Bentleigh East - North

Bentleigh East - North 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 AreaSearch's analysis, Bentleigh East - North's population is around 18,544 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,961 people (11.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,583 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,553 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 181 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,031 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly-sought resource. Bentleigh East - North's 11.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (8.7%), along with the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 82.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made 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. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase in the top quartile of national statistical areas is forecast, with the area expected to increase by 4,626 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 19.6% in total over the 17 years.

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

Bentleigh East - North has averaged around 129 new dwelling approvals per year, totalling 646 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26148 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 1.8 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply and demand appear well-balanced, creating stable market conditions, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $524,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. There have also been $60.5 million in commercial approvals this financial year, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity.

When measured against Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh East - North records somewhat elevated construction (19.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), preserving reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. New development consists of 27.0% detached houses and 73.0% attached dwellings. This trend toward denser development provides accessible entry options and appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 68.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 161 people per dwelling approval, Bentleigh East - North shows characteristics of a growth area.

Future projections show Bentleigh East - North adding 3,635 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Bentleigh East - North has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 18 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include East Village, Bentleigh East Structure Plan Implementation, East Boundary Road Pedestrian Safety Improvements, and East Village Precinct Infrastructure, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

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The employment landscape in Bentleigh East - North shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Bentleigh East - North has a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation and an unemployment rate of 4.5%. As of December 2025, 9,639 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 0.2% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is on par with Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. Based on Census responses, a high 41.6% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and retail trade. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 5.3% versus the regional average of 7.2%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw the labour force decrease by 0.3% alongside a 1.0% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%, labour force growth of 2.8%, and unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Bentleigh East - North. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Bentleigh East - North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years (please note 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

The Bentleigh East - North SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $63,946 and an average of $82,184 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is among the highest in Australia, 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 FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $69,222 (median) and $88,964 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Bentleigh East - North, between the 70th and 80th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 28.3% of the community (5,247 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 32.8% in the same category. Economic strength emerges through 36.8% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.1% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 79th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Bentleigh East - North, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 67.7% houses and 32.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Bentleigh East - North was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 34.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (40.0%) or rented (25.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Melbourne metro average at $2,500, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $508, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Bentleigh East - North's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 78.2% of all households, comprising 43.9% couples with children, 20.7% couples without children, and 12.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 21.8%, with lone person households at 19.6% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size of 2.8 people is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Bentleigh East - North 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 Bentleigh East - North significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 43.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 33.4% in VIC. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 27.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.6%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational pathways account for 24.5% of qualifications among those aged 15+; advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (13.4%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.6% in primary education, 10.2% in secondary education, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 71 active transport stops operating within Bentleigh East - North, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 13 individual routes, collectively providing 2,543 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 191 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 85%, with 8% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. A high 41.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 363 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 35 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bentleigh East - North's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Bentleigh East - North, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts see low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (11,107 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be asthma and mental health issues, impacting 6.5% and 6.2% of residents, respectively, while 76.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 15.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,852 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, though ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

Bentleigh East - North 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 - North scores highly on cultural diversity, with 38.4% of its population born overseas and 38.6% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Bentleigh East - North is Christianity, which makes up 41.5% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 10.8% of the population, substantially higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Bentleigh East - North are Australian, comprising 17.1% of the population, English, comprising 16.9% of the population, and Other, comprising 14.0% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Russian is notably overrepresented at 2.6% of Bentleigh East - North (vs 0.4% regionally), Polish at 1.9% (vs 0.8%) and Greek at 7.4% (vs 2.7%).

Bentleigh East - North's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The 39-year median age in Bentleigh East - North is somewhat higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and similarly very close to the 38-year national average. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 45 - 54 cohort is notably over-represented (16.3% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (9.0%). Post-2021 Census data shows the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 12.3% to 14.3% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 16.0% to 14.8% and the 35 to 44 group dropped from 15.7% to 14.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Bentleigh East - North. Leading the demographic shift, the 45 to 54 group will grow by 28% (839 people), reaching 3,862 from 3,022. The 0 to 4 group displays more modest growth at 9%, adding only 73 residents.