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The best cities to start a business in VIC in FY26, ranked by growth in new business registrations, are Macedon Ranges, Melton, Hobsons Bay, Ballarat, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Greater Bendigo, Nillumbik, Wellington and Hume. The outer west and north growth corridors, plus a run of regional cities, are doing most of the work.
Picking where to base a business often comes down to where you already live, and that can mean leaving growth on the table. Where a local economy is adding people, homes and jobs fastest is where new customers turn up first, and the Lawpath New Business Index shows exactly where that is happening this year.
- Macedon Ranges led VIC, with new registrations up 37.4%. They rose from 2,986 in FY25 to 4,104 in FY26 on the Lawpath New Business Index.
- Growth has concentrated in the outer west and north. Melton, Whittlesea, Wyndham and Hume all made the top ten, alongside the regional cities of Ballarat and Greater Bendigo.
- VIC registrations more than tripled in five years. They climbed from about 111,300 in FY21 to 363,584 in FY26, a rise of 227%, and grew 28.2% in the last year alone.
- Volume and growth tell different stories. Melton posted both huge volume (22,933) and the second-highest growth rate, while Melbourne, Brimbank and Casey recorded even more registrations but grew slower.
- Most of these businesses run without staff. Across the top ten, 60% to 77% are non-employing sole operators, and transport and warehousing is the top industry in four of the ten, ahead of construction in five.
How we ranked the top 10 cities to start a business in VIC
Two datasets sit behind this list. The first is the Lawpath New Business Index, which tracks new business registrations by postcode across Australia and rolls them up to local government areas. The second is the Australian Bureau of Statistics Counts of Australian Businesses, released in December 2025, which counts every operating business by industry, staff numbers and turnover.
We took every VIC local government area with at least 2,500 new registrations in FY26, then ranked them by year-on-year growth. The floor keeps the list to genuine cities and larger centres, rather than small shires that can post big percentages off a low base.
We then cross-checked each area against the ABS count of active businesses. One caveat worth naming: registrations are recorded against a business owner’s address postcode, while the ABS counts businesses by their main operating location. In fast-growing outer areas that can push annual registrations close to or above the ABS active count, so read the two figures as complementary rather than identical.
The 10 fastest-growing places to start a business in VIC (FY26)
| # | City / LGA | Region | New businesses FY26 | YoY growth | 5-yr growth | Active (ABS 2025) | Top industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macedon Ranges | Melbourne-Bendigo Corridor | 4,104 | +37.4% | +203% | 5,538 | Construction |
| 2 | Melton | Outer West | 22,933 | +35.8% | +348% | 18,989* | Transport & warehousing |
| 3 | Hobsons Bay | Inner West | 3,216 | +34.8% | +225% | 8,709 | Construction |
| 4 | Ballarat | Central Highlands | 4,241 | +34.7% | +207% | 10,151 | Construction |
| 5 | Whittlesea | Melbourne’s North | 19,508 | +34.4% | +252% | 23,735 | Transport & warehousing |
| 6 | Wyndham | South West Melbourne | 13,512 | +34.3% | +271% | 37,664 | Transport & warehousing |
| 7 | Greater Bendigo | Central Victoria | 2,520 | +33.3% | +225% | 9,171 | Construction |
| 8 | Nillumbik | Melbourne’s North East | 5,423 | +32.9% | +198% | 6,299 | Construction |
| 9 | Wellington | Gippsland | 2,809 | +32.8% | +169% | 4,308 | Agriculture |
| 10 | Hume | Melbourne’s North | 7,791 | +32.8% | +220% | 28,471 | Transport & warehousing |
Wherever you land on this list, getting started is quick. You can register an ABN in about a day, or register a company and have your ACN in minutes.
The 10 fastest-growing places to start a business in VIC, in detail
1. Macedon Ranges: tree-change country booms
Macedon Ranges topped VIC with registrations up 37.4% to 4,104. It sits in the Melbourne-Bendigo rail corridor, and towns like Gisborne and Riddells Creek have become viable commuter bases while keeping a semi-rural, wine-country feel. The shire’s ABN cohort grew 2.3% in the past year, among the fastest in regional Victoria, with construction the largest contributor to local output.
Council’s Economic Development Strategy 2021-2031 backs the shire’s tourism, food and wine base, and the Gisborne Futures project is guiding new residential growth around the town centre, including the Willow masterplanned community. A $46 million regional sports precinct, part-funded by the Victorian Government, is also underway. For hospitality, trades and professional services, the affordability gap with Melbourne is the pitch.
2. Melton: Australia’s fastest-growing council, again
Melton grew 35.8% to 22,933 new registrations, the highest volume in the top ten. It has been ranked Australia’s fastest-growing municipality for consecutive years, with its population projected to almost double from around 232,700 in 2024 to more than 470,000 by 2046. Houses here typically sit $150,000 to $300,000 under Melbourne’s median, which keeps pulling young families west.
Council is campaigning for the Melton rail line to be electrified and duplicated by 2030, and is targeting 100,000 new jobs by 2050 through the Outer Metropolitan Ring road and a planned Western Intermodal Freight Terminal. Registrations here exceed the ABS active-business count, the same postcode-versus-operating-location quirk noted in the methodology. Transport, logistics and trades are the standout entry points.
3. Hobsons Bay: the inner west goes green
Hobsons Bay grew 34.8% to 3,216 new registrations. Unlike the outer growth corridors, this is an established inner-west municipality built around Altona, Williamstown and the Western Industrial Precinct, one of Melbourne’s state-significant industrial zones with direct freight access.
Council’s Economic Development Strategy 2023-28 is built around three pillars: growing local precincts, promoting the area’s coastal and cultural assets, and transforming the local economy toward circular-economy and zero-carbon industries. For businesses in renewables, recycling, logistics and hospitality, an established industrial base close to the city is the drawcard.
4. Ballarat: the university city cashes in
Ballarat grew 34.7% to 4,241 new registrations. Victoria’s third-largest city, 110 kilometres from Melbourne, is riding steady population growth and a diversified economy built on Federation University, tourism and manufacturing, helped by house prices well below Melbourne’s.
The Now and Into the Future: Enabling Growth 2026 campaign, backed by eight local organisations, is pushing for infrastructure to match a North Growth Area expected to house more than 15,400 future residents and a Bonshaw release of 3,500 new homes. Sovereign Hill’s new Gold Vault attraction is set to lift annual visitation by 74,000. Tourism, education, health and trades all have room to grow here.
5. Whittlesea: growth areas stack up in the north
Whittlesea grew 34.4% to 19,508 new registrations. The municipality’s growth is concentrated in Mernda, Doreen and Wollert, newer suburbs served by the extended Mernda rail line, with more than 70% of the shire still rural land held in reserve for future release.
Council and the state government are progressing Wollert and Mernda Major Town Centres, plus proposed food innovation and research precincts tied to La Trobe University and the Melbourne Wholesale Market. Health care, retail, construction and food and beverage manufacturing are the leading local sectors.
6. Wyndham: the west’s jobs machine
Wyndham grew 34.3% to 13,512 new registrations. Centred on Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit and Truganina, it is projected to grow from around 337,000 people to 500,000 by 2040, with real estate services, construction and logistics the leading sectors.
The East Werribee Employment Precinct targets 60,000 new jobs, and a revitalised Werribee City Centre Plan has expanded to include the racecourse and Eagle Stadium. The Tarneit Major Town Centre is being built out for 8,000 jobs of its own. Council’s 2026 election advocacy is pushing for three new train stations and a full Werribee Station rebuild. Logistics, trades and retail are the practical entry points.
7. Greater Bendigo: regional Victoria’s steady climb
Greater Bendigo grew 33.3% to 2,520 new registrations, clearing the volume floor for the first time in this ranking. Victoria’s second-largest regional city is planning for around 87,000 new residents by 2056, with growth areas at Marong, Huntly, Maiden Gully and Strathfieldsaye taking 30% of new housing.
The Managed Growth Strategy and A Stronger Greater Bendigo 2030 economic strategy both prioritise directing growth to well-serviced areas near jobs and transport. As a long-established regional centre with room still to grow, construction, health and professional services are the standout opportunities.
8. Nillumbik: the green wedge goes to work
Nillumbik grew 32.9% to 5,423 new registrations. One of Melbourne’s 12 official green wedges, with 91% of the shire non-urban, its economy runs on home-based businesses, creative industries, tourism and agriculture around Eltham and Diamond Creek, both linked to the city by the Hurstbridge rail line.
Council’s Economic Development Strategy 2020-2030 is focused on strengthening the Eltham and Diamond Creek activity centres, with structure plan updates underway for both. The completion of the nearby North East Link is expected to improve freight and commuter access. Creative services, tourism, agriculture and home-based consulting businesses suit the area’s character.
9. Wellington: riding Gippsland’s offshore wind boom
Wellington grew 32.8% to 2,809 new registrations. Centred on Sale, it sits inside Victoria’s declared Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone, where more than $40 billion in offshore wind investment is planned, backed by nine active feasibility licences off the coast.
Council recently secured $4.73 million in federal funding for a Renewable Energy Land and Infrastructure Plan, developed jointly with South Gippsland Shire and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, to ready the region for up to 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040. Agriculture remains the top local industry today, but energy supply chains, construction and trades are the ones to watch.
10. Hume: the airport city keeps sprinting
Hume grew 32.8% to 7,791 new registrations. Home to Melbourne Airport and the fast-growing suburbs of Craigieburn and Sunbury, it is one of Australia’s fastest-growing and most culturally diverse municipalities, 15 kilometres from the CBD.
The Cooper Street Employment Area and Merrifield Major Town Centre are drawing logistics, wholesale and business-park tenants close to the airport and the Hume Freeway. With transport and warehousing the leading local industry, freight, trades and airport-linked services are the clearest openings.
Notable mentions: big volume, steadier growth
Growth rate rewards the fast movers, but volume matters too. These three areas record the most new businesses in VIC by a wide margin. They grew more slowly than the top ten, yet each remains one of the largest markets in the state to launch into.
Melbourne
The City of Melbourne recorded the most new registrations in the state, 27,042, growing a more modest 30%. The CBD’s retail vacancy rate has fallen for four straight years, December 2025 was the biggest spending month the city has ever recorded, and the night-time economy is growing more than six times faster than the national average. Scale and a recovering core, not growth rate, are the draw.
Brimbank
Brimbank logged 16,841 new registrations, up 29%. Centred on Sunshine and St Albans, it is being reshaped by the Sunshine Superhub and Melbourne Airport Rail, part of a plan to double the precinct’s resident and jobs population by 2050 and position Sunshine as the capital of Melbourne’s west.
Casey
Casey had 16,000 new registrations, up 25%. Victoria’s most populous municipality, centred on Cranbourne and Clyde, just had its Croskell Employment Precinct approved, opening 317 hectares for development and targeting 6,800 local jobs. A deep, still-growing market rather than a frontier.
Why VIC is a strong state for new businesses
VIC added more new businesses than every state except NSW in FY26. Registrations rose 28.2%, and over five years they more than tripled, from around 111,300 to 363,584. It remains one of the largest business bases in the country.
Population is the underlying force. Victoria remains Australia’s fastest-growing state, with the government’s official Victoria in Future projections tipping its population to reach 10.3 million by 2051, most of it added through migration and settling in the outer suburbs.
The standout regional driver is Melbourne’s growth corridors. The state’s Growth Corridor Plans direct new housing, jobs and transport infrastructure into the city’s outer north, west and south east, precisely where Melton, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Hume and Casey all sit.
What the index shows about where new businesses are going
Because the index tracks registrations as they happen, it surfaces a pattern worth knowing before you pick a spot. Growth is spreading to the fringe and to regional cities, not concentrating in the centre. The City of Melbourne still records the most registrations in absolute terms, but it grew 30% while several outer and regional areas grew above 34%.
The fast movers share a profile: available land, new housing releases and transport spending. That is why transport and warehousing tops the business count in four of the ten areas and construction in five, and why a wine-country shire and an offshore wind region both cracked the top ten alongside the usual growth corridors.
How to actually start your business once you have picked a place
Choosing the location is the strategic bit. Setting up is the admin bit, and it is quicker than most people expect.
Start with your structure. Most people begin as a sole trader for its simplicity, then move to a company once income or risk grows. Our guide on sole trader versus company walks through the trade-offs. The short version: a company caps your personal liability but adds reporting.
From there the steps are straightforward. Get an ABN, then register a business name if you are trading under anything other than your own name. If you are setting up a company, you can register a company online and receive your ACN in minutes, with the ASIC registration fee sitting at $636 for FY26. You will also need to register for GST once your turnover reaches $75,000. It does not usually matter which state you register a company in, because a company operates nationally, a point we cover in choosing where to register.
If you would rather have a person check your setup, you can hire a lawyer for a quick consult before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best city to start a business in VIC in FY26?
On growth in new registrations, Macedon Ranges led VIC at 37.4% year on year, followed by Melton and Hobsons Bay. The best fit for you depends on your industry, but the outer west, north and a run of regional cities dominate the top ten.
Why is Macedon Ranges growing so fast?
Affordability and rail access to Melbourne are pulling tree-changers into towns like Gisborne, while the shire’s wine, tourism and construction sectors keep expanding. It also posted one of regional Victoria’s fastest ABN growth rates.
Which VIC area has the most new businesses?
By sheer volume, the City of Melbourne leads with 27,042 new registrations in FY26, followed by Brimbank and Casey. Within the top ten by growth, Melton had the most at 22,933.
How much does it cost to register a company in Victoria?
The ASIC fee to register a proprietary company is $636 for the 2026-27 year. Service providers add their own fee on top. Registering a business name is cheaper, at $47 for one year or $108 for three years through ASIC.
Do I need to register my company in the state where I operate?
No. A company registered with ASIC operates Australia-wide, so the state you register in does not restrict where you trade. What matters more is where your customers, premises and staff are located.
What industries are growing fastest in these areas?
Transport and warehousing leads the business count in four of the ten areas, reflecting logistics growth near Melbourne Airport and the growth corridors, while construction leads in five, including Macedon Ranges and Ballarat.
Is it better to start a business in regional Victoria or Melbourne?
Both work, for different reasons. Regional cities like Ballarat and Greater Bendigo offer cheaper premises and steady local demand. Melbourne and its growth corridors offer far larger customer bases. Six of the top ten sit outside metropolitan Melbourne.
Are most new businesses in VIC small?
Yes. Across the top ten areas, 60% to 77% of businesses have no employees, and only a small share turn over more than $2 million a year. Starting small is the norm, not the exception.
Where to from here
You do not need to pick the perfect city to succeed, and no ranking replaces knowing your own customers. What the FY26 data gives you is a head start: a clear view of where people, homes and money are moving in VIC, so you can plant your business in front of the demand instead of chasing it.
When you are ready to make it official, register your company with Lawpath and get your ACN in minutes.
