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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Bentleigh East is around 33,517, reflecting a 3,358 person increase (11.1%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 30,159. This change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 31,689 based on latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and an additional 342 validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density is 3,720 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Bentleigh East's growth of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both its SA4 region (8.7%) and the national average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in the suburb. 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 VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting employing weighted aggregation methods 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 East is expected to experience above median population growth nationally, with an increase of 7,288 persons projected by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 16.3% over the 17 years.

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 around 230 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 1,150 homes. As of FY-26 so far, 175 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, an average of 1.6 new residents per year per dwelling constructed was observed. This results in a well-balanced supply and demand ratio, creating stable market conditions.

The average construction value of new properties is $708,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $75.9 million, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh East has slightly more development, 17.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. New building activity shows 26.0% detached dwellings and 74.0% attached dwellings, reflecting a shift towards compact living that offers affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix of 69.0% houses. With around 166 people per dwelling approval, Bentleigh East exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to gain 5,460 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones 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 showing strong representation. The unemployment rate is 4.4%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, there are 17,374 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 0.4% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's at 71.3%. Census responses indicate that 41.1% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level.

Meanwhile, transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 3.6% compared to the regional level of 5.2%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.3%, while employment declined by 1.0% in Bentleigh East, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within Bentleigh East. These projections suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Bentleigh East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

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

Bentleigh East's income level is extremely high nationally according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The suburb's median income among taxpayers was $60,445 with an average of $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 Bentleigh East's household, family and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 71st and 79th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 28.6% of locals (9,585 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income category, reflecting regional patterns where 32.8% occupy this range. Higher earners represent 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 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

In Bentleigh East, as per the latest Census data, 69.2% of dwellings were houses while 30.8% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Melbourne metropolitan area's 67.9% houses and 32.1% 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, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Bentleigh East was $500, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Bentleigh East's mortgage repayments are significantly higher at $2,500 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are 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 compose 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 constitute the remaining 22.8%, with lone person households at 20.6% and group households comprising 2.2%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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. As of 2016 data, 41.8% of residents aged 15 and above held university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4%. University graduates form the largest group with 27.1%, followed by postgraduate holders at 10.9% and graduate diploma holders at 3.8%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.6% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (14.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the 2016 census. This includes 10.8% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Bentleigh East has 145 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 15 different routes that collectively facilitate 2,632 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 173 meters from their nearest transport stop. As a predominantly residential zone, most residents commute outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 86% of residents, while 7% use trains. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 41.1% of residents work from home, which may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 376 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop. A map accompanies this data, displaying the 100 nearest stops to the location's centerpoint.

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. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low, particularly among younger cohorts.

Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population (19,714 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne. The most common medical conditions were asthma and mental health issues, impacting 6.4 and 6.3% of residents respectively. A total of 74.9% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 16.8% of residents aged 65 and over (5,630 people), higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were above average but ranked lower nationally 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 predominant religion in Bentleigh East, comprising 43.9% of the population. Judaism is notably overrepresented, making up 10.1%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 1.0%.

The top three represented ancestry groups are Australian (18.0%), English (17.7%), and Other (13.2%). Some ethnic groups have notable divergences in representation: Russian is at 2.4% (vs regional 0.4%), Polish at 1.8% (vs regional 0.8%), and Greek at 7.0% (vs regional 2.7%).

Bentleigh East's population is slightly older than 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 national average of 38 years. The 45-54 age group is notably over-represented in Bentleigh East at 15.4%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 13.2% of the population, while the 5-14 cohort has declined from 14.7% to 13.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Bentleigh East's age profile. The 45-54 age group is projected to expand by 1,288 people (25%) from 5,161 to 6,450. Meanwhile, the 0-4 cohort is expected to grow modestly by 7% (116 people).