South Morang - North

Population growth drivers in South Morang - North are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

South Morang - North's population is around 13,341 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 746 people (5.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,595 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,070 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 314 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 973 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 51.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as 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 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Exceptional growth, placing in the top 10 percent of national statistical areas, is predicted over the period with the area expected to grow by 7,229 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 52.2% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within South Morang - North when compared nationally

South Morang - North has seen approximately 91 residential properties approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 457 homes were approved, with an additional 26 approved in FY26 so far. On average, about 0.1 people per year have moved into the area for each dwelling built during this period.

This suggests that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, offering more buyer choices and supporting potential population growth beyond projections. The average construction cost of new properties has been around $295,000, aligning with regional trends. In FY26, approximately $6.0 million worth of commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Morang - North has notably lower building activity, at 50.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new properties typically boosts demand and prices for existing homes.

The current building activity in South Morang - North comprises 73.0% standalone homes and 27.0% townhouses or apartments. This sustains the area's suburban identity, with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. This represents a significant shift from the current housing mix, which is predominantly houses (91.0%). This change reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses evolving lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has an approximate population density of 200 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, South Morang - North is projected to gain around 6,958 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

South Morang - North has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 34 such projects that are likely to impact the area. Notable among these are Umarkoo Primary School, The Gorge Townhomes, South Morang Civic Centre Precinct, and Quarry Hills Precinct Structure Plan.

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

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AreaSearch assessment positions South Morang - North ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

South Morang - North has a skilled workforce with notable representation in the construction sector. Its unemployment rate was 3.2% as of September 2025, which is 1.4% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. The area's workforce participation rate was 77.5%, higher than Greater Melbourne's 71.0%.

According to Census responses, 24.8% of residents worked from home. Key industries for employment are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction employs a significant share at 1.3 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services employ only 6.6% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 10.1%.

Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 0.3%, while labour force grew by 0.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.0% and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points over the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Morang - North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released on 30 June 2023, South Morang - North SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $58,403. The average income stood at $66,814. This was just below the national average and compared to levels of $57,688 and $75,164 across Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $63,221 (median) and $72,326 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household incomes rank at the 80th percentile with a weekly income of $2,242. Distribution data shows that 41.3% of locals (5,509 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, which is similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 32.8%. High housing costs consume 15.3% of income. Despite this, disposable income ranks at the 80th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

South Morang - North is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

South Morang - North's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 90.8% houses and 9.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Morang - North was at 21.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 59.2% and rented ones at 19.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, below Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in South Morang - North was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, South Morang - North's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

South Morang - North features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 86.8% of all households, including 55.5% couples with children, 18.5% couples without children, and 12.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 13.2%, with lone person households at 11.6% and group households comprising 1.5%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

South Morang - North performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

South Morang's residents aged 15+ have lower university degree holders (27.3%) compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 17.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 32.9% holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (21.0%). Educational participation is high at 34.5%, with 12.2% in primary education, 10.2% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.2% in primary education, 10.2% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

South Morang - North has 52 active public transport stops, all bus services. These are covered by 9 routes, offering a total of 3,599 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 191 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode at 90%, while train use stands at 7%. On average, there are 1.9 vehicles per dwelling, above the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 24.8% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 514 trips per day, equating to approximately 69 weekly trips per individual stop.

South Morang - North's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

South Morang - North shows excellent health outcomes according to AreaSearch's analysis. Mortality rates are low, with younger cohorts particularly having a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover stands at approximately 52% of the total population (~6,950 people), slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 56.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.7 and 6.1% of residents respectively. A higher proportion, 77.6%, report being free from medical ailments compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a lower percentage of residents aged 65 and over at 10.4% (1,383 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.1%.

South Morang - North 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

South Morang-North has significant cultural diversity, with 31.8% of its population born overseas and 39.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in South Morang-North, comprising 60.8% of its population. The most notable overrepresentation is in the 'Other' category, which makes up 2.9% compared to Greater Melbourne's 2.3%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Australian (16.6%), Italian (14.5%), and Other (14.0%). Notably, Macedonian (6.5%) is significantly overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.7%, as are Maltese (2.4% vs 1.1%) and Greek (4.6% vs 2.7%).

South Morang - North's population is younger than the national pattern

South Morang - North's median age in 2021 was 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly below the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Morang - North had a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (16.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.1%). Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, demographic aging was evident as the median age increased from 35 to 36 years. Key changes included an increase in the proportion of residents aged 55-64 from 9.4% to 11.3%, and an increase in the proportion of residents aged 65-74 from 5.0% to 6.7%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 decreased from 17.9% to 14.9%, and the proportion of residents aged 5-14 dropped from 17.0% to 14.2%. Population forecasts for South Morang - North indicate significant demographic changes by 2041, with the 55-64 age cohort projected to increase substantially by 1,400 people (93%), from 1,508 to 2,909 residents.