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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Wendouree - Miners Rest's population is around 16,247 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 914 people (6.0%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,333 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,570 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 209 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 240 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Wendouree - Miners Rest's 6.0% growth since the census positions it within 2.1 percentage points of the Rest of Vic. (8.1%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 74.6% 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 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. Looking at population projections moving forward, a significant population increase in the top quartile of regional areas nationally is forecast, with the area expected to grow by 4,415 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, recording a gain of 23.0% in total 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 experienced around 63 dwellings receiving development approval annually, with 319 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 9 so far in FY-26. With an average of 1.2 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply and demand appear well-balanced, creating stable market conditions, while new homes are being built at an average value of $173,000—under regional levels—indicating more accessible housing choices for buyers. Additionally, $106.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

When measured against the Rest of Vic., Wendouree - Miners Rest shows substantially reduced construction (66.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Recent construction comprises 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, showing an expanding range of medium-density options creating a mix of opportunities across price brackets, from traditional family housing to more affordable compact alternatives. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 85.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The estimated count of 548 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment.

Future projections show Wendouree - Miners Rest adding 3,738 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Wendouree - Miners Rest has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 34 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Learmonth Road Retail Hub, Wendouree Library and Learning Centre, Wendouree Station Precinct Structure Plan and Urban Design Framework, and Ballarat Major Events Precinct Upgrades, 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.

Employment drivers in Wendouree - Miners Rest are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Wendouree - Miners Rest has a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 6.6%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 6,937 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 2.9% above Regional Vic.'s rate of 3.7%, and workforce participation is somewhat below standard (57.9% compared to Regional Vic.'s 61.5%). Based on Census responses, a low 11.5% 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, retail trade, and construction. The area has a particular employment specialization in manufacturing, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. On the other hand, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1.9% of Wendouree - Miners Rest's workforce compared to 7.5% in Regional Vic.. The ratio of 0.7 workers for each resident, as at the Census, indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.0% and the labour force decreased by 0.7%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.7 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional Vic., where employment contracted by 0.6%, the labour force fell by 0.7%, and unemployment fell 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Wendouree - Miners Rest. 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 Wendouree - Miners Rest's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.1% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

The Wendouree - Miners Rest SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $49,469 and an average of $61,622 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is below the national average, contrasting with Regional Vic.'s median income of $50,954 and average income of $62,728. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $53,550 (median) and $66,706 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Wendouree - Miners Rest all fall between the 12th and 18th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the predominant cohort spans 28.7% of locals (4,662 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 30.3% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.3% of income remaining, ranking at the 14th percentile.

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

Dwelling structure within Wendouree - Miners Rest, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional Vic.'s 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Wendouree - Miners Rest was lagging that of Regional Vic., at 32.9%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (30.5%) or rented (36.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Regional Vic. average at $1,300, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $260, compared to Regional Vic.'s $1,430 and $285. Nationally, Wendouree - Miners Rest's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below 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 dominate at 63.0% of all households, comprising 21.7% couples with children, 24.7% couples without children, and 15.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 37.0%, with lone person households at 33.6% and group households comprising 3.5% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Regional 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 faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (16.0%) substantially below the VIC average of 33.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 11.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 38.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (9.2%) and certificates (29.1%).

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

Public transport analysis reveals 116 active transport stops operating within Wendouree - Miners Rest, comprising a mix of train services. These stops are serviced by 9 individual routes, collectively providing 1,657 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 208 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward, and the car remains the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A relatively low 11.5% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 236 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 14 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

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

Critical health challenges are evident across Wendouree - Miners Rest, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. A range of health conditions have marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~8,091 people). The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 12.0% and 10.7% of residents, respectively, while 58.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.4% across Regional Vic. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 18.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,942 people), which is lower than the 23.9% in Regional Vic. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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 was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 90.9% of its population being citizens, 90.6% born in Australia, and 94.5% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Wendouree - Miners Rest is Christianity, which makes up 44.4% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Islam, which comprises 0.6% of the population, compared to 1.0% across Regional Vic..

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Wendouree - Miners Rest are Australian, comprising 32.5% of the population, English, comprising 31.3% of the population, and Irish, comprising 9.5% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Dutch is notably overrepresented at 2.1% of Wendouree - Miners Rest (vs 1.7% regionally), Scottish at 8.5% (vs 8.8%) and Maltese at 0.4% (vs 0.5%).

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

The 37-year median age in Wendouree - Miners Rest is considerably lower than Regional Vic.'s average of 43 as well as very close to the 38-year national average. The age profile shows 25 - 34 year-olds are particularly prominent (17.6%), while the 65 - 74 group is comparatively smaller (9.5%) than in Regional Vic.. In the period since 2021, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 14.5% to 17.6% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 12.5% to 10.9% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 11.6% to 10.2%. 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, expanding by 1,567 people (55%) from 2,859 to 4,427. Meanwhile, the 55 to 64 cohort grows by a modest 1% (24 people).