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 was around 17,636 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,053 people (6.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,583 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,580 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 165 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,833 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Bentleigh East - North has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.6%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that 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 25.8% 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 approximately 129 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 646 homes. As of FY-26, 49 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.8 people moved to the area for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. The average construction value of new properties is $524,000, reflecting a focus on premium segment development.

This financial year has seen $60.5 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating high local commercial activity compared to Greater Melbourne, where Bentleigh East - North records 19.0% above the regional average for construction per person over the past five years. New development consists of 27.0% detached houses and 73.0% attached dwellings, a shift from the current housing mix of 68.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 161 people per dwelling approval, Bentleigh East - North exhibits characteristics of a growth area, with projections estimating an addition of 4,543 residents by 2041. Development is keeping pace with projected growth, though increasing competition among buyers is expected as the population expands.

Future projections show Bentleigh East - North adding 4,543 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Development is keeping reasonable pace with projected growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Bentleigh East - North has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 18 projects likely to impact this region. Notable initiatives include East Village, Bentleigh East Structure Plan Implementation, East Boundary Road Pedestrian Safety Improvements, and East Village Precinct Infrastructure, with the following list highlighting those most relevant.

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 being strongly represented. Its unemployment rate is 4.5%.

As of September 2025, the area had 9,685 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.6%, which was 0.1% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation stood at 68.0%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The key industries for employment among residents were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Notably, the area had a high specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, manufacturing showed lower representation at 5.3% compared to the regional average of 7.2%. The predominantly residential area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Bentleigh East - North's labour force increased by 0.6%, while employment declined by 0.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% over the same period. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 showed Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Nationally, employment growth was 0.14%, and the national unemployment rate stood at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Bentleigh East - North's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, assuming no significant changes in population projections.

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

The median taxpayer income in Bentleigh East - North SA2 was $60,365 and the average was $80,989 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. These figures are among the highest in Australia, 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 $67,705 (median) and $90,837 (average) as of September 2025. According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Bentleigh East - North, between the 70th and 80th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows that 28.3% of the community (4,990 individuals) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 32.8% in the same category. Economic strength is evident 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

In Bentleigh East - North, as per the latest Census evaluation, 67.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 32.4% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 47.8% houses and 52.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bentleigh East - North stood at 34.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.0% and rented ones at 25.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,396. The median weekly rent figure in Bentleigh East - North was $508, compared to Melbourne metro's $435. Nationally, Bentleigh East - North's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were 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 constitute 78.2% of all households, including 43.9% couples with children, 20.7% couples without children, and 12.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 21.8%, with lone person households at 19.6% and group households at 2.2%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

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

Bentleigh East - North has a notably higher level of educational attainment than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 43.3% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. The area's most common university qualification is the Bachelor degree, held by 27.8% of residents. Postgraduate qualifications are held by 11.6%, and graduate diplomas by 3.9%.

Vocational pathways account for 24.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 13.4%. Educational participation is high in the area, 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

Bentleigh East - North has 71 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 13 routes that together facilitate 4,519 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 191 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency stands at 645 trips daily across all routes, translating to about 63 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bentleigh East - North'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 in Bentleigh East - North, with younger cohorts having a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 60% of the total population (10,546 people) has private health cover, compared to 65.2% across Greater Melbourne.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.5% and 6.2% of residents respectively. 76.1% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.0% in Greater Melbourne. As of 31 December 2020, the area has 14.8% of residents aged 65 and over (2,606 people), lower than the 16.8% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those in 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 has high cultural diversity, with 38.4% born overseas and 38.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 41.5%. Judaism is overrepresented at 10.8%, lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 17.5%.

Top ancestry groups are Australian (17.1%), English (16.9%), and Other (14.0%). Russian (2.6%) is notably higher than the regional average of 2.2%. Polish stands at 1.9%, lower than the region's 3.1%. Greek is overrepresented at 7.4% compared to the regional average of 4.6%.

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

The median age in Bentleigh East - North is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. The 45-54 age cohort is notably over-represented at 16.4% locally compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.3%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has grown from 12.3% to 14.0%, and the 5-14 cohort has declined from 16.0% to 15.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Bentleigh East - North, with the 45-54 age group expected to grow by 34% (973 people), reaching a total of 3,862 from the current figure of 2,888.