Canterbury (Vic.)

Canterbury is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

The population of the suburb of Canterbury (Vic.), based on ABS updates and AreaSearch validation, is estimated to be around 8,223 as of Feb 2026. This figure represents an increase of 423 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,800. The change is inferred from the resident population estimate of 8,200 by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 17 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 2,618 persons per square kilometer, placing Canterbury in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth of 5.4% since the census positions it within 2.0 percentage points of the SA3 area (7.4%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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 VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, with adjustments made employing 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. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with Canterbury expected to grow by 567 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall increase of 6.6% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Canterbury according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Canterbury has recorded approximately 33 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years ending June 2021. This totals an estimated 166 homes. As of Financial Year 2026, around 20 approvals have been recorded. The area's population decline suggests that new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers.

Developers focus on the premium market, with average construction values at $1,753,000. In Financial Year 2026, $12.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Canterbury shows approximately 75% of the construction activity per person compared to Greater Melbourne and is among the 66th percentile nationally for areas assessed. Recent construction comprises 46.0% standalone homes and 54.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 65.0% houses. Canterbury reflects a low density area with around 207 people per approval.

Future projections estimate Canterbury adding 544 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Canterbury 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 identified 16 projects likely to affect the area. Notable ones include Maling Road Mixed-Use Development (Canterbury Hill), Glyndon Residences, Highfield Park Residential Estate, and 359-365 Canterbury Road Retail Development. 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Canterbury significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Canterbury has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.1% as of December 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.9% over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. In December 2025, 4,172 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.8%.

Workforce participation in Canterbury was 60.2%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. According to Census responses, 49.1% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area has a specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

However, construction employs only 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.9%, while labour force grew by 2.2%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points in Canterbury. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 2.4% and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Canterbury's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.2% 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

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows Canterbury had a median taxpayer income of $65,247 and an average income of $126,680. These figures place Canterbury in the top percentile nationally 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 September 2025 would be approximately $70,630 (median) and $137,131 (average). The 2021 Census data ranks Canterbury's household, family, and personal incomes between the 85th and 95th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 37.7% of Canterbury residents earn over $4,000 per week, contrasting with the surrounding region where the leading income bracket is $1,500 - $2,999 at 32.8%. This high proportion of high earners (48.8% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity in the area. After housing costs, residents retain 87.7% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Canterbury's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 64.7% houses and 35.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Canterbury stood at 49.1%, with the rest being mortgaged (31.3%) or rented (19.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,500, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Canterbury was $515, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Canterbury's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,500 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 77.3% of all households, including 38.5% couples with children, 28.5% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 22.7%, with lone person households at 21.1% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

In Canterbury, 57.0% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, exceeding Australia's national average of 30.4% and Victoria's rate of 33.4%. This high educational attainment is beneficial for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.1%). Vocational pathways account for 15.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 8.8% and certificates 6.7%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in secondary education, 9.0% in primary education, and 8.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Canterbury has 30 active public transport stops, offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by eight routes, collectively facilitating 5,078 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically situated 215 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to the area's residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 81%, followed by trains at 9% and walking at 4%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 49.1% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 725 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 169 weekly trips per individual stop.

Canterbury's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Canterbury. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were assessed by AreaSearch, with younger cohorts showing particularly low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 77% of Canterbury's total population (6,297 people) has private health cover, compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.8% and 6.8% of residents respectively. 71.2% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Canterbury has 27.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,269 people), higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

Canterbury 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

Canterbury was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 32.5% of its population born overseas and 27.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Canterbury, comprising 45.5% of people. However, Judaism is overrepresented at 0.6%, compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.3%), Australian (19.4%), and Chinese (14.7%), which is higher than the regional average of 6.5%. Notably, Sri Lankan, Russian, and Vietnamese ethnicities also have higher representation in Canterbury compared to regional averages.

Canterbury hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Canterbury is 46 years, which is notably higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and also exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Canterbury has a notably higher percentage of individuals aged 75-84 (10.0% locally), while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 6.9%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 75-84 age group grew from 7.4% to 10.0%, and the 15-24 cohort increased from 14.9% to 16.9%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group declined from 14.1% to 11.8%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 12.6% to 11.1%. Population forecasts for Canterbury in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to expand by 314 people (38%), from 822 to 1,137. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 96% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are expected to experience population declines.