Plenty - Yarrambat
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Plenty - Yarrambat's population is approximately 9,699 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 245 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 9,454. The growth from June 2024 to August 2025 is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 9,609 and 37 new addresses validated since the Census date. The population density is around 333 persons per square kilometer. Plenty - Yarrambat's growth rate of 2.6% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.3%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of 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 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 years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Plenty - Yarrambat is forecasted to have a population increase of 2,260 persons, reflecting a total increase of 22.4% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Plenty - Yarrambat, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Plenty - Yarrambat has averaged approximately 19 new dwelling approvals annually. The ABS produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY20 and FY25, 96 dwellings were approved, with 4 already recorded in FY26. Despite population decline during this period, development activity has been adequate relative to demand.

This has resulted in an adequate supply of housing, creating a balanced market with good buyer choice. The average value of new dwellings is $881,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, there have been $13.8 million in commercial approvals, reflecting moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Plenty - Yarrambat has similar development levels per person, contributing to market stability and aligning with regional patterns.

This is below the national average, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity consists of 95% detached dwellings and 5% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 703 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. Future projections indicate Plenty - Yarrambat will add approximately 2,170 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 47 potential impact projects. Notable ones are Plenty River Flood Management Works, St Helena Place, Mill Park Wetlands Upgrade, and St Helena Rise. The following details these projects' expected relevance.

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

The exceptional employment performance in Plenty - Yarrambat places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Plenty-Yarrambat has a well-educated workforce with the construction sector being notably represented. Its unemployment rate was 1.1% in June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.6% over the past year.

As of June 2025, 5736 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.5%, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was 66.8%, similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries included construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction showed strong specialization, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services had lower representation at 8.0% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 1.6%, labour force grew by 1.4%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.5% and unemployment rise by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 showed Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.4% over ten years for Plenty-Yarrambat, based on industry-specific projections applied to its current employment mix.

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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Plenty - Yarrambat's median income among taxpayers was $60,740, with an average of $84,416. This is among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $66,881 (median) and $92,950 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes ranked exceptionally at the 92nd percentile ($2,554 weekly). The earnings profile showed that the largest segment comprised 29.2% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (2,832 residents), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.8% in the same category. The locality demonstrated considerable affluence with 42.2% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retained 88.6% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Plenty - Yarrambat's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consists of 95.9% houses and 4.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 93.9% houses and 6.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Plenty - Yarrambat stands at 43.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 49.5% and rented ones at 6.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,272, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,167. Median weekly rent in the area is $480, compared to Melbourne metro's $431. Nationally, Plenty - Yarrambat's mortgage repayments are significantly higher at $2,272 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Plenty - Yarrambat features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households make up 86.3% of all households, including 50.1% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 13.7%, with lone person households at 12.7% and group households comprising 0.9%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than Greater Melbourne's average of 2.9.

The educational profile of Plenty - Yarrambat exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Plenty-Yarrambat trail has 29.5% of residents aged 15+ with university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are held by 32.4% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 20.8%. Educational participation is high, with 29.2% currently enrolled in formal education: 9.5% in secondary, 9.3% in primary, and 5.3% in tertiary education.

Plenty-Yarrambat has four schools with a combined enrollment of 1,720 students. The schools demonstrate above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1062) and include three primary schools and one K-12 school.

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

Plenty-Yarrambat has 58 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by six different routes that together facilitate 3,258 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 353 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, buses run an average of 465 trips per day, which equates to about 56 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Plenty-Yarrambat. Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (6,052 people), compared to 60.1% across Greater Melbourne.

Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.1% and 6.6% of residents respectively. A total of 72.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.6% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 19.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,848 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

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

Plenty-Yarrambat, surveyed in the period from August 2016 to August 2021, showed cultural diversity with 19.9% of its population born overseas and 17.4% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity dominated Plenty-Yarrambat's religious landscape, accounting for 58.5%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 44.3%. The top ancestral groups were English (24.0%), Australian (23.3%), and Italian (11.2%).

Notably, Macedonian (2.0%) and Greek (3.5%) groups were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.7% and 1.9%, respectively, while Maltese representation was slightly higher at 1.5%.

Plenty - Yarrambat hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Plenty-Yarrambat is 43 years, notably higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 55-64 are most prominent at 14.2%, while those aged 25-34 are relatively smaller at 7.6% compared to Greater Melbourne. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has increased from 4.9% to 6.2%, and the 15-24 cohort has risen from 13.9% to 15.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 8.6% to 7.6%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Plenty-Yarrambat's age structure. The 75-84 age group is projected to rise substantially by 459 people (76%), from 602 to 1,062. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are expected to decrease in number.