Surrey Hills

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

As of November 2025, the estimated population of Surrey Hills is around 14,178. This figure reflects an increase of 523 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,655. The latest estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and examination of the ABS's ERP data release from June 2024, indicating a resident population of 14,100 for Surrey Hills. This level of population results in a density ratio of 3,200 persons per square kilometer, placing Surrey Hills in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The primary driver of this population growth was overseas migration.

For future projections, AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia's projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Surrey Hills' population is expected to expand by 644 persons, reflecting an increase of 4.0% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Surrey Hills has experienced approximately 62 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 312 homes. As of FY-26, 25 approvals have been recorded. Population decline during this period has resulted in adequate housing supply relative to demand, maintaining a balanced market with diverse buyer choices. The average construction cost value for new homes is $1,691,000, indicating developers' focus on the premium market and high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $25.9 million in commercial approvals, suggesting steady commercial investment activity. New development consists of 57% detached houses and 43% attached dwellings, offering a range of housing types from spacious family homes to more affordable compact options.

Surrey Hills exhibits characteristics of a low-density area, with approximately 258 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts suggest an increase of 564 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Current development patterns indicate that new housing supply should meet demand readily, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Twenty-eight projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Tunstall Village, 359-365 Canterbury Road Retail Development, 426-430 Canterbury Road Development, and 560-566 Whitehorse Road Development. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Surrey Hills ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Surrey Hills has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.5% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.1%.

As of June 2025, 8,386 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 2.1% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation stands at 66.3%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries include professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

However, construction has limited presence at 5.8%, compared to 9.7% regionally. Local employment opportunities appear limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.1% while labour force grew by 2.9%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.5%, labour force expand by 4.0%, and unemployment rise by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Surrey Hills' employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

Surrey Hills has a median taxpayer income of $63,726 and an average income of $116,998 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This places it in the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $71,475 (median) and $131,225 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census shows household, family and personal incomes in Surrey Hills rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 90th percentiles. Distribution data indicates that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 32.8% of residents (4,650 people), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.8%. The locality demonstrates considerable affluence with 44.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 91st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Surrey Hills, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 67.0% houses and 33.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Melbourne metro had no houses or other dwellings recorded at the time of the Census. Home ownership in Surrey Hills was higher than Melbourne metro's level, standing at 42.7%. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (35.3%) or rented (22.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surrey Hills was $3,000, aligning with the Melbourne metro average. However, the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $462, while Melbourne metro had no data available for comparison. Nationally, Surrey Hills's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 per week.

Surrey Hills has a typical household mix, with a median household size of 2.6 people

Family households account for 74.0% of all households, including 38.9% couples with children, 25.6% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 26.0%, with lone person households at 23.2% and group households making up 2.7%. The median household size is 2.6 people.

Surrey Hills demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Surrey Hills is notably high, with 55.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to the national average of 30.4%. This figure is also higher than Victoria's state average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 16.3% and graduate diplomas at 5.9%. Vocational pathways account for 17.4% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 9.6% and certificates 7.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in secondary education, 8.7% in tertiary education, and 8.6% pursuing primary education. Surrey Hills has four schools with a combined enrollment of 988 students as of the latest data. The area's educational performance is high (ICSEA score: 1155), indicating that local schools are among the most advantaged nationally. All four schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas.

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

The analysis of public transportation in Surrey Hills indicates that there are currently 53 operational transport stops. These include a combination of train stations, light rail stops, and bus terminals. In total, these stops cater to nine distinct routes, facilitating approximately 4,029 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport services is deemed good, with the average resident residing about 244 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are around 575 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly 76 weekly trips per individual stop.

Surrey Hills's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Surrey Hills shows excellent health outcomes, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is notably high at approximately 73% of the total population (10,323 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.1% and 6.9% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 73.2%, report being completely free from medical ailments, contrasting with the 0% figure for Greater Melbourne. As of 2021, 20.4% of Surrey Hills' residents are aged 65 and over (2,892 people). Health outcomes among seniors align closely with those of the general population.

Surrey Hills 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

Surrey Hills has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 27.5% of its residents born overseas and 20.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Surrey Hills, making up 45.5% of its population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in Surrey Hills compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 0.3% versus None%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.4%), Australian (20.5%), and Chinese (10.5%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Hungarian at 0.4%, Welsh at 0.7%, and Sri Lankan at 0.5%, all of which are overrepresented compared to regional figures.

Surrey Hills hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Surrey Hills is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group makes up 16.6% of the population in Surrey Hills, compared to Greater Melbourne's percentage. However, the 25-34 age group is less prevalent at 9.2%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 14.5% to 16.6%, while the 75-84 cohort has grown from 5.3% to 7.0%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has declined from 15.7% to 14.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Surrey Hills. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 44%, reaching 1,434 people from the current 992. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 83% of the total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 55-64 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.