Prahran - Windsor
Statistical Area - sa2

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 approximately 21,109 as of November 2025. This represents an increase of 1,990 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 19,119. The rise is inferred from ABS estimates: 20,928 in June 2024 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% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 10.4% growth since 2021 exceeds both national (8.9%) and state averages, indicating strong population growth led primarily by overseas migration contributing approximately 90%. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For uncovers areas, it employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments using weighted aggregation methods. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas until 2041. Future trends project above-median growth for statistical areas nationally; Prahran-Windsor is expected to expand by 4,316 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 19.6% over the 17-year period.

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, 1,246 homes were approved, with an additional 48 approved in FY-26 as of the current date. The population has declined recently, suggesting that new supply has been meeting demand, offering buyers good choice.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $461,000, which is moderately above regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. This financial year, $104.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Prahran-Windsor shows comparable new home approvals per person, preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. This activity is well above the national average, demonstrating strong developer confidence in the area. Recent construction comprises 3% detached houses and 97% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

The location has approximately 83 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. By 2041, Prahran-Windsor is projected to grow by 4,135 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Prahran - Windsor has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 56 potential impact projects in total. Notable ones are Grandview Prahran, Essex Street Public Housing Redevelopment, Society Armadale, and Prahran Market Restoration. The following details projects likely 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.

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

Prahran-Windsor has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 4.6% as of June 2025, aligning with Greater Melbourne's rate.

The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 6.0% over the past year. As of June 2025, 15,544 residents were employed, with a workforce participation rate of 75.3%, higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading industries for employment include professional & technical (at 1.8 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Manufacturing employs only 3.2% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 7.2%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 6.0%, labour force by 7.1%, raising the unemployment rate by 1.0 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% and unemployment rising by 0.5 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a national expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Prahran-Windsor's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.3% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 ATO data released on June 30, 2022, Prahran - Windsor had a median income among taxpayers of $70,733 and an average income of $105,030. Nationally, these figures place Prahran - Windsor in the top percentile. Comparing with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761 shows higher incomes in Prahran - Windsor. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 30, 2022 to September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $79,334 and average income is around $117,802. The 2021 Census indicates individual earnings in Prahran - Windsor are at the 96th percentile nationally, with $1,343 per week being typical. Income brackets show that 32.9% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, reflecting regional patterns. Notably, 32.8% earn more than $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 17.2% of income, but strong earnings result in disposable income at the 70th percentile nationally. Prahran - Windsor'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, comprised 16.5% houses and 83.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 16.9% houses and 83.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Prahran-Windsor was at 19.3%, with dwellings either mortgaged (24.4%) or rented (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 significantly higher than the Australian 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 broader averages. 58.3% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% statewide (Victoria). Bachelor degrees are most common at 39.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.2%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational pathways account for 19.8%, with advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 9.6%.

A significant 23.6% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 10.7% in tertiary, 3.5% in primary, and 3.2% in secondary education. Prahran-Windsor operates a network of 6 schools educating approximately 1,481 students. The area demonstrates strong socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1108). Schools include 2 primary, 3 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. School capacity is limited at 7.0 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.1, leading many families to seek schooling in nearby areas. Note: for schools with 'n/a' enrolments, please refer to their parent campus.

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 serving a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are covered by 9 different routes that together facilitate 6,647 weekly passenger trips. The transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located 137 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 949 trips per day, equating to about 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 shows strong performance throughout 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%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 10.3 and 8.1% of residents respectively, while 72.3% 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.

Prahran - Windsor was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

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

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.8%), Australian (17.4%), and Other (10.8%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences in representation: Polish is slightly overrepresented at 1.6%, French remains the same at 1.0%, and Greek is higher at 5.0%.

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 the present, the proportion of Prahran-Windsor's population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 32.2% to 33.9%, while the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 10.8% to 9.5%. By 2041, Prahran-Windsor's population is projected to experience significant demographic changes. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 14%, adding 1,022 residents and reaching a total of 8,174. Conversely, the 15-24 age group is forecasted to decrease by 47 residents.