Bentleigh

Population growth drivers in Bentleigh are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, Bentleigh's population is estimated at 19,358 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,437 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,921. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 19,263 residents following examination of ABS' June 2024 ERP data release and an additional 210 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 4,110 persons per square kilometer, placing Bentleigh in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Bentleigh has shown resilient growth patterns with a 1.5% compound annual growth rate, outpacing its SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 88.0%.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Bentleigh is expected to grow by 4,434 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 22.6% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Bentleigh among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Bentleigh experienced around 112 dwellings receiving development approval per year. Approximately 560 homes were approved over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, with an additional 47 approved so far in FY-26. Each dwelling built over these years resulted in an average of 2.1 new residents annually.

This suggests solid demand supporting property values, with new homes being constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $762,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $10.9 million, reflecting steady commercial investment activity in Bentleigh. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh's development levels per person are similar, supporting market stability aligned with regional patterns. New development consists of 31.0% detached houses and 69.0% attached dwellings, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shift from the current housing mix (currently 60.0% houses) reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

Bentleigh has around 263 people per dwelling approval, indicating a developing market. AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate projects Bentleigh to add 4,366 residents by 2041, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections despite heightened competition as the population grows.

Bentleigh has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 41 projects likely affecting the area. Notable projects include East Village, East Village Strategic Site - Assemble Build-to-Rent Precinct, Laurel, Bentleigh Club Redevelopment at Bentleigh, and Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment performance in Bentleigh has been broadly consistent with national averages

Bentleigh has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.7% in the past year, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.7%. As of September 2025, 11,180 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% below Greater Melbourne's.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's at 71.0%. A high 45.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Bentleigh has a notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 3.0% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Bentleigh's labour force increased by 0.6%, while employment declined by 0.0%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bentleigh's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Bentleigh had a median taxpayer income of $62,714 and an average of $87,559. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for Bentleigh as of September 2025 would be approximately $67,888 (median) and $94,783 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, Bentleigh's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 77th and 81st percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 27.7% of Bentleigh's population, equating to 5,362 individuals, fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which is consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 32.8% in the same category. A substantial proportion of high earners (37.5%) have incomes above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout Bentleigh. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 81st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Bentleigh displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Bentleigh, as per the latest Census evaluation, 59.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 40.2% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments and other types of dwellings. This is in contrast to Melbourne's metropolitan area, where 67.9% of dwellings are houses and 32.1% are other types. Bentleigh had a higher home ownership rate at 34.7%, compared to the remainder of dwellings that were either mortgaged (36.3%) or rented (29.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bentleigh was $2,500, exceeding Melbourne's metro average of $2,000. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Bentleigh stood at $480, compared to Melbourne's metro figure of $390. Nationally, Bentleigh's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Bentleigh has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 72.8 percent of all households, including 37.3 percent that are couples with children, 23.6 percent that are couples without children, and 10.9 percent that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 27.2 percent, with lone person households at 23.9 percent and group households comprising 3.3 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which matches the Greater Melbourne average.

Bentleigh demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Bentleigh's educational attainment is notably higher than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 47.9% possess university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. The area's most common university qualification is the Bachelor degree (30.8%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational pathways account for 23.0% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 11.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 7.3% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Bentleigh has 60 active public transport stops, all of which are bus routes. These stops are served by 14 different routes that together facilitate 3,224 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 195 meters from the nearest one. Most Bentleigh residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 78%, while trains are used by 12% of residents. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 45.1%, work from home, which may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 460 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 53 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bentleigh's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Bentleigh's health outcomes show excellent results according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Approximately 61% of Bentleigh's total population (11,874 people) has private health cover, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 6.9% and 6.7% of residents respectively. 74.6% of Bentleigh residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Bentleigh has 16.7% of residents aged 65 and over (3,232 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with national rankings for the general population.

Bentleigh was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bentleigh has a high level of cultural diversity, with 31.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 37.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Bentleigh, making up 42.5% of the population. Judaism is overrepresented compared to the Greater Melbourne average, comprising 6.4% of Bentleigh's population.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.0%), Australian (18.1%), and Other (12.2%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences in representation: Polish at 1.8% (vs regional 0.8%), Russian at 1.8% (vs regional 0.4%), and Hungarian at 0.5% (vs regional 0.3%).

Bentleigh's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Bentleigh is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh has a notably higher proportion of people aged 55-64 (12.8% locally) and a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (11.5%). According to post-2021 Census data, the population of those aged 15-24 grew from 12.3% to 13.8%, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 4.6% to 5.7%. Conversely, the proportion of those aged 25-34 decreased from 12.6% to 11.5%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 15.4% to 14.3%. Population forecasts for Bentleigh in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes, with the 45-54 age group expected to grow by 31% (844 people), reaching 3,613 from 2,768.