mount Eliza 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 Eliza has a higher percentage of residents aged 75-84 (9.3%), but a lower percentage of those aged 25-34 (3.6%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 11.8% to 13.4%, while the 75-84 age group rose from 7.7% to 9.3%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group decreased from 4.9% to 3.6%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Mount Eliza's age structure. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 122%, reaching 1,290 people from 580. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 71% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are expected to decrease in number.