Urban Area · Area profile
Melbourne
7,100 km²
High household incomes and a strong professional workforce define Melbourne, which has grown by 25% since 2011 to reach over 4.8 million people. The community is notably international, with over a third of residents born overseas and many speaking a language other than English at home. This is a well-qualified, working-age population where the typical resident is 37, creating a dynamic city environment that is both wealthy and culturally diverse.
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The population is a little younger than the national figure, with a typical age of 37. While the number of seniors has risen to 15% since 2011, this is still much lower than in most other similar areas.
This is a highly diverse area where 36.2% of people were born overseas, a figure well above the national level of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are English and Australian, followed by Chinese and Irish.
A high 34.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home, which is far above the Australian average. This diversity is reflected in the 5.6% who speak little or no English, a figure that has risen since 2016.
The number of people reporting no religion rose 14 points since 2011 to 37.1%, though this remains a little below the national figure. Christianity is the most common affiliation at 40.1%.
Residents are highly qualified, with 33% holding a bachelor degree or higher, well above the national figure of 26.3%. Since 2011, the share of adults who finished Year 12 has risen by 10 points.
The area is much wealthier than most, with a typical household income of $1,900 per week. This is consistent with the high number of people earning $2,000 or more weekly, which rose 7.1 points since 2011.
Health outcomes are better than in most similar areas, with a lower rate of long-term health conditions (25.4%) and fewer people needing daily assistance (5.6%) compared to the national average.
Volunteer rates are among the lowest for this level at 12.0% and have fallen since 2011. Similarly, the share of people providing unpaid care is lower than in most other areas.
Homes here are slightly larger than average with 2.6 people per household. While 62% are couples with children, the number of people living alone rose 1.4 points since 2011 to reach 24.9%.
Housing is expensive, with typical weekly rents at $390 and typical monthly mortgage payments at $2,000. Detached houses are less common here than in the rest of the state, making up 67.3% of homes.
Working from home has seen a massive jump, rising 25 points since 2011 to 29%. Public transport use for commuting is higher than the national average, and 8.7% of homes have no motor vehicle.
The area is quite mobile, with 41% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 15.9% of the population, which is a little above the national figure.
The workforce is very active, with 64.1% of adults working or looking for work—well above the national figure. Professional roles are the most common, accounting for 27% of occupations.
The area is very walkable, with a score of 7.2. Most residents have easy access to essentials, with 91.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 97.9% near a park.