Mount Martha
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Mount Martha's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stood at approximately 20,301 by August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 455 individuals, marking a 2.3% rise from the 2021 Census count of 19,846 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,166 in June 2024 and an additional 104 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 672 persons per square kilometer, indicating ample space per person with potential for further development. Mount Martha's growth rate of 2.3% since the census is within 0.9 percentage points of the SA4 region's 3.2%, highlighting its competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in 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 by this data, AreaSearch employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to these trends, Mount Martha is projected to have above median population growth nationally, with an expected increase of 3,188 persons by 2041, representing a total gain of 15.0% over the 17-year period.

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

Mount Martha has seen approximately 67 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totaling 339 homes. As of FY26, 9 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed were observed between FY21 and FY25, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand while supporting population growth potential. The average construction value of new homes was $1,722,000, reflecting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties.

In FY26, $10.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Martha shows around 65% of construction activity per person and ranks at approximately the 49th percentile nationally, indicating limited buyer options but strong demand for established properties due to its established nature. Recent construction comprises 73.0% standalone homes and 27.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Mount Martha's traditional low density character. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 385 people, reflecting a quiet development environment.

Population forecasts project an increase of 3,053 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

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

Seven projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area, significantly influencing its performance. Key projects include Briars Wildlife Sanctuary Expansion, Mount Martha Village Parking and Footpath Upgrade, Watson Road upgrade, Mount Martha North Foreshore Toilet Renewal, and Forest Drive and Nepean Highway Intersection Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Mount Martha has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.5%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Over the past year, employment grew by 4.3%. As of June 2025, 10,302 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 3.1% below Greater Melbourne's rate. Workforce participation in Mount Martha is 60.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training.

Construction is particularly strong, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. Transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 2.1% compared to the regional 5.2%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3%, labour force increased by 4.7%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% with a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, 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% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Martha's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.6% 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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Mount Martha had a median taxpayer income of $53,074 and an average income of $82,981. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. By March 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 10.11%, estimated incomes would be approximately $58,440 (median) and $91,370 (average). Mount Martha's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. The suburb has a dominant income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999, with 29.7% of residents (6,029 people), similar to Melbourne's 32.8%. A substantial proportion, 32.4%, earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. Mount Martha's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Mount Martha is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Mount Martha's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 84.3% houses and 15.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 85.5% houses and 14.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Martha was 43.9%, matching Melbourne metro's rate, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.5% and rented ones at 12.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mount Martha was $2,167, above the Melbourne metro average of $1,989, while the median weekly rent figure was $496 compared to Melbourne metro's $380. Nationally, Mount Martha's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 78.2% of all households, including 37.5% couples with children, 31.1% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 21.8%, consisting of 20.8% lone person households and 1.0% group households. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.4 people.

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

Educational qualifications in Mount Martha trail regional benchmarks with 29.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 36.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (14.4%) and certificates (21.8%).

Educational participation is high at 29.9%, including 10.9% in primary education, 9.7% in secondary education, and 3.9% pursuing tertiary education. Mount Martha's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 2,189 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1089. Educational mix includes 2 primary, 1 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (10.8) fall below the regional average (14.3), with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Mount Martha has 76 active public transport stops. These are served by buses on four different routes. Each week, these routes provide a total of 1349 passenger trips.

Transport access in Mount Martha is rated as good, with residents typically living 341 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 192 bus trips per day across all routes, which amounts to about 17 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Mount Martha are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Mount Martha's health indicators show below-average outcomes with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% of the total population (12,444 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 57.9% and the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 9.1 and 7.7% of residents respectively, while 67.7% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 63.9%.

Mount Martha has 26.7% of residents aged 65 and over (5,416 people), which is lower than Greater Melbourne's 29.9%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Mount Martha's cultural diversity is below average. Born in Australia: 79.1%. Australian citizens: 91.2%.

Speak English only at home: 94.9%. Predominant religion is Christianity, 47.1%. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Martha has 0.3% vs region's 0.2%. Top three ancestry groups are English (34.1%), Australian (25.8%), Irish (9.7%). Notable divergences: Scottish at 9.5% in Mount Martha vs regional 9.0%, Dutch at 1.9% vs 1.8%, Welsh at 0.7% vs 0.6%.

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

The median age in Mount Martha is 46 years, which is notably higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and also above Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, the 75-84 age cohort is significantly over-represented in Mount Martha at 10.7%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 5.0%. Between the 2021 Census and present day, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 8.4% to 10.7% of Mount Martha's population, while the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 11.4% to 13.3%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 age group has decreased from 11.3% to 9.3%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 14.6% to 13.5%. Population forecasts for Mount Martha in 2041 suggest significant demographic changes. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to grow by 1,334 people (61%) from 2,174 to 3,509. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 78% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.