Bentleigh East

Population growth drivers in Bentleigh East 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, as of November 2025, Bentleigh East's estimated population is around 33,508. This reflects an increase of 3,349 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 30,159. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 31,689 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,719 persons per square kilometer, placing Bentleigh East in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Bentleigh East's growth rate of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both its SA4 region (8.5%) and national averages. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 are used with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods 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 East is expected to grow by 7,331 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 16.8% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Bentleigh East among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Bentleigh East averaged approximately 229 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 1,149 homes. As of FY-26169 approvals have been recorded. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an average of 1.6 new residents was associated with each dwelling constructed. This suggests a balanced supply and demand dynamic, maintaining stable market conditions.

The average construction cost value for new properties is $708,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $75.9 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh East has slightly more development, with 17.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This supports good buyer choice and existing property values. New building activity comprises 26.0% detached dwellings and 74.0% attached dwellings, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

This shift reflects reduced development site availability and evolving lifestyle demands. Bentleigh East has around 166 people per dwelling approval, indicating growth area characteristics. Population forecasts estimate an increase of 5,630 residents by 2041, suggesting current development patterns should readily meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 32 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include East Village, Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades, 1 Victor Road Retirement Village, and Mackie Road Reserve Upgrade. 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.

The employment landscape in Bentleigh East shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Bentleigh East has a highly educated workforce with professional services being well represented. The unemployment rate is 4.4%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 17,450 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.2% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation stands at 67.2%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key employment sectors for residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional average.

However, transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 3.6%, compared to the regional level of 5.2%. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.7% while employment decreased by 0.7%, leading to a 1.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bentleigh East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Bentleigh East suburb has a high national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Median income among taxpayers is $60,445 and average income stands at $81,097, compared to Greater Melbourne's figures of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $65,432 (median) and $87,788 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Bentleigh East, between the 71st and 79th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 28.6% of locals (9,583 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income category, reflecting regional patterns where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. Higher earners make up a substantial presence with 35.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 78th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Bentleigh East's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 69.2% houses and 30.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 47.8% houses and 52.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bentleigh East stood at 35.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.1% and rented ones at 24.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, above Melbourne metro's average of $2,396. Median weekly rent in Bentleigh East was $500, higher than Melbourne metro's $435. Nationally, Bentleigh East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Bentleigh East features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 77.2% of all households, including 42.2% couples with children, 22.2% couples without children, and 11.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.8%, consisting of lone person households at 20.6% and group households comprising 2.2%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

Educational achievement in Bentleigh East places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Bentleigh East is notably high, with 41.8% of residents aged 15 years and above holding university qualifications, surpassing the national average of 30.4%. This educational advantage is evident in the variety of credentials held: Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 25.6% of residents aged 15 years and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (14.3%). Educational participation is high in Bentleigh East, with 30.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary education (10.8%), secondary education (9.0%), and tertiary education (5.6%).

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

The analysis of public transport in Bentleigh East indicates that there are currently 145 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 15 individual routes providing service to the residents. Collectively, these routes facilitate 2,632 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of public transport is rated as excellent, with most residents residing approximately 173 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 376 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bentleigh East's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Bentleigh East. Younger cohorts in particular have a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population (19,709 people), compared to 65.8% across Greater Melbourne. The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 6.4 and 6.3% of residents respectively. A total of 74.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.0% across Greater Melbourne. As of 2018, the area has 16.1% of residents aged 65 and over (5,394 people). Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Bentleigh East 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 East has a high level of cultural diversity, with 36.3% of its population born overseas and 35.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Bentleigh East, comprising 43.9% of the population. However, Judaism is overrepresented at 10.1%, lower than the Greater Melbourne average of 17.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (18.0%), English (17.7%), and Other (13.2%). Notably, Russian (2.4%) and Greek (7.0%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages, while Polish is underrepresented at 1.8% versus the regional average of 3.1%.

Bentleigh East's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Bentleigh East's median age is 40, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 45-54 age group is notably over-represented in Bentleigh East at 15.5%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 9.7%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 12.9% of the population. Conversely, the 5-14 age cohort has decreased from 14.7% to 14.0%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest significant changes in Bentleigh East's age profile. The 45-54 age group is projected to expand by 1,279 people (25%), growing from 5,193 to 6,473. Meanwhile, the 0-4 cohort is expected to grow modestly by 3%, adding 44 people.