Every five years, the Census provides a detailed snapshot of how Australians live. For Melbourne's property market, it offers valuable insight into the people, households and housing trends behind our city's growth.
From household size and home ownership to dwelling types and population growth, Census data adds another layer to our understanding of Melbourne's property market and how our suburbs are evolving.
With Census night now behind us, the 2026 results will provide a fresh picture of how Melbourne has changed since 2021 and what those changes could mean for future housing needs.
Five years in Melbourne property
Since the previous Census, Melbourne has experienced significant economic and housing market change. Shifting interest rates, strong population growth and evolving work arrangements have all influenced the way people live and the choices they make about housing.
Across our network, we're seeing how these broader changes can play out differently from one suburb to the next, reinforcing the importance of understanding Melbourne at a local level.
The 2026 Census will give us a new picture of how Melbourne's population, households and housing have changed during that period. Rather than predicting where the property market will move next, the data will provide valuable context around the longer-term trends shaping it.
Who is living in Melbourne's suburbs?
Melbourne is not one property market. It's something we see every day across our network, with different suburbs attracting different buyers and offering very different styles of housing.
The Census adds another layer to that local knowledge, capturing information about age, household composition, income and other demographic characteristics to build a clearer picture of who calls each area home.
The 2021 Census showed just how varied these profiles can be. Across Greater Melbourne, around 71% of occupied private households were family households and approximately 25% were lone-person households.
When the 2026 results are released, we'll be able to see how these profiles have evolved over the past five years and where some of the biggest changes have occurred.
How are our households and homes changing?
Population figures only tell part of Melbourne's housing story.
The Census also captures household size and composition alongside information about dwelling types, number of bedrooms and occupancy. Together, these measures provide a clearer picture of how Melbourne's households and housing stock are changing.
It also provides an important snapshot of home ownership and renting. In 2021, approximately 30% of Greater Melbourne households owned their home outright, 37% owned with a mortgage and 30% rented.
These city-wide figures become even more interesting when considered alongside what we're seeing and hearing at a local level. Housing needs and preferences can vary considerably between suburbs and communities, from larger family homes to apartments, townhouses and lower-maintenance options.
Comparing the 2026 results with what we know from 2021 will help show how Melbourne's housing mix and the balance between owning and renting have evolved.
Why population and household growth matter
Melbourne's population continues to grow, but population alone doesn't tell the full housing story.
Where that growth occurs, how many households are being formed and how household sizes change all contribute to the amount and type of housing required across the city.
At a local level, we're already seeing how varied Melbourne's property markets can be. Census data gives us an opportunity to put what we're seeing and hearing across our network into a much broader context.
Together with property market data and local expertise, these longer-term demographic trends can help build a more complete picture of Melbourne's evolving housing market.
What will we be watching?
When the 2026 Census data is released, we'll be particularly interested in where population and household growth has occurred, how average household sizes have changed and whether the balance between renting and home ownership has shifted.
We'll also be looking at Melbourne's changing housing mix, including the prevalence of apartments and townhouses, and which suburbs have experienced the most significant demographic change since 2021.
Beyond property, Census data also plays an important role in informing planning for housing, transport, education, healthcare and community infrastructure across Melbourne.
A new picture of Melbourne
When the 2026 Census results are released, they'll provide the most comprehensive picture in five years of how Melbourne's people, households and homes are changing.
For us, the real value will come from bringing that data together with what our teams are seeing and hearing every day across Melbourne's suburbs, adding greater context to the local trends shaping our property market.
As Melbourne continues to grow and evolve, these insights will give us an even deeper understanding of the communities and local property markets we work within every day.
