Bentleigh East

Bentleigh East lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of November 2025, the estimated population of Bentleigh East is around 31,734. This reflects an increase of 1,575 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 30,159. The change is inferred from the resident population of 31,667 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 317 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,522 persons per square kilometer, placing Bentleigh East in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2011 to 2021, Bentleigh East has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 79.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as 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, making adjustments employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Moving forward with demographic trends, an above median population growth is projected for Bentleigh East, with the suburb expected to grow by 7,329 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 23.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Bentleigh East averaged around 228 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 1,142 homes. So far in FY-26, 60 approvals have been recorded. This averages to approximately 1.6 new residents per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. New properties are constructed at an average value of $707,000, targeting the premium segment with upmarket properties.

In this financial year, $76.4 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh East has slightly more development, 16.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. The new building activity shows a skew towards compact living, with 26.0% detached dwellings and 74.0% townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix of 69.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands.

Bentleigh East has around 174 people per dwelling approval, indicating characteristics of a low-density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Bentleigh East is forecasted to gain 7,402 residents by 2041. Development is keeping reasonable pace with projected growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Bentleigh East has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 31 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades, East Village, 1 Victor Road Retirement Village, and Mackie Road Reserve Upgrade, with the following list detailing those most relevant.

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

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Bentleigh East has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Bentleigh East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 4.3% as of June 2025, which is 1.3 percentage points lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 5.6%.

Workforce participation was 67.2%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Bentleigh East has a particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level. However, transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented, at 3.6% compared to Greater Melbourne's 5.2%.

The area shows limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Bentleigh East's labour force increased by 1.4%, while employment declined by 0.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that Bentleigh East's employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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 ended 30 June 2022 shows Bentleigh East has high incomes nationally. The median income is $60,447 and the average income stands at $81,099. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% from financial year ended 30 June 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $67,797 (median) and $90,961 (average). Census data shows Bentleigh East's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 71st and 79th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 28.6% of locals (9,075 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 category, similar to broader trends in the area showing 32.8% in the same category. A substantial proportion of high earners (35.9%) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Bentleigh East. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 78th percentile nationally. 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). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 47.8% houses and 52.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bentleigh East was at 35.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.1% and rented ones at 24.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,396. The median weekly rent figure was $500, compared to Melbourne metro's $435. Nationally, Bentleigh East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national average 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, consisting of 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%, with lone person households at 20.6% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. 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 higher than national averages. 41.8% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 14.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.8% in primary, 9.0% in secondary, and 5.6% in tertiary education. Bentleigh East has a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 3,649 students, with an ICSEA score of 1101 indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. The educational mix includes 4 primary, 3 secondary, and 1 K-12 school.

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

Bentleigh East has 145 active public transport stops. These are served by 15 bus routes, offering a total of 4,548 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop is 173 meters for residents.

On average, there are 649 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 31 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 (18,665 people), compared to 65.2% across Greater Melbourne. The most common medical conditions in the area 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 August 2021, the area has 16.2% of residents aged 65 and over (5,140 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average but require more attention than the broader population.

Bentleigh East is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch 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 predominant religion in Bentleigh East, comprising 43.9% of the population. While Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne's average, it makes up only 10.1% of Bentleigh East's population.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (18.0%), English (17.7%), and Other (13.2%). Notably, Russian (2.4%) and Polish (1.8%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages, while Greek is slightly higher at 7.0%.

Bentleigh East's median age exceeds the national pattern

Bentleigh East has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's median age of 38. The 45-54 age group is notably over-represented in Bentleigh East at 15.5%, while the 25-34 cohort is 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 group has decreased from 14.7% to 14.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Bentleigh East's age profile. The 45-54 cohort is projected to expand by 1,554 people (32%), growing from 4,918 to 6,473. Meanwhile, the 0-4 cohort is expected to grow modestly by 8% (133 people).