Ringwood East
Statistical Area - sa2

Ringwood East has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Ringwood East's population was approximately 21,132 as of Aug 2021. By Aug 2025, this had increased to around 22,022, reflecting a growth of 890 people (4.2%) since the 2021 Census. This increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,866 in June 2024 and an additional 211 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was approximately 2,345 persons per square kilometer, placing Ringwood East in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Ringwood East's growth of 4.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth of 3.9%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 74.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 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. Future population trends indicate an increase just below the median of national areas, with the area expected to expand by 2,544 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 10.8% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Ringwood East when compared nationally

Ringwood East averaged approximately 140 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, showing 703 homes approved between FY21 and FY25. As of FY26, 14 dwellings have been approved. Over the past five financial years, an average of 0.3 people moved to the area per dwelling built.

This suggests that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new properties was $536,000. In FY26, commercial development approvals totaled $14.6 million, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Ringwood East had moderately higher new home approvals, 49.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This balance supports buyer choice and current property values, though building activity has slowed in recent years.

Recent construction comprised 26.0% standalone homes and 74.0% townhouses or apartments, shifting from the area's existing housing composition of 92.0% houses. This indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles requiring more diverse, affordable housing options. The location had approximately 288 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Looking ahead, Ringwood East is projected to grow by 2,388 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Ringwood East has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 64 projects likely impacting the region. Key initiatives include Victoria Street Road Reconstruction, Ryman Healthcare Ringwood East Retirement Village, Canterbury Road Improvements from Waterloo Street to Sunset Drive, and the Ringwood East Activity Centre Structure Plan. The following list details those most relevant:.

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

The employment environment in Ringwood East shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Ringwood East has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate is 3.3%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.7% in the past year.

As of June 2025, 11,697 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.3% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Notably, education & training employs at 1.3 times the regional average.

In contrast, transport, postal & warehousing employs only 2.9% of local workers, lower than Greater Melbourne's 5.2%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.7%, while labour force also grew by 0.7%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment rising by 0.5 percentage points. For broader context, state-level data from Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year (adding 39,880 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia for May 2025 project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ringwood East's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Ringwood East median taxpayer income was $55,728 with an average of $70,684 according to AreaSearch's ATO data for the financial year 2022. This is higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. By March 2025, estimates suggest Ringwood East incomes could reach approximately $61,326 (median) and $77,830 (average), based on a 10.11% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census indicated that Ringwood East incomes clustered around the 63rd percentile nationally. In this area, 31.2% of residents earned between $1,500 and $2,999 (6,870 people), similar to regional levels where 32.8% fall within this bracket. After housing expenses, 85.1% of income remained for other costs, placing Ringwood East in the 7th decile based on SEIFA income ranking.

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

Ringwood East's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, comprised 92.1% houses and 7.8% other dwellings. This compares to Melbourne metro's 87.2% houses and 12.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ringwood East was 35.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 39.8% and rented ones at 25.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Ringwood East was $385, the same as Melbourne metro's figure. Nationally, Ringwood East's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were above the national figure of $375.

Ringwood East has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 71.9 percent of all households, including 36.6 percent couples with children, 23.8 percent couples without children, and 10.5 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.1 percent, with lone person households at 25.3 percent and group households comprising 2.9 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the average for Greater Melbourne.

Ringwood East shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates of 38.2% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and the SA4 region's rate of 31.2%. Bachelor degrees are prevalent at 23.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 29.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 11.9% and certificates for 17.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education. Nine schools operate within Ringwood East, educating approximately 3,779 students. The area shows above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1077). The educational mix comprises six primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. Note: for schools with 'n/a' listed for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis indicates 55 active stops in Ringwood East, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 12 routes, facilitating 4,287 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents located an average of 291 meters from the nearest stop.

Services run at an average frequency of 612 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 77 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ringwood East's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Ringwood East residents show positive health outcomes, with common conditions present across both young and old age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 55%, affecting around 12,112 people. Mental health issues impact 9.0% of residents, while asthma affects 8.6%. About 68.7% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's figure. The area has 17.5% of residents aged 65 and over (3,856 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 19.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, aligning with the general population's health profile.

Ringwood East 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

Ringwood East had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 26.3% of its residents born overseas and 21.7% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Ringwood East, accounting for 44.7%. Buddhism showed an equal proportion to Greater Melbourne's average at 2.3%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (26.4%), Australian (23.5%), and Other (9.3%). Notably, Dutch (2.0%) was slightly overrepresented compared to the regional average of 2.1%, while Hungarian (0.4%) showed a slight increase from the regional average of 0.3%. Chinese ancestry had a higher representation in Ringwood East at 6.6% compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 6.0%.

Ringwood East's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Ringwood East is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and close to Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, the 45-54 age group is notably more prevalent in Ringwood East at 14.0%, while the 25-34 age group is less common at 11.6%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 5.7% to 6.3% of Ringwood East's population, while the 25-34 age group has decreased from 12.5% to 11.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Ringwood East. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 39%, reaching 1,921 people from the current 1,385. This growth will contribute to a total of 58% of anticipated population growth for residents aged 65 and older. Conversely, the 5-14 and 0-4 age groups are expected to experience population declines.