Council (LGA) · Area profile
Melton
528 km²
Rapid growth has transformed Melton, which added about 69,701 people to reach a population of 178,960 since 2011. It is a notably young community where the typical resident is just 33, and nearly a quarter of all people are children under 15. This youthfulness is reflected in the high number of large family homes and a diverse, multicultural population. While it is becoming more affluent, it remains a suburban area where most people rely on cars for daily life.
Melton's schools draw a community as advantaged as its high household incomes suggest.
Melton has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
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The community is much younger than most areas, with a typical age of 33 and a children's population that is well above the national figure. This is consistent with the very low proportion of seniors, at just 9.1%.
People born overseas make up 35.7% of the population, which is well above the national figure. This diversity has risen since 2011, with Indian and Italian ancestries following Australian and English as the most common.
Multiculturalism is evident in the home, where 39.0% of people use a language other than English, far above the state average. Punjabi is the most common non-English language spoken.
Religion remains common here, as the 24.3% of residents reporting no religion is far below the national figure. Christianity is the most prevalent affiliation at 48.0%.
More people have completed Year 12 here than in most similar areas, and the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose 8.1 pts since 2011 to reach 21.6%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,887, which is a little above the national figure. This represents a significant increase, with the typical household earning $524 more per week than in 2011.
Residents generally enjoy better health than those in most other areas, with a long-term health condition rate of 23.0%, which is well below the national figure.
Unpaid childcare is very common, with 32.2% of people caring for children, well above the state average. However, volunteering is among the lowest at this level at 7.7%.
There are 2,123 First Nations people in the area, and their typical personal income is a little above the national figure. The unemployment rate for this group is 13.4%, which is well above the state average.
Homes here are larger than usual, with 3.1 people per household and 68.8% of families consisting of couples with children. Only 16.5% of people live alone, which is well below the state average.
The area is dominated by separate houses, and 92.7% of homes have three or more bedrooms. While most people have a mortgage, typical weekly rent is $360, which is about the same as the national figure.
Car dependence is high, with only 3.2% of homes having no motor vehicle. While 19.8% of people now work from home, public transport use for commuting has fallen since 2011.
The population is quite mobile, with 42.3% of people having moved in the last five years, a figure slightly above the national average.
More adults are working or looking for work here than in most similar areas, though the unemployment rate of 6.5% is a little above the national figure.
The area shows strong growth and a high level of access to resources, ranking better than about 90% of similar areas. Population growth since 2021 has been far above the state average.
The local climate is slightly cooler than most areas, with an average maximum temperature of 20.1 degrees and average rainfall of 521mm.
Overall recorded offences are lower than most areas, although the theft rate is much higher. Robbery is also more frequent than in similar locations.
Walkability is low, as only 37.1% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed, far below the state figure. Most people can walk to a park, but very few can walk to groceries or health services within 15 minutes.