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 is approximately 20,161 as of May 2026. This figure represents a 315-person increase (1.6%) from the 2021 Census total of 19,846 people. The growth is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 20,161 in June 2025 and an additional 102 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 667 persons per square kilometer. Mount Martha's growth rate of 1.6% since the census is within 0.4 percentage points of its SA3 area's growth rate of 2.0%. Overseas migration primarily drove 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 the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using a weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Mount Martha is projected to grow by 3,097 persons, reflecting an overall gain of 15.4% over the 16-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, 38 approvals have been recorded. On average, around 0.5 new residents per year per dwelling were constructed between FY21 and FY25, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction value of these new homes was $803,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

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

AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate projects Mount Martha to gain 3,097 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 emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects likely to influence the area. Notable projects include Mount Martha North Foreshore Toilet Renewal, Briars Wildlife Sanctuary Expansion, Briars Class A Recycled Water Project, and Mount Martha Village Parking and Footpath Upgrade, 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 a well-educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.6%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1% over the past year as of December 2025. In this month, 10,401 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 3.2% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation in Mount Martha lags behind Greater Melbourne at 62.7% compared to 69.9%. Census responses indicate that 31.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The dominant employment sectors among Mount Martha's residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Notably, the area shows strong specialization in construction with an employment share 1.4 times higher than the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 2.1% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population in Mount Martha. In the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 2.1% and labour force grew by 2.2%, maintaining a relatively stable unemployment rate. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%, labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insights into potential future demand within Mount Martha. These projections estimate national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Mount Martha's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Mount Martha SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $56,136. The average level stood at $86,735. This was one of the highest in Australia, comparing to levels of $57,688 and $75,164 across Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $61,536 (median) and $95,079 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Mount Martha cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 29.7% of residents (5,987 people). This reflects patterns seen in the metropolitan region where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. A substantial proportion of high earners, 32.4%, are above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of 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

Mount Martha's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 84.3% houses and 15.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Martha stood at 43.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.5% and rented ones at 12.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Mount Martha was $496, higher than Melbourne metro's $390. 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 account for 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, which is 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

In Mount Martha trail region, 29.3% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. This indicates potential for educational development. 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 and above holding them - 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, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together offer 805 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is considered good, with residents typically living 341 meters away from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward using their cars, which remain the dominant mode of transportation at 95%. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling in Mount Martha, higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 31.1% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages 115 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately ten 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 shows strong health metrics throughout Mount Martha. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low among the general population, nearing national averages even among older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover is exceptionally high, with approximately 63% of the total population (12,761 people) having it, compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common conditions are arthritis (9.1%) and asthma (7.7%), while 67.7% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Under-65 health outcomes are better than average. Mount Martha has 27.3% of residents aged 65 and over (5,505 people), higher than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Senior health outcomes 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 main religion, comprising 47.1% of Mount Martha's population. Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.3% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (34.1%), Australian (25.8%), and Irish (9.7%), all higher than the regional averages of 20.1%, 18.4%, respectively. Notably, Scottish (9.5%) and Dutch (1.9%) were overrepresented compared to their regional percentages of 5.6% and 1.2%.

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

Mount Martha's median age is 47 years, notably higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and exceeding the national average of 38 years. The 75-84 age group constitutes 11.2% of Mount Martha's population, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's percentage and well above the national figure of 6.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 age cohort makes up only 4.9% of Mount Martha's population. Post-Census data from 2021 shows that the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 8.4% to 11.2%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 11.4% to 13.7%. Meanwhile, the 35 to 44 cohort has decreased from 11.3% to 9.1% and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 14.6% to 12.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Mount Martha's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is expected to grow by 52%, adding 1,163 residents and reaching a total of 3,411. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 75% of the population growth, reflecting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age cohorts.