Portland

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

Portland's population was approximately 11,349 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 119 people from the 2021 Census total of 11,230, indicating a growth rate of 1.1%. The change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 11,178 in June 2024 and validated new addresses since the census date. This results in a population density of 177 persons per square kilometer. Portland's growth exceeded that of the SA3 area (1.0%) during this period, making it a regional growth leader. Overseas migration was the primary driver for 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 these projections, they utilise VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics suggest a median growth rate for regional areas nationally, with an expected increase of 799 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 5.5% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Portland according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Portland has granted approval annually for approximately 48 residential properties over the past five financial years, totalling 242 homes. As of FY-26, 29 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.1 new residents per year arrive with each newly constructed home in Portland between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction value for new dwellings is $278,000.

This financial year has seen $8.4 million in commercial approvals. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Portland's construction activity is 25.0% higher per person over the past five years. New development consists mainly of standalone homes (81.0%) and townhouses or apartments (19.0%).

The area has approximately 290 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Population forecasts suggest Portland will gain 628 residents by 2041. Current development patterns indicate that new housing supply should meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Portland has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects expected to impact the area. Key projects are Portland Renewable Fuels Project, Portland Energy Park, Portland Foreshore Multipurpose Facility, and Portland North Employment Precinct.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Portland recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Portland has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, well-represented essential services sectors, and an unemployment rate of 4.1% as of September 2025. The unemployment rate is higher than the Rest of Vic.'s rate by 0.3%, while workforce participation is lower at 53.0%.

Key industries employing residents are health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and education & training. Manufacturing stands out with an employment share twice the regional level. However, construction is under-represented with only 7.4% of Portland's workforce compared to 10.4% in Rest of Vic. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, Portland's labour force decreased by 3.2%, employment declined by 3.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Vic. had an employment decline of 0.7% and a labour force decline of 0.6%. State-wide, Victoria saw employment growth of 1.13% year-on-year (adding 41,950 jobs) as of 25-Nov, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Portland's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 5.7% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Portland SA2 is below the national average. The median income is $47,533 and the average income stands at $58,362. This contrasts with Rest of Vic.'s figures where the median income is $48,741 and the average income is $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Portland would be approximately $53,313 (median) and $65,459 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Portland fall between the 13th and 15th percentiles nationally. The predominant income cohort spans 28.3% of locals (3,211 people) earning $1,500 - 2,999, similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 30.3%. Housing costs are modest with 87.9% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 17th percentile nationally.

Portland is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Portland, as per the latest Census data, 89.4% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 10.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro Vic had 93.1% houses and 6.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Portland stood at 42.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.9% and rented ones at 25.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,105, exceeding Non-Metro Vic's average of $1,083. The median weekly rent in Portland was $250, compared to Non-Metro Vic's $220. Nationally, Portland's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Portland features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 65.1% of all households, consisting of 21.8% couples with children, 31.0% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 34.9%, with lone person households at 32.2% and group households making up 2.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Vic.

Portland faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 13.8%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.8%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.2%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (29.8%). Educational participation is high, with 25.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 9.4% in primary, 8.0% in secondary, and 1.9% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 1.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis in Portland shows 60 active transit stops, served by 8 distinct bus routes. These routes facilitate 254 weekly passenger trips in total. Transit accessibility is deemed good, with residents generally located 268 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 36 daily trips across all routes, translating to roughly 4 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Portland is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Portland faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 49% of Portland's total population, which amounts to around 5,549 people.

This figure is lower than the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions in Portland are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 12.4% and 9.8% of residents respectively. Conversely, 60.0% of Portland's population reported having no medical ailments, compared to 62.4% across the rest of Victoria. Portland has a higher proportion of seniors, with 26.1% of its residents aged 65 and over, totaling 2,963 people. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Portland are better than those of the general population when measured by certain metrics.

Portland is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Portland's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 90.3% of its population being citizens and 90.0% born in Australia. The majority spoke English only at home, at 96.3%. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 45.0% of Portland's population.

While Judaism was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to 0.0% across Rest of Vic.. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (33.1%), Australian (32.3%), and Scottish (9.4%). Notably, Dutch (1.7%) and German (4.3%) were overrepresented in Portland compared to regional averages of 1.4% and 4.8%, respectively. Maltese was also slightly overrepresented at 0.5%.

Portland hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Portland's median age is 47 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of Vic. average of 43 and substantially exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 are particularly prominent at 14.8%, while the 25-34 group is comparatively smaller at 9.9% compared to the Rest of Vic.. This concentration of those aged 65-74 is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 7.3% to 8.2% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.1% to 12.1%. By the year 2041, Portland is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 30%, reaching 1,466 people from 1,126. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 51% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for those aged 65-74 and 5 to 14 years old.