Niddrie - Essendon West

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

As of February 2026, Niddrie - Essendon West's population is approximately 8,052, showing an increase of 592 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 7.9% rise from the previous population count of 7,460. The change can be inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,925 in June 2024 and an additional 94 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,875 persons per square kilometer, placing Niddrie - Essendon West in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 7.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area average of 7.3%, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 63.1% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead with demographic trends, above median population growth is projected for Niddrie - Essendon West. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, the area is expected to grow by 1,031 persons by 2041, reflecting an overall gain of 11.2% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Niddrie - Essendon West when compared nationally

Niddrie-Essendon West has seen approximately 66 new home approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 330 homes. As of FY26, 52 approvals have been recorded. On average, one new resident per year per dwelling constructed has been observed between FY21 and FY25, indicating supply meets or exceeds demand. The average construction value of these new homes is $411,000.

This financial year, $9.0 million in commercial approvals have been granted, suggesting limited commercial development focus. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Niddrie-Essendon West shows moderately higher new home approvals, with 27.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. New developments consist of 30.0% standalone homes and 70.0% attached dwellings, reflecting a shift towards higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This marks a significant change from the current housing mix, which is predominantly houses at 66.0%. With around 163 people per dwelling approval, Niddrie-Essendon West exhibits growth area characteristics.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the suburb is projected to gain 904 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Niddrie - Essendon West has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include the Niddrie (Keilor Road) Activity Centre Structure Plan, LUMA Sunshine North, Airport Toyota Expansion, and Textron Aviation Hangar 83. The following list details those most relevant:.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Niddrie - Essendon West performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Niddrie-Essendon West has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate is 2.0%, lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 4.7%. Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 1.3%.

As of September 2025, 4912 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.6% and workforce participation at 75.4%. A significant portion, 35.5%, work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction is particularly prominent, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance employs 11.5% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 14.2%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 1.3%, labour force by 1.5%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded higher growth rates for employment (3.0%) and labour force (3.3%), with a slightly larger increase in unemployment (0.3 percentage points). Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Niddrie-Essendon West. National employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates varying significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to the local employment mix indicates that local employment should increase by approximately 6.6% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

The Niddrie - Essendon West SA2's median income among taxpayers was $65,291 and average income stood at $81,452 in the financial year 2023. These figures are higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $70,678 (median) and $88,172 (average). According to Census 2021 data, income ranks highly in Niddrie - Essendon West, with household, family, and personal incomes between the 77th and 80th percentiles nationally. The largest income segment comprises 29.9% earning $1,500-$2,999 weekly (2,407 residents), consistent with broader trends in the surrounding region at 32.8%. Higher earners make up a substantial presence, with 35.2% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power. Housing accounts for 14.1% of income, and residents rank within the 81st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Niddrie-Essendon West, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 65.5% houses and 34.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metropolitan area's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Niddrie-Essendon West was higher than that of Melbourne metro, at 37.8%. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (37.8%) or rented (24.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,400, which is above the Melbourne metro average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure for Niddrie-Essendon West was recorded at $435, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Niddrie-Essendon West's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 72.5% of all households, including 38.0% couples with children, 21.8% couples without children, and 11.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.5%, with lone person households at 24.6% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.6 people, aligning with Greater Melbourne's average.

Niddrie - Essendon West shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 35.1% for residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA4 region average of 27.7% and the national rate of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas make up 11.7% while certificates account for 17.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 6.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Niddrie - Essendon West has 39 active public transport stops offering light rail and bus services. These are served by 10 routes, providing 4,906 weekly passenger trips. Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 207 meters, with good transport accessibility. Most residents commute outward, predominantly using cars (86%). Train usage stands at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling.

In 2021 Census data, 35.5% of residents worked from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 700 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 125 weekly trips per stop.

Niddrie - Essendon West's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows notable results for Niddrie - Essendon West, as assessed by AreaSearch. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low, particularly among younger cohorts.

Approximately 60% of the total population (4,823 people) had private health cover, higher than Greater Melbourne's 56.7%. The most common conditions were asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.2 and 7.0% respectively. 73.0% of residents reported no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. 17.2% of residents were aged 65 and over (1,387 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. Health outcomes among seniors were above average but ranked lower nationally than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Niddrie - Essendon West was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Niddrie-Essendon West had cultural diversity above average, with 21.3% born overseas and 22.1% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion, at 65.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 43.0%. Ancestry showed Australian at 19.4%, English at 18.3%, and Italian at 15.0%, higher than regional averages of 27.0% for Australians and 5.2% for Italians.

Croatian, Maltese, and Polish groups were notably overrepresented, at 2.0%, 2.8%, and 1.2% respectively, compared to regional averages of 0.7%, 1.1%, and 0.8%.

Niddrie - Essendon West's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Niddrie-Essendon West has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. The 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented locally at 13.2%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 11.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 12.8% to 14.4%, and the 55-64 cohort has increased from 12.0% to 13.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 15.9% to 13.9%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 12.4% to 11.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Niddrie-Essendon West's age profile will evolve significantly. The 55-64 age cohort is projected to expand by 303 people (29%) from 1,061 to 1,365. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.