Sunshine West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Sunshine West's population is 18,817 as of Aug 2025. This is an increase of 259 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 18,558. The growth is inferred from ABS data: 18,795 in Jun 2024 and 118 new addresses validated since the Census date. Population density is 1,450 persons per square kilometer, higher than national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Sunshine West's growth rate was 0.1% annually, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 81.5% of recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projected demographic shifts indicate above median population growth, with Sunshine West expected to expand by 3,620 persons to 2041, reflecting a 19.1% increase over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Sunshine West, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Sunshine West has received approximately 53 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 268 approvals between fiscal years 2021 and 2025, with 8 approvals so far in the current fiscal year 2026. Despite population decline, this level of development activity is considered adequate relative to population size, benefiting buyers with new homes averaging $355,000, below regional levels. In fiscal year 2026, Sunshine West has recorded $62.2 million in commercial development approvals, indicating robust local business investment.

Compared to Greater Melbourne and nationally, Sunshine West's development levels per capita are similar and lower respectively, suggesting market maturity and potential development constraints. New building activity comprises 32% standalone homes and 68% townhouses or apartments, promoting affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers, marking a shift from the area's current housing composition of 83% houses. With around 373 people per approval, Sunshine West indicates a mature market. By 2041, Sunshine West is projected to grow by approximately 3593 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to meet population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Looking ahead, Sunshine West is expected to grow by 3,593 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Sunshine West has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 23 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include 10-12 Marchant Crescent at Sunshine West, LUMA Sunshine North, Vietnamese Museum Australia, and Derrimut Industrial Precinct Expansion. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

The labour market performance in Sunshine West lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Sunshine West has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 8.0% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.9%.

As of June 2025, 9,136 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 3.4% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation lags at 53.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, transport, postal & warehousing, and manufacturing. The area specializes in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share of 2.1 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 5.9% versus the regional average of 10.1%. There are 0.6 workers for each resident, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities. From June 2024 to June 2025, employment increased by 4.9%, labour force by 5.7%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.5 percentage point rise in unemployment. By Sep-25, Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Sunshine West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Sunshine West's median income among taxpayers is $47,258 and the average is $54,744. This is below the national average. Greater Melbourne has a median income of $54,892 and an average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Sunshine West are approximately $52,036 (median) and $60,279 (average) as of March 2025. Census data reveals individual incomes lag at the 8th percentile ($565 weekly), while household income performs better at the 30th percentile. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 31.5% of Sunshine West's community (5,927 individuals). This mirrors regional levels where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Sunshine West, with only 84.5% of income remaining, ranking at the 31st percentile.

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

Sunshine West's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, comprised 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sunshine West stood at 40.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.6% and rented ones at 28.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,700, aligning with Melbourne metro's average. The median weekly rent figure was $346, matching Melbourne metro's figure. Nationally, Sunshine West's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Sunshine West features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 74.0% of all households, including 33.1% couples with children, 22.3% couples without children, and 16.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 26.0%, with lone person households at 21.5% and group households making up 4.5%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.9.

Educational outcomes in Sunshine West fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Sunshine West has lower university qualification rates at 23.2%, significantly below Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common (16.5%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are held by 25.6% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 16.5%. Educational participation is high, with 29.9% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (9.0%), secondary (7.4%), and tertiary (5.5%).

There are 10 schools in Sunshine West educating approximately 3,603 students, typical of Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 976). The educational mix includes 5 primary, 3 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds residential needs (19.1 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 14.3), indicating Sunshine West serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where school enrolments are 'n/a', please refer to parent campus.

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

Sunshine West has 99 active public transport stops. These are served by a mix of trains and buses on 23 different routes. Together, these provide 6517 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 184 meters. There are an average of 931 daily trips across all routes, which equals about 65 weekly trips per individual stop.

Sunshine West's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data shows relatively positive outcomes for Sunshine West residents. Prevalence of common health conditions is quite low among the general population but higher than the national average in older, at-risk cohorts.

Private health cover rate is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~8,881 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.0 and 6.8% of residents respectively. 71.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.5% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 18.9% of residents aged 65 and over (3,552 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

Sunshine West is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Sunshine West has a population where 54.3% were born overseas, with 66.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Sunshine West, accounting for 49.2% of its population. Buddhism, however, is more prevalent in Sunshine West compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 12.7% versus 12.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (21.1%), Vietnamese (17.6%), and Australian (10.6%). Notably, Maltese (4.8%) and Macedonian (2.6%) are slightly overrepresented compared to regional averages of 4.6% and 2.5%, respectively. Additionally, Greeks make up 4.8% of Sunshine West's population, which is higher than the regional average of 3.0%.

Sunshine West's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Sunshine West is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Sunshine West has a higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (7.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (10.1%). Since the 2021 Census, the percentage of residents aged 75-84 has increased from 6.7% to 7.4%, while the percentage of residents aged 5-14 has decreased from 11.1% to 10.1%. By 2041, Sunshine West is expected to experience significant shifts in its age composition, with the 55-64 age group projected to grow by 33%, reaching 2,788 residents from 2,103. Conversely, the 5-14 age group is expected to decrease by 14 residents.