Templestowe Lower

An assessment of population growth drivers in Templestowe Lower reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Templestowe Lower's population is around 15,202 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,011 people (7.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,191 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,612 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 137 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,559 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Templestowe Lower's 7.1% growth since the census positions it within 2.5 percentage points of the SA3 area (9.6%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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 any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the 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 also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Moving forward with demographic trends, a population increase just below the median of Australian statistical areas is expected, with the area expected to increase by 1,499 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 6.0% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Templestowe Lower when compared nationally

Templestowe Lower has seen around 76 new homes approved each year, totalling 380 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 32 approvals have been recorded. At an average of just 0.5 new residents per year arriving per new home over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply is meeting or surpassing demand, providing greater buyer choice while supporting potential for population growth above projections. New dwellings are developed at an average value of $539,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Additionally, $7.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, complementing the area's residential character.

Relative to Greater Melbourne, Templestowe Lower records 11.0% less building activity (per person) while it places among the 72nd percentile of areas assessed nationally. New building activity shows 33.0% standalone homes and 67.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 81.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 190 people per dwelling approval, Templestowe Lower shows characteristics of a growth area.

Future projections show Templestowe Lower adding 909 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Templestowe Lower has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 22 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Templestowe Road Duplication and Upgrade, Aquarena Outdoor Masterplan Redevelopment, Serpell Residence Templestowe, and 6 Rosa Street Townhouses, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most 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.

Templestowe Lower has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Templestowe Lower has a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of 4.6%, and 2.2% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,291 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 0.1% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation lags significantly (61.8% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 37.8% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and retail trade. Conversely, manufacturing is under-represented, with only 4.9% of Templestowe Lower's workforce compared to 7.2% in Greater Melbourne. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2% and the labour force increased by 2.4%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne, where employment rose by 2.4%, the labour force grew by 2.8%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Templestowe Lower. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Templestowe Lower's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.1% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Templestowe Lower SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $53,161 with the average level standing at $73,736. This is above the national average and compares to levels of $57,688 and $75,164 across Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $57,547 (median) and $79,819 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household income ranks at the 60th percentile ($1,919 weekly), while personal income sits at the 39th percentile. The earnings profile shows 29.3% of the population (4,454 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 32.8%. Economic strength emerges through 30.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing, 85.6% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Templestowe Lower, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 80.7% houses and 19.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Templestowe Lower was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 48.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (33.3%) or rented (17.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Melbourne metro average at $2,500, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $475, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Templestowe Lower's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 78.9% of all households, comprising 39.3% couples with children, 27.1% couples without children, and 11.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 21.1%, with lone person households at 19.3% and group households comprising 1.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

The area's educational profile stands out regionally, with university qualification rates (40.4% of residents aged 15+) exceeding the Australian average of 30.4%, reflecting the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees lead at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways account for 24.5% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (13.1%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 5.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 63 active transport stops operating within Templestowe Lower, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 20 individual routes, collectively providing 3,030 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 209 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 88%, with 7% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 37.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 432 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 48 weekly trips per individual stop.

Templestowe Lower's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Templestowe Lower, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~8,528 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.9% and 6.1% of residents, respectively, while 71.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 24.0% of residents aged 65 and over (3,643 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, though they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

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

Templestowe Lower scores highly on cultural diversity, with 41.1% of its population born overseas and 46.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Templestowe Lower is Christianity, which makes up 55.9% of the population. However, there is a notable representation of Judaism, which comprises 0.5% of the population, compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Templestowe Lower are Chinese, comprising 16.9% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 6.5%; English, comprising 15.1% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 20.1%; and Australian, comprising 14.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of other ethnic groups: Greek is overrepresented at 9.4% of Templestowe Lower (vs 2.7% regionally), Italian at 9.8% (vs 5.2%), and Macedonian at 1.0% (vs 0.7%).

Templestowe Lower hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The 45-year median age in Templestowe Lower is significantly above Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and similarly considerably older than Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Templestowe Lower has a higher concentration of 75 - 84 residents (8.8%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (9.0%). Following the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 10.5% to 13.0% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort increased from 11.4% to 12.5%. Conversely, the 75 to 84 cohort has declined from 10.2% to 8.8%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Templestowe Lower's age structure. Leading the demographic shift, the 85+ group will grow by 43% (345 people), reaching 1,159 from 813. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.