Melbourne’s western suburbs have officially emerged as the fastest-growing region in Australia, with the population expected to reach almost 1.5 million people within the next two decades.
New research from PropTrack and developer Stockland shows the west added more than 245,000 residents over the past decade, driven largely by housing affordability, expanding infrastructure and growing employment opportunities across the region.
According to the report, Melbourne’s west is forecast to hit a population of 1,469,301 by 2046. If growth continues at the current pace, the region will soon surpass the populations of major European cities including Prague, Milan and Birmingham.
The area covers more than 60 suburbs stretching across Melbourne’s outer and inner west, including Footscray, Sunshine, Altona, Williamstown, Werribee and Melton. While house prices across much of Melbourne continue to climb, the west remains comparatively affordable, with a median house price of $729,000 compared to Greater Melbourne’s overall median of just over $1 million.
The report, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics and PropTrack data, found the region continues to attract strong buyer interest due to its lower entry prices compared to Melbourne’s inner and eastern suburbs.
Major infrastructure projects are also helping fuel demand. Developments including the West Gate Tunnel and the Suburban Rail Loop are expected to improve connectivity and reduce travel times, while industrial and logistics hubs across the west continue to create jobs close to home.
ABS data released in March found the western suburbs were home to an estimated 980,300 residents in 2024-25, marking a 33 per cent increase from a decade earlier. That figure pushed Melbourne’s west ahead of the city’s south east, which currently has a population of 958,772.
Housing growth is expected to continue alongside the population boom. Separate projections from demographic data company Informed Decisions estimate the west will contain more than 560,000 homes by 2046, up from the current 372,989 dwellings.
