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 Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Surrey Hills is around 13,847. This figure reflects an increase of 192 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,655. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 13,792 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 98 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 3,125 persons per square kilometer, placing Surrey Hills in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth for the suburb 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 the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing a method of 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 anticipate lower quartile growth, with the suburb expected to expand by 484 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 3.1% in total over the 17 years.

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 indicates Surrey Hills has experienced approximately 49 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years to June 2021, totalling an estimated 247 homes. As of July 2021, 15 approvals have been recorded in FY-26. The population has fallen during this period, yet housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, maintaining a balanced market with diverse buyer choices. Developers focus on the premium market, with average construction costs around $1,631,000 per dwelling.

Commercial approvals totalled $11.3 million in FY-26, indicating steady commercial investment activity. New development consists of 55% detached houses and 45% attached dwellings, offering a range of housing types from spacious family homes to compact options.

With around 352 people per dwelling approval, Surrey Hills exhibits a developed market. Population forecasts suggest Surrey Hills will gain approximately 429 residents by 2041, based on AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Current development patterns indicate new housing supply should readily meet demand, 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. Among these, notable 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 projects 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 a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.8% as of December 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.0%.

This is lower than Greater Melbourne's employment growth of 2.4%, but the unemployment rate of 2.0% was also below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation in Surrey Hills was similar to Greater Melbourne's rate of 71.3%. Census responses showed that 51.0% of residents worked from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The key industries of employment among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Surrey Hills had a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level. However, construction had limited presence with only 5.8% employment compared to the regional average of 9.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 2.0%, while labour force increased by 2.2%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 2.4%, labour force expand by 2.8%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Surrey Hills' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

The suburb of Surrey Hills had a median taxpayer income of $63,722 and an average income of $116,893 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. These figures place Surrey Hills among the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Surrey Hills would be approximately $68,979 (median) and $126,537 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Surrey Hills all rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 90th percentiles. Distribution data shows that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 32.8% of residents (4,541 people), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.8%. Surrey Hills 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

Surrey Hills' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 67.0% houses and 33.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surrey Hills was at 42.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.3% and rented ones at 22.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,000. Median weekly rent in Surrey Hills was $462, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Surrey Hills' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Surrey Hills has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households comprise 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 account for the remaining 26.0%, with lone person households at 23.2% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which matches the Greater Melbourne average.

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

In Surrey Hills, the proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications is notably higher at 55.9%, surpassing both national (30.4%) and Victorian state averages (33.4%). This significant educational advantage indicates a strong foundation for knowledge-based opportunities in the area. Among these residents, bachelor degrees are the most prevalent 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 notably high in Surrey Hills, 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.

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

Public transport analysis shows 53 active transport stops in Surrey Hills. These include lightrail and bus services. There are 13 routes operating collectively providing 6053 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good with residents typically located 244 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward, with car being the dominant mode at 78%. Train use is 11% and walking 4%.

Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 51% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 864 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 114 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 according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 73% of the total population (10,076 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.1% and 6.9% of residents respectively. 73.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Surrey Hills has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.4% (2,963 people), compared to 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly in line with the general population nationally.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Surrey Hills was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Surrey Hills has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 27.5% of its population born overseas and 20.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Surrey Hills, accounting for 45.5% of the population. While Judaism makes up only 0.3%, it is higher compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.4%), Australian (20.5%), and Chinese (10.5%). Notably, Hungarian (0.4%) and Welsh (0.7%) are overrepresented in Surrey Hills compared to regional averages of 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. Similarly, Sri Lankan representation is lower at 0.5% compared to the region's 0.8%.

Surrey Hills's median age exceeds the national pattern

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 constitutes 16.3% of the population in Surrey Hills, compared to Greater Melbourne. However, the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 8.9%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75-84 age group has grown from 5.3% to 7.4%, while the 15-24 cohort increased from 14.5% to 16.3%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 15.7% to 14.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Surrey Hills. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 38%, reaching 1,416 people from the previous figure of 1,024. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 69% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0-4 and 55-64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.