Williamstown

Williamstown has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Williamstown's population was approximately 17,696 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,784 people, a rise of 11.2% since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 15,912. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,934 in June 2024 and an additional 549 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,407 persons per square kilometer, placing Williamstown in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 11.2% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area average (7.1%) and the national average, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends project an above median population growth, with the area expected to grow by 2,998 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 12.6% over the 17 years.

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

Williamstown has seen around 102 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 513 homes were approved, with an additional 10 approved so far in FY-26. On average, over these years, 0.2 new residents arrived per new home.

This pace suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new dwellings is $416,000. In FY-26, Williamstown has recorded $21.7 million in commercial development approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Williamstown shows approximately 67% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 29th percentile nationally, suggesting more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. New building activity in Williamstown consists of 17.0% detached houses and 83.0% medium and high-density housing.

This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and caters to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a significant shift from the current housing mix, which is 54.0% houses, likely due to reduced availability of development sites and changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Williamstown has approximately 586 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Williamstown is forecasted to gain 2,222 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Williamstown 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 21 projects that could influence the area. Notable ones are Workshops Pier Repairs Project, Williamstown Mechanics Institute Masterplan and Restoration, Williamstown Foreshore Precinct Upgrade, and Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club Redevelopment. 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Williamstown performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Williamstown has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate is 2.2% and there was an estimated employment growth of 5.5% in the past year.

As of September 2025, 10,294 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.4 percentage points lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The leading employment industries among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Williamstown has a particular specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share that is 1.3 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance has limited presence with 11.5% employment compared to 14.2% regionally. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the past year, employment increased by 5.5% while labour force increased by 5.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%. State-level data as of 25-Nov shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Williamstown's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Williamstown SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $68,768 and an average of $106,120. These figures are exceptionally high nationally compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $77,130 (median) and $119,024 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Williamstown rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 87th percentiles. Income distribution data shows that 30.1% of locals (5,326 people) fall into the $4000+ category, differing from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 32.8%. Economic strength is evident with 41.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.6% of income while strong earnings place residents within the 88th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Williamstown displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Williamstown, as per the latest Census, consisted of 54.5% houses and 45.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 68.7% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Williamstown was at 39.4%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (34.3%) or rented (26.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,167. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $450, compared to Melbourne metro's $386. Nationally, Williamstown's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Williamstown has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 71.7% of all households, including 35.8% couples with children, 25.8% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.3%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, aligning with the Greater Melbourne average.

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

Williamstown's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 45.0% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.0% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.9%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Vocational pathways account for 24.4% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificates at 13.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in primary education, 9.3% in secondary education, and 6.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 72 active stops operating in Williamstown, serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 4 distinct routes, collectively facilitating 6,115 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 184 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 873 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 84 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Williamstown shows above-average health outcomes with both younger and older age groups having low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 74% of the total population (13,041 people), compared to 60.9% across Greater Melbourne and 55.3% nationally. The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.5 and 7.3% of residents respectively, while 71.6% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.7% in Greater Melbourne.

The area has 21.0% of residents aged 65 and over (3,719 people), higher than the 17.8% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Williamstown was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Williamstown's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 23.7% of its population born overseas and 15.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Williamstown, comprising 47.2% of people, while Judaism showed an overrepresentation at 0.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.1%. The top three ancestry groups were English (26.1%), Australian (21.4%), and Irish (9.9%).

Notably, Croatian (1.4%) and Maltese (1.9%) were also overrepresented in Williamstown compared to regional averages of 1.4% and 3.4%, respectively. Macedonian ethnicity was at 1.0%, slightly below the regional average of 1.4%.

Williamstown hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Williamstown is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Williamstown has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (15.8%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.7%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75 to 84 grew from 5.1% to 7.1%, while the 15 to 24 age group increased from 11.9% to 13.3%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group declined from 13.6% to 12.1%, and the 45 to 54 age group decreased from 16.6% to 15.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Williamstown's age structure. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 64%, reaching 2,054 people from the current total of 1,251. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 68% of the total population growth, reflecting Williamstown's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.