Moyne - West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Moyne - West's population is around 10,406 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 392 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,014 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,217 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 117 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 5.1 persons per square kilometer. Moyne - West's growth of 3.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth of 2.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 48.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to reduce by 2,884 persons by 2041. However, growth is anticipated in specific age cohorts, notably the 85 and over age group projected to increase by 39 people.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Moyne - West when compared nationally

Moyne-West has recorded approximately 51 residential properties granted approval annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, with 258 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-2021 to FY-2025. As of FY-2026, 9 residential properties have been approved so far. On average, 1.4 new residents per year per dwelling constructed were recorded between FY-2021 and FY-2025, indicating a balanced supply and demand market with stable conditions.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $614,000, higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. In the current financial year, $23.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development compared to other areas assessed nationally. Moyne-West records 19.0% less building activity per person than Rest of Vic., placing it among the 58th percentile nationally.

New development consists predominantly of detached houses (97.0%) and a small percentage of townhouses or apartments (3.0%), maintaining the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers with around 262 people per dwelling approval. Population projections indicate stability or decline, reducing housing demand pressures and benefiting potential buyers in Moyne-West.

Moyne - West has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence performance. AreaSearch identified 26 potential impact projects. Notable ones are Port Fairy Play and Skate Park, Port Fairy East Beach Landfill Coastal Adaptation Plan, Koroit Township Renewal, and Rivers Run Estate. The following details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis reveals Moyne - West significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Moyne - West had an unemployment rate of 1.1% in June 2025. It had 5,218 residents employed at that time, with a workforce participation rate of 59.9%.

Key industries were agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and construction. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had employment levels 2.3 times the regional average. Education & training was under-represented, with only 7.7% compared to Rest of Vic.'s 9.1%. The labour force decreased by 1.9% and employment declined by 1.8% in the year to June 2025, keeping unemployment flat.

In comparison, Rest of Vic. had an employment decline of 0.9% and a labour force decline of 0.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data for Sep-25 showed VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Moyne - West's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 5.8% over five years and 12.6% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Moyne - West's median income among taxpayers is $49,079, with an average of $63,240. This is close to the national average. Rest of Vic.'s median is $48,741 and average is $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, current estimates for Moyne - West are approximately $54,041 (median) and $69,634 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in Moyne - West rank at the 38th percentile, family incomes at the 37th, and personal incomes at the 40th. The $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band includes 34.1% of individuals (3,548 people). Housing costs are manageable with 89.0% retained income. Disposable income ranks below average at the 43rd percentile. Moyne - West's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Moyne-West, as per the latest Census data, was 95.3% houses and 4.7% other dwellings (including semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Non-Metro Vic.'s figures of 87.6% houses and 12.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moyne-West stood at 48.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.9% and rented ones at 16.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,430. Weekly rent figures were recorded at $280 in Moyne-West, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $283. Nationally, mortgage repayments in Moyne-West were significantly lower at $1,517 versus the Australian average of $1,863. Rents were substantially below the national figure of $375 at $280.

Moyne - West has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 73.0% of all households, including 29.1% couples with children, 34.3% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 27.0%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households making up 1.8% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Vic.

Educational attainment in Moyne - West aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

In Moyne-West, 24.3% of residents aged 15+ have university degrees, compared to Victoria's 33.4%. This suggests potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common (16.7%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 38.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (26.8%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.7% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (10.9%), secondary (9.4%), tertiary (2.3%). Six schools operate within Moyne-West, educating approximately 818 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1009) with balanced educational opportunities, comprising five primary and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (7.9) are below the regional average (14.7), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Transport analysis in Moyne - West shows 47 active public transport stops operating. These are served by a mix of buses on 10 individual routes. The total weekly passenger trips across these routes is 255.

Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents typically located 596 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 36 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 5 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Moyne-West shows lower-than-average health outcomes with common conditions more prevalent than average across all age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 51%, covering around 5,327 people. The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (8.7%) and asthma (8.3%). A total of 67.4% report no medical ailments, compared to Rest of Vic's 65.9%. Moyne-West has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24.9%, or 2,589 people, compared to Rest of Vic's 21.5%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in key health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Moyne - West placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Moyne-West had 90.8% citizens, 91.6% born in Australia, and 97.8% speaking English only at home, indicating below average cultural diversity. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 54.0%, compared to 52.0% across Rest of Vic. Top ancestry groups were English (30.5%), Australian (30.3%), and Irish (16.3%).

Notable differences existed in Scottish representation at 9.8% (vs 9.6%), Dutch at 1.4% (vs 1.5%), and German at 3.5% (vs 3.1%) compared to regional averages.

Moyne - West hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Moyne-West's median age is 45 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of Vic.'s median age of 43 years and considerably older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Vic. average, Moyne-West has a notably over-represented cohort aged 65-74 (14.6%) and an under-represented cohort aged 25-34 (10.1%). The 65-74 age group in Moyne-West is well above the national average of 9.4%. From 2021 to present, the population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 6.8% to 8.1%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has increased from 9.7% to 10.9%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 13.0% to 11.4%, and the 55 to 64 group has dropped from 14.8% to 13.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Moyne-West's age profile will evolve significantly. The cohort aged 85+ is projected to expand by 47 people (20%), increasing from 234 to 282. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ will account for all total population growth in the area. Population declines are projected for the cohorts aged 75-84 and 0-4 years.