Murrumbeena

Murrumbeena has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Murrumbeena's population is approximately 10,332 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 963 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,369. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,045 in June 2024 and an additional 118 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4,116 persons per square kilometer, placing Murrumbeena in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 10.3% since the 2021 census exceeds both the SA4 region (8.7%) and the national average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 83.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

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 released in 2023, using weighted aggregation methods to adjust population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends project an above median population growth, with the area expected to expand by 2,234 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 18.8% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Murrumbeena when compared nationally

Murrumbeena averaged approximately 48 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with a total of 241 homes approved during this period. In FY26 up to present, 16 dwellings have been approved. The average population increase per year for each dwelling built in Murrumbeena over these five years was 0.7 people.

This indicates that new supply has kept pace with or exceeded demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for future population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new homes in the area is $511,000, suggesting a focus on premium market developments. In FY26, commercial development approvals totaled $19.7 million, indicating balanced commercial development activity compared to Greater Melbourne. Murrumbeena shows around 75% of construction activity per person and ranks in the 80th percentile nationally for development activity, which has increased recently. New developments consist of 23.0% detached houses and 77.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 48.0% houses.

This trend reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring more diverse, affordable housing options. The location has approximately 185 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Murrumbeena is projected to grow by 1,947 residents by 2041. Construction activity is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Murrumbeena has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects potentially impacting the area. Notable ones include Neerim Road Murrumbeena, Murrumbeena Activity Centre Program, Suburban Rail Loop East, and Rosella Murrumbeena. 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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The employment landscape in Murrumbeena shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Murrumbeena has a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 4.2% as of September 2021. Resident employment stood at 6,043 in September 2025, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, 0.5% below Greater Melbourne's rate.

Workforce participation was 74.1%. A high 43.9% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key employment sectors were health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area had a particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Construction's presence was limited at 6.9%, compared to 9.7% regionally. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.8%, while employment decreased by 0.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.0%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Murrumbeena's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch reports median taxpayer income in Murrumbeena SA2 was $63,019 in financial year 2023. Average income stood at $81,011. These figures are among the highest nationally and compare to Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. By September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $68,218 and average income is around $87,694, based on an 8.25% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. Census 2021 data shows Murrumbeena's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 71st and 80th percentiles nationally. The $1,500 - $2,999 income bracket dominates with 29.3% of residents (3,027 people), consistent with broader metropolitan trends at 32.8%. High weekly earnings exceed $3,000 for 33.8% of households, reflecting strong consumer spending power. Housing accounts for 14.7% of income, and residents rank in the 73rd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Murrumbeena displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Murrumbeena, as recorded in the latest Census, 48.5% of dwellings were houses while 51.4% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metropolitan area's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Murrumbeena stood at 31.2%, similar to the Melbourne metro average, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.7% and rented ones at 36.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,200, higher than Melbourne's average of $2,000 but with a median weekly rent figure of $390, matching Melbourne's $390. Nationally, Murrumbeena's median monthly mortgage repayments exceeded Australia's average of $1,863 while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Murrumbeena has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 66.8% of all households, including 32.1% couples with children, 25.9% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.2%, with lone person households at 29.5% and group households making up 3.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in Murrumbeena places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Murrumbeena's educational attainment exceeds national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 51.3% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 31.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.4%) and graduate diplomas (5.0%). Vocational pathways account for 20.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 11.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in tertiary education, 8.6% in primary education, and 6.7% pursuing secondary education.

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

Murrumbeena has 49 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 18 different routes, offering a total of 4,761 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 174 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards from this primarily residential area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 74%, while trains account for 15%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.1, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 43.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 680 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 97 weekly trips per individual stop.

Murrumbeena's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Murrumbeena, as per AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups exhibit low incidence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is notably high, at approximately 60% of the total population (6,147 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.4 and 7.0% of residents respectively. Notably, 74.3% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents demonstrate low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 15.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,565 people), with health outcomes among seniors aligning closely with national rankings.

Murrumbeena was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Murrumbeena has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.8% of its population born overseas and 31.7% speaking a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in Murrumbeena is Christianity, accounting for 43.3% of the population. Judaism is notably overrepresented, comprising 3.7% compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups are English (19.6%), Australian (17.8%), and Other (11.8%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: Polish at 1.5% (vs regional 0.8%), Russian at 1.0% (vs regional 0.4%), and Greek at 6.0% (vs regional 2.7%).

Murrumbeena's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Murrumbeena is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Murrumbeena has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (13.5%) but fewer children aged 0-4 (4.5%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 11.8% to 13.7%, while the age group of 5-14 has declined from 11.4% to 10.7%. By 2041, Murrumbeena's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 28%, adding 394 people and reaching a total of 1,789 from the current 1,394. The 15-24 age group is expected to grow by 5%, with an increase of 64 residents.