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 analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, as of Feb 2026, Bentleigh's population is estimated at around 19,358. 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 estimating the resident population at 19,263 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 210 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to 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 compound annual growth rate of 1.5%, outpacing its SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 88.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, Bentleigh is expected to experience above median population growth, with an estimated increase of 4,483 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of 22.7% in total over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Bentleigh has experienced around 112 dwellings receiving development approval per year. Approximately 560 homes have been approved over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, with a further 48 approved so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling built over these five years has resulted in around 2.1 new residents per year, indicating solid demand that supports property values.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $762,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year has seen $10.9 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh's development levels per person are similar, supporting market stability aligned with regional patterns. The 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 represents a significant shift from the current housing mix (currently 60.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

Bentleigh has around 259 people per dwelling approval, indicating a developing market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Bentleigh is projected to add 4,388 residents by 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may face increased 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 to affect the region. Notable initiatives include East Village, East Village Strategic Site - Assemble Build-to-Rent Precinct, Laurel, Bentleigh Club Redevelopment at Bentleigh, and ongoing upgrades at Westfield Southland. 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 exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Bentleigh has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate is 3.6%. Employment has remained stable over the past year according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of December 2025, 11,141 residents are employed at an unemployment rate of 1.2% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation is on par with Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. Census responses show that 45.1% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

Bentleigh has a notably high 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% versus the regional average of 5.2%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to December 2025, Bentleigh's labour force decreased by 0.4% while employment declined by 0.3%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.2% 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, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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's median income among taxpayers is $62,714, with 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, current estimates for Bentleigh would be approximately $67,888 (median) and $94,783 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Bentleigh rank highly nationally, between the 77th and 81st percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 27.7% of Bentleigh's population (5,362 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 32.8% in the same category. A substantial proportion of high earners (37.5% above $3,000 per week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Bentleigh. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 81st percentile nationally, and 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

Bentleigh's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 59.9% houses and 40.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bentleigh stood at 34.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.3% and rented dwellings at 29.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Bentleigh was $480, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Bentleigh's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,500 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents stood at $480 against the national figure of $375.

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

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

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 exceeds 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. University graduates comprise the largest group at 30.8%, followed by postgraduate degree holders (12.8%) and graduate diploma holders (4.3%). Vocational qualifications account for 23.0% of those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 11.7%.

Educational participation is high in Bentleigh, 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 stops. These are served by 14 different routes that together facilitate 3,224 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average being located 195 meters from the nearest stop. Most Bentleigh residents commute outward daily. Cars remain the primary mode of transport, used by 78% of residents, while 12% use trains. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, a high percentage of residents, specifically 45.1%, work from home, which could be partly attributed to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 460 trips per day, equating to approximately 53 weekly trips per 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 based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% of the total population (11,874 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 6.9 and 6.7% of residents respectively.

A total of 74.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Bentleigh has 16.8% of residents aged 65 and over (3,252 people), higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with 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's cultural diversity is notable, 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, accounting for 42.5% of the population. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented, comprising 6.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (20.0%), Australian (18.1%), and Other (12.2%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Polish at 1.8% in Bentleigh versus 0.8% regionally, Russian at 1.8% versus 0.4%, and Hungarian at 0.5% versus 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 and close to the national average of 38. The 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented in Bentleigh at 12.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15-24 age group grew from 12.3% to 13.8%, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 4.6% to 5.7%. The 25-34 cohort declined from 12.6% to 11.4%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 15.4% to 14.3%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Bentleigh, with the 45-54 age group expected to grow by 31% (847 people), reaching 3,616 from 2,768.