Wendouree - Miners Rest

Population growth drivers in Wendouree - Miners Rest are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Wendouree - Miners Rest's population is 15,752 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This represents an increase of 419 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,333. The change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 15,654 in June 2024 and an additional 206 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 233 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 74.6% of overall 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, they utilise VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is forecasted to grow by 4,415 persons based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 26.9% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Wendouree - Miners Rest according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Wendouree - Miners Rest has seen approximately 63 new homes approved annually. Between FY21 and FY25319 homes were approved, with a further 6 approved in FY26 to date. On average, 1.2 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years.

The average construction value of new properties was $385,000. In FY26, there have been $106.8 million in commercial approvals. Compared to the Rest of Vic., Wendouree - Miners Rest has significantly less development activity, 66.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The new building activity comprised 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% attached dwellings, reflecting a growing mix of townhouses and apartments.

Currently, 85.0% of housing in the area are houses. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 548 people. By 2041, Wendouree - Miners Rest is projected to add 4,233 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Wendouree - Miners Rest 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 32 projects that could impact the area. Notable projects include Wendouree Library and Learning Centre, Learmonth Road Retail Hub, Wendouree Station Precinct Structure Plan and Urban Design Framework, and Ballarat Major Events Precinct Upgrades. The following list details those most relevant.

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.

Employment performance in Wendouree - Miners Rest has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Wendouree - Miners Rest had an unemployment rate of 6.9% as of June 2025, with estimated employment growth of 8.2% over the past year. The area had 6,885 residents in work while its unemployment rate was 3.2% higher than the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 53.8%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Leading employment industries among residents comprised health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area showed strong specialization in manufacturing with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing had lower representation at 1.9% versus the regional average of 7.5%. There were 0.7 workers for each resident as at the Census, indicating a level of local employment opportunities above the norm.

Over the past year, employment increased by 8.2%, while labour force increased by 6.9%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic.'s employment contracted by 0.9%, its labour force fell by 0.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Nov-25 showed VIC employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wendouree - Miners Rest's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Wendouree - Miners Rest SA2 had a median income of $47,120 and an average of $58,409 among taxpayers. Nationally, these figures are lower than the average. Comparing with Rest of Vic., Wendouree - Miners Rest's median is $47,120 vs $48,741, and average is $58,409 vs $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $52,850 (median) and $65,512 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Wendouree - Miners Rest fall between the 12th and 18th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. The earnings profile shows that 4,520 residents earn $1,500 - $2,999 weekly, representing 28.7% of the total population, similar to the metropolitan region's 30.3%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.3% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally.

Wendouree - Miners Rest is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Wendouree - Miners Rest, as per the latest Census, consisted of 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is similar to Non-Metro Vic.'s structure of 85.6% houses and 14.5% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Wendouree - Miners Rest was 32.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.5% and rented dwellings at 36.6%. This is comparable to Non-Metro Vic.'s home ownership rate of 32.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,499 and significantly below the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure in Wendouree - Miners Rest was $260, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $300 and substantially lower than the national figure of $375.

Wendouree - Miners Rest features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 63.0% of all households, including 21.7% couples with children, 24.7% couples without children, and 15.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.0%, with lone person households at 33.6% and group households making up 3.5% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Wendouree - Miners Rest fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 16.0%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.2%) and certificates (29.1%). Educational participation is high at 29.0%, comprising primary education (10.7%), secondary education (8.3%), and tertiary education (3.4%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 3.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wendouree-Miners Rest area has 115 active public transport stops. These are served by 17 routes offering a total of 2,104 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop is 208 meters.

Daily service frequency averages 300 trips across all routes, equating to about 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Wendouree - Miners Rest is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Wendouree - Miners Rest faces significant health challenges, affecting both younger and older age groups. Approximately 49% (~7,702 people) have private health cover, lower than Victoria's average of 50.9%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, impacting 12.0% and 10.7% of residents respectively. However, 58.1% report no medical ailments, compared to 62.3% in the rest of Victoria. The area has an 18.6% senior population (2,937 people), with health outcomes broadly matching the general population's profile.

Wendouree - Miners Rest is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Wendouree-Miners Rest, surveyed in June 2016, had a population with 90.9% citizens, 90.6% born in Australia, and 94.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 44.4%. Islam, though small, was slightly overrepresented at 0.6%, compared to 0.7% across Victoria.

Ancestry-wise, Australian (32.5%), English (31.3%), and Irish (9.5%) were the top groups. Notable divergences included Dutch being equally represented (2.1%), Scottish being slightly underrepresented (8.5% vs 9.2%), and Maltese being equally represented (0.4%).

Wendouree - Miners Rest's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Wendouree - Miners Rest is 37 years, which is considerably lower than Victoria's average of 43 and very close to Australia's national average of 38. The age profile shows that the 25-34 year-olds are particularly prominent at 16.7%, while the 65-74 group is comparatively smaller at 9.5% than in the rest of Victoria. Between 2021 and present, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 14.5% to 16.7% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 12.1% to 13.1%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 12.5% to 11.2%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 11.6% to 10.5%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Wendouree - Miners Rest's age structure. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to rise substantially by 1,797 people (68%) from 2,629 to 4,427. Meanwhile, the 75 to 84 cohort grows by a modest 2% (16 people).