Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek

Population growth drivers in Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek's population is approximately 14,911 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 494 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 14,417. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,859 in June 2025 and the addition of 120 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 556 persons per square kilometer. Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek's growth rate of 3.4% since the 2021 census exceeds the SA3 area's growth rate of 1.8%, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 57.0% to overall population gains during recent periods.

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 employs the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using a weighted aggregation method to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek is forecast to experience significant population growth, with an expected increase of 3,045 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 20.1% over the 16-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek has received approximately 62 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 312 homes. As of FY-26, 22 approvals have been recorded. On average, one new resident arrives per year for each new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This has resulted in an average construction value of $409,000 per dwelling.

In FY-26, there have been $11.5 million in commercial approvals. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek shows 77.0% higher building activity per capita. The area's development consists of 82.0% detached dwellings and 18.0% attached dwellings. As of FY-25, there were an estimated 392 people per dwelling approval in the area.

By 2041, Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek is projected to grow by 2,993 residents, according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Building activity is aligning with these growth projections.

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 17 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Diamond Creek Community Infrastructure Master Plan, Eltham Major Activity Centre, Nillumbik Waste Management Facility Upgrade, and Diamond Creek Outdoor Pool Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The exceptional employment performance in Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.0% as of December 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 0.7%.

There were 9,075 residents in work while the unemployment rate was 2.8% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation was 76.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 31.2% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries were construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

The area had particular employment specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level. Professional & technical employed just 7.4% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Employment opportunities appeared limited locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.7%, labour force increased by 1.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.6 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%, labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 estimated national employment expansion at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek SA2 has a high national income level according to AreaSearch data from the ATO for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers is $63,074 and the average income stands at $78,995. In comparison, Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes are $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 would be approximately $69,142 (median) and $86,594 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, household incomes rank at the 90th percentile with a weekly income of $2,496. The largest segment comprises 33.3% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, with 4,965 residents in this bracket. Notably, 39.0% earn above $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 87.6% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.0% houses and 5.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek stood at 36.7%, with the rest being mortgaged (53.8%) or rented (9.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent was $429, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 84.7 percent of all households, including 47.4 percent couples with children, 25.8 percent couples without children, and 10.8 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 15.3 percent, with lone person households at 14.3 percent and group households comprising 0.9 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

In Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek trail region, as of the latest available data, 28.9% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to Greater Melbourne's 37.0%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 36.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (24.2%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 8.9% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in the area between Wattle Glen and Diamond Creek shows that there are currently 50 active transport stops operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 11 individual routes providing service to the area. The collective weekly passenger trips across these routes amount to 5,831. The accessibility of transport in this residential area is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 307 meters from their nearest transport stop. As most residents commute outward, it's notable that the car remains the dominant mode of transportation at a rate of 92%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling in the area is 2.0, which is higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census data, which may have been influenced by COVID-19 conditions, a high percentage of residents, specifically 31.2%, work from home. The service frequency across all routes averages out to approximately 833 trips per day, which equates to around 116 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek shows superior health outcomes as per AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Both young and elderly cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 58% (~8,708 people) have private health cover, higher than the average rate. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 8.0% and 7.8% respectively. Around 71.0% declare no medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. The under-65 population has better-than-average health outcomes. The area has 16.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,414 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Wattle Glen-Diamond Creek had a low cultural diversity, with 85.1% born in Australia, 94.0% being citizens, and 91.5% speaking English only at home as of the 2021 census. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 45.7%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.0%.

Top ancestry groups were English (28.7%), Australian (26.9%), and Irish (9.5%). Italian (6.5%) was notably overrepresented, along with Macedonian (0.9%) and Maltese (1.2%).

Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, the 55-64 age cohort is notably over-represented at 13.9% locally, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.8%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has grown from 3.8% to 5.3% of the population, and the 25-34 age cohort has declined from 11.3% to 9.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Wattle Glen - Diamond Creek. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 71%, adding 564 people and reaching a total of 1,361 from the current figure of 796. Conversely, the 0-4 age group is forecasted to decrease by 9 residents.