Werribee - East
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Werribee - East's population is around 19,251 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 19,010 people. The change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 19,124 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. Population density is 2,480 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessment. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.6% of recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For uncovered areas, it utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made via weighted aggregation to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas until 2041. Future population trends show an above median growth projection for the area, expected to expand by 3,239 persons by 2041 based on latest numbers, indicating a total increase of 16.2% over the 17 years.

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

Werribee - East has received approximately 46 dwelling approvals annually. Since FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 232 approvals were recorded by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 8 approvals in FY-26 so far. Despite population decline during this period, new supply likely met demand, offering good buyer choice. The average dwelling development cost was $473,000.

In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $16.7 million, indicating moderate commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Werribee - East had significantly less development activity (85.0% below regional average per person), which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. This activity was also under the national average, suggesting an established area with potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprised 38.0% standalone homes and 62.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift from the area's current housing composition (84.0% houses). With around 561 people per dwelling approval, Werribee - East indicates a highly mature market. Future projections estimate an increase of 3,112 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Future projections show Werribee - East adding 3,112 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Werribee - East has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects expected to influence the region. Notable initiatives include Ison Road Project, Riverwalk Werribee, Werribee Mercy Hospital Emergency Department Expansion, and Suburban Rail Loop West. The following details those considered most relevant.

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

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

Werribee - East's workforce is skilled and diverse. Its unemployment rate was 10.7% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 5.7%.

As of June 2025, 9,365 residents are employed, but the unemployment rate is higher than Greater Melbourne's at 6.0%. Workforce participation is lower at 56.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing. The area specializes in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share of 2.1 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical employs only 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 10.1%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 5.7%, while the labour force grew by 5.8%, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 6.0%. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.5% and a slight rise in unemployment to 5.1%. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Werribee - East's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows median income in Werribee - East was $55,738 and average income was $69,115. Compared to Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth rate of 10.11% from July 2022 to March 2025, estimated current incomes would be approximately $61,373 (median) and $76,103 (average). From the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census conducted in August 2021, household, family, and personal incomes in Werribee - East fall between the 17th to 26th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 32.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 to $2,999 annually (6,256 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the area showing 32.8% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 25th percentile nationally.

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

The latest Census showed that in Werribee - East, 84.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 15.4% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Melbourne metro's figures of 88.1% houses and 12.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Werribee - East stood at 28.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.0% and rented ones at 37.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,500, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $1,924. Median weekly rent in Werribee - East was $315, compared to $370 in Melbourne metro. Nationally, Werribee - East's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,500 vs Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Werribee - East has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 69.3% of all households, including 31.0% couples with children, 20.9% couples without children, and 15.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 30.7%, with lone person households at 27.0% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 3.1.

Educational attainment in Werribee - East aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area faces educational challenges with university qualification rates at 21.1%, significantly lower than the SA3 area average of 37.0%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualifications, held by 13.6% of residents, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 34.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.5%) and certificates (23.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 31.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.6% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 4.5% in tertiary education. There are six schools operating within Werribee - East, educating approximately 5,074 students. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1003) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes three primary, one secondary, and two K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (26.4 places per 100 residents vs 18.4 regionally), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Werribee - East has 107 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus services. There are 14 routes operating in total, serving 14,982 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 177 meters. Across all routes, there are approximately 2,140 daily trips, which equates to about 140 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Werribee - East is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Werribee - East faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across all age groups, but particularly high among older adults. Approximately 54% of the total population (~10,337 people) has private health cover, compared to 51.4% in Greater Melbourne.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 9.1 and 8.5% of residents respectively. However, 67.5% of residents claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to 79.2% in Greater Melbourne. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 17.1%, with 3,282 people falling into this age group, compared to 8.3% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population due to the specific challenges they face.

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

Werribee-East has a high level of cultural diversity, with 38.6% of its population born overseas and 36.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Werribee-East, comprising 48.9% of people. However, the most notable overrepresentation is in the 'Other' category, which makes up 3.1% of the population compared to Greater Melbourne's 7.1%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are Australian (20.2%), English (19.9%), and Other (19.5%). Notable divergences exist in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Maltese is overrepresented at 1.9% compared to the regional average of 1.7%, Serbian at 0.7% compared to 0.5%, and Maori at 1.2%.

Werribee - East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Werribee - East's median age is approximately 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37, which is slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Werribee - East has a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (12.5%) but fewer residents aged 35-44 (13.4%). According to the 2021 Census data, the population aged 65 to 74 increased from 8.4% to 9.5%, while the 75 to 84 age group grew from 4.7% to 5.7%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group declined from 12.9% to 11.8%. Demographic projections suggest significant changes in Werribee - East's age profile by 2041. The 65 to 74 cohort is projected to grow by 48%, adding 871 residents to reach a total of 2,695. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 57% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups are projected to experience population declines.