Mount Martha

Population growth drivers in Mount Martha are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Mount Martha's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 20,303. This figure reflects a growth of 457 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 19,846. The increase is inferred from an estimated resident population of 20,166 in June 2024 and the addition of 103 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 672 persons per square kilometer. Mount Martha's growth rate of 2.3% since the census is within 1.4 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate of 3.7%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this population increase.

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 Victoria'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 the years 2032 to 2041. Based on these trends, Mount Martha is projected to grow by 3,188 persons by 2041, reflecting 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, totalling 339 homes. As of FY26, 19 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed were registered between FY21 and FY25. The average construction value of new homes is $803,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment.

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

Mount Martha is projected to gain 3,051 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Mount Martha has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 42ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects expected to influence this region. Notable ones are: Mount Martha North Foreshore Toilet Renewal, Briars Wildlife Sanctuary Expansion, Briars Class A Recycled Water Project, and Mount Martha Village Parking and Footpath Upgrade on Watson Road. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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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. The unemployment rate is 1.4%, with a 2.7% increase in employment over the past year as of September 2025. There are 10,334 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.7%.

Workforce participation stands at 62.8%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. A significant portion, 31.1%, of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction is notably strong with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 2.1% compared to the regional 5.2%. Local employment opportunities appear limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.7%, labour force grew by 2.9%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded higher growth rates during this period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 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 employment should grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2023, Mount Martha SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $56,136. The average income level stood at $86,735. This is among the highest in Australia when compared to Greater Melbourne's levels of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Mount Martha would be approximately $60,767 (median) and $93,891 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Mount Martha cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket dominates with 29.7% of residents (6,029 people). This pattern is similar to metropolitan regions where 32.8% occupy this range. Notably, a substantial proportion of high earners (32.4%) have incomes above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

In Mount Martha, as per the latest Census data, 84.3% of dwellings were houses while 15.7% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Melbourne's metropolitan area where 67.9% were houses and 32.1% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Martha stood at 43.9%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 43.5% and rented ones making up 12.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, exceeding Melbourne's average of $2,000. Weekly rent median was $496 compared to Melbourne's $390. Nationally, Mount Martha's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 versus Australia's 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 constitute the remaining 21.8%, with lone person households at 20.8% and group households comprising 1.0%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Mount Martha trail has 29.3% of residents aged 15+ with university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational credentials are held by 36.2% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 14.4% and certificates at 21.8%. Educational participation is high, with 29.9% currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.9% in primary education, 9.7% in secondary education, and 3.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Mount Martha has 78 active public transport stops, served by four bus routes offering a total of 805 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 341 meters to the nearest one. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area, preferring cars as their dominant mode of transportation at 95%. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 31.1% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 115 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 10 weekly trips per individual stop.

Service frequency averages 115 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 10 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mount Martha's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance throughout Mount Martha. AreaSearch's assessment shows low prevalence of common health conditions among the general population, nearing the nation's average for older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 63% of the total population (12,851 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.1 and 7.7% of residents respectively, while 67.7% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. Mount Martha has 26.7% of residents aged 65 and over (5,416 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 14.9%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

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 was found to be below average, with 79.1% of its population born in Australia, 91.2% being citizens, and 94.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Mount Martha, comprising 47.1% of people. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.3% versus 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (34.1%), Australian (25.8%), and Irish (9.7%). These figures were substantially higher than regional averages of 20.1%, 18.4%, and 6.0%, respectively. Additionally, Scottish (9.5%) and Dutch (1.9%) groups were notably overrepresented compared to regional averages of 5.6% and 1.2%.

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

The median age in Mount Martha is 46 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and also exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Mount Martha has a notably higher percentage of people aged 75-84 (10.7% locally) but fewer people aged 25-34 (5.0%). Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of people aged 75-84 has increased from 8.4% to 10.7%, while those aged 15-24 have risen from 11.4% to 13.3%. Conversely, the percentage of people aged 35-44 has decreased from 11.3% to 9.3%, and the proportion of those aged 5-14 has fallen from 14.6% to 13.5%. By 2041, population forecasts suggest significant demographic changes in Mount Martha. The number of people aged 75-84 is projected to grow by 1,334 (61%) from 2,174 to 3,509. This aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 78% of the projected growth. Conversely, the populations of people aged 25-34 and 0-4 are expected to decline.