Oakleigh - Huntingdale
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Oakleigh - Huntingdale's population is around 25,189 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,261 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,928 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 25,104 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 372 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,476 persons per square kilometer. Oakleigh - Huntingdale's growth rate of 9.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%). Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 90.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing a method of 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. Based on the latest population numbers, a significant increase is forecast, with the area expected to expand by 9,292 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 36.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Oakleigh - Huntingdale among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Oakleigh - Huntingdale has recorded approximately 133 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25669 homes were approved, with an additional 40 approved so far in FY26. Each dwelling built over these five years resulted in an average of 2.3 new residents per year.

The average construction cost value for new homes during this period was $378,000. In the current financial year, there have been $46.5 million in commercial approvals. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Oakleigh - Huntingdale has similar development levels per person, maintaining market balance with the broader area. The recent building activity shows 40% detached dwellings and 60% medium and high-density housing, indicating a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 68% houses. This transition reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring more diverse and affordable housing options.

With around 228 people per approval, Oakleigh - Huntingdale reflects a market in transition. By 2041, the area is expected to grow by 9,207 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Oakleigh - Huntingdale has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

AreaSearch has identified 51 projects likely impacting the area, with major ones including Suburban Rail Loop East, Sandringham Line Service Improvements (part of Metro Tunnel Network Upgrades), Amara Oakleigh South, and Summerset Oakleigh South. 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.

Oakleigh - Huntingdale ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Oakleigh - Huntingdale has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.4% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 4.2%.

As of June 2025, 15,012 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 2.2% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is 66.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training, with a particularly strong specialization in the latter (1.2 times the regional level). However, construction is under-represented at 7.9% compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. In the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.2%, and labour force grew by 4.4%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% and an unemployment increase of 0.5 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Oakleigh - Huntingdale's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 indicates that Oakleigh - Huntingdale had a median income of $55,798 and an average income of $71,476. In comparison, Greater Melbourne had a median income of $54,892 and an average income of $73,761 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% between financial years 2022 to 2025 (ending June), current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $62,583 and an average income of around $80,167 as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Oakleigh - Huntingdale were at the 60th percentile nationally for households, families, and individuals. Income distribution showed that 32.1% of residents earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (8,085 residents), similar to the surrounding region where 32.8% fell into this bracket. High housing costs consumed 15.9% of income in Oakleigh - Huntingdale, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 63rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Oakleigh - Huntingdale displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Oakleigh - Huntingdale, as per the latest Census, 68.3% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 31.8% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments and other types. This is similar to Melbourne's metropolitan area where 69.6% are houses and 30.3% are other dwellings. Home ownership in Oakleigh - Huntingdale stood at 32.2%, with mortgaged properties at 34.0% and rented ones at 33.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, lower than Melbourne's average of $2,383. Weekly rent averaged $415 compared to Melbourne's $440. Nationally, Oakleigh - Huntingdale's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national average of $375.

Oakleigh - Huntingdale features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 70.2% of all households, including 33.5% couples with children, 24.6% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 29.8%, with lone person households at 23.4% and group households making up 6.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.7.

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

Educational attainment in Oakleigh-Huntingdale exceeds broader benchmarks. 42.8% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 29.8% in the SA4 region and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational pathways account for 23.5% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 13.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in tertiary education, 7.8% in primary education, and 6.1% pursuing secondary education. Seven schools operate within Oakleigh-Huntingdale, educating approximately 3511 students. The area shows significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1109. Education provision is balanced with six primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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

Oakleigh - Huntingdale has 151 active public transport stops. These are served by 33 different routes. Together, these routes provide 15,742 weekly passenger trips.

Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 167 meters. Daily service frequency across all routes is 2,248 trips, equating to about 104 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Oakleigh - Huntingdale is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Oakleigh-Huntingdale shows superior health outcomes with fewer common health issues among its general population compared to national averages.

However, older at-risk cohorts have higher prevalence rates. Private health cover is high, with approximately 55% of the total population (~13,929 people). Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 7.2% and 6.2% of residents respectively. 74.1% report no medical ailments, compared to 75.3% in Greater Melbourne. The area has 14.9% of residents aged 65 and over (3,745 people), lower than the 17.5% in Greater Melbourne but requiring more attention.

Oakleigh - Huntingdale is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Oakleigh-Huntingdale has a notable cultural diversity, with 44.3% of its population born overseas and 48.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Oakleigh-Huntingdale, accounting for 49.2% of the population. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented, comprising 1.0% compared to the regional average of 0.4%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (15.0%), Australian (14.3%), and Other (13.0%). Notably, Greek (11.4%) and Sri Lankan (1.3%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Oakleigh-Huntingdale compared to the regional averages of 5.6% and 2.1%, respectively.

Oakleigh - Huntingdale's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Oakleigh-Huntingdale has a median age of 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Oakleigh-Huntingdale has a higher proportion of 25-34 year-olds (18.6%) but fewer 5-14 year-olds (9.6%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.6% to 14.7%, while the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 13.1% to 11.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Oakleigh-Huntingdale's age profile, with the 25-34 cohort projected to grow by 41%, adding 1,912 residents to reach a total of 6,610.