Rowville - Central

Rowville - Central is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, Rowville - Central's population is approximately 16,089, reflecting a 4.4% increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 15,418. This growth was inferred from an estimated resident population of 15,779 in June 2024 and an additional 173 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is around 1,962 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Rowville - Central's growth exceeded both its SA4 region (4.0%) and SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 78.4% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch is adopting 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 utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Rowville - Central is expected to grow by approximately 922 persons by 2041, reflecting a total gain of around 3.5% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Rowville - Central recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Rowville - Central has seen approximately 73 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 369 homes were approved, with an additional 48 approved so far in FY26. The population has been declining recently, suggesting that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average cost of $433,000, which is moderately higher than regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. This financial year has seen $14.8 million in commercial approvals, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Comparing Rowville - Central to Greater Melbourne shows similar development levels per person, maintaining market equilibrium with surrounding areas. New building activity consists of 63.0% detached houses and 37.0% medium and high-density housing, expanding the range of medium-density options and creating a mix of opportunities across price brackets.

This shift from the area's existing housing composition (currently 92.0% houses) suggests decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options. With around 186 people per dwelling approval, Rowville - Central exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. According to AreaSearch quarterly estimates, the population is projected to grow by 564 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

Rowville - Central has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Bankside Rowville, The Rowville Plan, Keyton Waterford Valley Lakes, and Rowville Mixed Use Development. The following details these projects in order of relevance.

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.

AreaSearch assessment positions Rowville - Central ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Rowville - Central has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.1% as of September 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 0.9%. There were 8,923 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 1.6% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation was fairly standard at 67.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries among residents included health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

Retail trade showed particularly strong specialization with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Professional & technical services had lower representation at 8.1% versus the regional average of 10.1%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 0.9%, while labour force increased by 0.7%, resulting in a decrease in unemployment of 0.2 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% during this period. State-level data to 25-Nov shows VIC employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rowville - Central's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Rowville - Central SA2 has a median income of $55,155 and an average income of $66,800. This is slightly above the national average. In Greater Melbourne, the median income was $54,892 and the average income was $73,761 in the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Rowville - Central SA2 would be approximately $61,862 (median) and $74,923 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household income ranks at the 71st percentile ($2,083 weekly), while personal income is at the 55th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 35.2% of individuals in Rowville - Central SA2 earn between $1,500 and $2,999, which aligns with the metropolitan region where this cohort also represents 32.8%. Housing accounts for 13.4% of income. Residents rank within the 75th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Rowville Central's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 91.6% houses and 8.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 83.4% houses and 16.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rowville Central stood at 37.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.8% and rented ones at 19.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, aligning with Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $425, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $400 respectively. Nationally, Rowville Central's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 81.3% of all households, including 42.9% couples with children, 26.3% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 18.7%, with lone person households at 17.0% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.7.

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

In Rowville, as of the latest data available, 31.1% of residents aged 15 years and over hold university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. This indicates a gap suggesting potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.6% and graduate diplomas at 2.6%. Vocational credentials are prominent, with 30.9% of residents aged 15 years and over holding them, including advanced diplomas at 12.0% and certificates at 18.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including primary (8.2%), secondary (7.4%), and tertiary (5.2%) levels.

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

Rowville-Central has 75 active public transport stops, all bus services. There are 18 routes serving these stops, offering a total of 5,329 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 251 meters to the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency averages 761 trips across all routes, equating to around 71 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Rowville - Central is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Rowville - Central demonstrates higher than average health outcomes, with low prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is held by approximately 52% of the total population (~8,430 people), slightly above the average for SA2 areas. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (7.5%) and arthritis (7.2%), while 71.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 69.4% in Greater Melbourne. In this area, 19.0% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,063 people). Health outcomes among seniors align with the general population's health profile, both being above average.

Rowville - Central 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

Rowville-Central has high cultural diversity, with 37.6% of its population born overseas and 34.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Rowville-Central, comprising 48.2%. Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 5.1% vs 4.6%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (19.6%), Australian (19.0%), and Chinese (12.3%). Sri Lankan (1.9%) is notably overrepresented compared to the regional average of 1.4%, as are Hungarian (0.6% vs 0.4%) and Italian (5.3% vs 3.7%).

Rowville - Central's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Rowville - Central's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, Rowville - Central has a notably over-represented cohort of 55-64 year-olds (14.2%) and an under-represented cohort of 25-34 year-olds (12.2%). As per the 2021 Census, the 65 to 74 age group has increased from 9.6% to 11.3%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 15.7% to 14.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Rowville - Central's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is expected to grow by 56%, adding 495 residents to reach 1,380. Residents aged 65 and older are projected to represent 77% of the population growth, while declines are anticipated for the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age cohorts.