Prahran - Windsor

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

Prahran-Windsor's population is 21,109 as of November 2025. This shows an increase of 1,990 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 19,119. The change is inferred from ABS' June 2024 estimate of 20,928 and 736 new addresses validated post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 7,254 persons per square kilometer, placing Prahran-Windsor among the top 10% nationally sought areas. The area's 10.4% growth since 2021 exceeds national (8.9%) and state averages. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.0% of recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovered areas, it utilises 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 trends project above median growth nationally, with Prahran-Windsor expected to expand by 4,316 persons to 2041 based on latest ERP numbers, reflecting a 19.6% increase over 17 years.

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

Prahran-Windsor averaged approximately 249 new dwelling approvals annually between FY-21 and FY-25, totaling 1,246 homes. In FY-26 up to date, 48 dwellings have been approved. The population has declined recently, suggesting that the new supply has kept pace with demand, offering varied options for buyers.

The average construction value of new homes is $461,000, which is moderately higher than regional levels, indicating a focus on quality building. This financial year has seen $104.2 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Prahran-Windsor's new home approvals per capita are comparable, maintaining market balance with surrounding areas. This activity is notably higher than the national average, demonstrating robust developer confidence in the area. Recent construction consists of 3.0% detached houses and 97.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

The location currently has approximately 83 people per dwelling approval, indicating a growing market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Prahran-Windsor is projected to grow by 4,135 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 56 projects potentially impacting the area. Notable ones are Grandview Prahran, Essex Street Public Housing Redevelopment, Prahran Market Restoration, and Chomley Terraces. The following details these most relevant projects.

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

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The labour market in Prahran - Windsor demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Prahran-Windsor has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate was 4.6% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.2% over the past year.

There were 15,218 residents employed at that time, with an unemployment rate matching Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation was higher than the Greater Melbourne average, at 75.3%. The leading employment industries among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Professional & technical services have particularly high concentration, with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

Manufacturing employs only 3.2% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 7.2%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work, as indicated by Census data on working population compared to local population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 4.2%, while the labour force grew by 5.0%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% and an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points over the same period. State-level data as of 25-Nov-25 shows that Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with a state unemployment rate of 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Prahran-Windsor's employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Prahran - Windsor SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $70,733. The average income stood at $105,030. This places it in the top percentile nationally. In comparison, Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes were $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes as of September 2025 are approximately $79,334 (median) and $117,802 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, individual earnings at the 95th percentile nationally were $1,343 weekly. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 32.9% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, with 6,944 residents falling into this category. This pattern is similar to regional levels where 32.8% occupy this range. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 32.8% exceeding $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 17.2% of income. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 70th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Prahran - Windsor features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Prahran-Windsor's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 16.5% houses and 83.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Melbourne metro had 16.9% houses and 83.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Prahran-Windsor was 19.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.4% and rented ones at 56.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,200, below Melbourne metro's average of $2,287. Median weekly rent in Prahran-Windsor was $421, compared to Melbourne metro's $425. Nationally, Prahran-Windsor's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,200 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Prahran - Windsor features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 44.1% of all households, including 11.9% couples with children, 26.1% couples without children, and 4.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 55.9%, with lone person households at 44.9% and group households comprising 11.0%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.9.

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

Educational attainment in Prahran-Windsor is notably higher than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 58.3% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 39.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.2%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational pathways account for 19.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 9.6%.

A significant portion, 23.6%, is actively pursuing formal education, including 10.7% in tertiary education, 3.5% in primary education, and 3.2% in secondary education.

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

Prahran-Windsor has 77 active public transport stops offering train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by 9 different routes, carrying a total of 6,647 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 137 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency across all routes is 949 trips per day, equating to approximately 86 weekly trips per individual stop.

Prahran - Windsor's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Prahran-Windsor, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 74% of the total population (15,557 people), compared to 81.8% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues were found to be the most common medical condition in the area, impacting 10.3% of residents, followed by asthma at 8.1%.

A total of 72.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.3% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 12.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,661 people), which is lower than the 16.3% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Prahran-Windsor has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 21.0% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 33.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Prahran-Windsor, accounting for 33.7% of its population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 3.4% versus 5.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.8%), Australian (17.4%), and Other (10.8%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: Polish at 1.6% (versus 1.9% regionally), Greek at 5.0% (versus 3.2%), and French at 1.0% (the same as the regional figure).

Prahran - Windsor hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Prahran-Windsor has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Prahran-Windsor has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (33.9%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the proportion of Prahran-Windsor's population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 32.2% to 33.9%, while the proportion of those aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 10.8% to 9.5%. By 2041, Prahran-Windsor's population is projected to experience substantial demographic changes. The 25-34 age group is forecasted to grow by 14%, adding 1,022 residents to reach a total of 8,174. Conversely, the 15-24 age group is expected to decrease by 47 residents.