Bentleigh East - South

Population growth drivers in Bentleigh East - South are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Bentleigh East - South's population was approximately 15,628 as of February 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 1,571 people from the 2021 Census population of 14,057, indicating a growth rate of 11.2%. The change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 14,770 in June 2024 and an additional 177 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,404 persons per square kilometer, placing Bentleigh East - South in the upper quartile compared to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate exceeded both the SA4 region (8.7%) and the national average, making it a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For projections, AreaSearch adopts 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, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest ERP population numbers, Bentleigh East - South is projected to grow by 2,832 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of 12.6% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Bentleigh East - South among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Bentleigh East - South averaged approximately 113 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 565 homes. As of FY26, 28 approvals have been recorded. This results in an average of 1.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25. The average construction value of new properties is $465,000.

In FY26, $18.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh East - South has 24.0% more development per person over the past five years. New building activity comprises 24.0% detached dwellings and 76.0% townhouses or apartments. The current housing mix is 70.0% houses. By 2041, Bentleigh East - South is projected to gain 1,974 residents at the current development rates, comfortably meeting demand for new housing supply.

Population forecasts indicate Bentleigh East - South will gain 1,974 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

The performance of an area can significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 25 such projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades, Mackie Road Reserve Upgrade, 1 Victor Road Retirement Village, and 7-21 Station Road Apartments. The following list details those likely to be 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.

Bentleigh East - South has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Bentleigh East - South has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 4.4% in September 2025, which is 1.3 percentage points lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 5.7%. The workforce participation rate was similar to Greater Melbourne's at 71.0%.

A significant 40.7% of residents worked from home according to Census responses. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing had lower representation at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 5.2%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, with a decline in employment by 0.7% during the year to September 2025 despite an increase in labour force by the same percentage, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bentleigh East - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localised population projections.

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

The latest postcode level ATO data from AreaSearch, released for the financial year ended June 30, 2023, indicates that Bentleigh East - South SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $63,949 and an average income of $82,270. These figures are among the highest in Australia, with Greater Melbourne's median being $57,688 and average being $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since June 30, 2023, current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $69,225 and an average income of $89,057 as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 data, incomes in Bentleigh East - South cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. The distribution shows that 28.7% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, aligning with regional levels where this cohort represents 32.8%. A significant portion, 35.0%, earns over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings in the area. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 76th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Bentleigh East - South is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Bentleigh East - South's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 70.3% houses and 29.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bentleigh East - South was at 36.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.1% and rented dwellings at 23.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,512, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $490, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Bentleigh East - South's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Bentleigh East - South has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 76.0% of all households, including 40.1% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 10.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 24.0%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households at 2.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Bentleigh East - South shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's university qualification rate is 40.4%, significantly lower than the SA3 area average of 50.6%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 10.2% and graduate diplomas at 3.7%. Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 26.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 11.4% and certificates at 15.0%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Bentleigh East - South has 82 active public transport stops, all bus services. These are covered by 13 routes, offering 2,178 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents typically living 148 meters from the nearest stop. Most commuters travel outward due to the area's residential nature. Cars are used by 87% of residents for commuting, while trains account for 6%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.4.

According to the 2021 Census, 40.7% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 311 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 26 weekly trips per stop.

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

Bentleigh East - South shows excellent health outcomes according to AreaSearch's evaluation. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low, particularly among younger cohorts.

Private health cover is high at approximately 60% of the total population (9,361 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 6.5% and 6.4% of residents respectively. 73.4% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,873 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. Nationally, this percentage ranks lower than the broader population.

Bentleigh East - South 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

Bentleigh East-South has high cultural diversity, with 34.2% born overseas and 30.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 46.5%. Judaism is overrepresented at 9.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.0%.

Ancestry-wise, Australian (19.0%), English (18.6%), and Other (12.3%) are top groups. Notably, Russian (2.1% vs regional 0.4%), Polish (1.8% vs 0.8%), and Greek (6.5% vs 2.7%) are overrepresented.

Bentleigh East - South's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Bentleigh East - South has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 45-54 age group is notably over-represented in Bentleigh East - South at 14.4%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 9.8%. Between 2021 and present, the population of 15-24 year-olds has increased from 10.7% to 11.9%, and the 75-84 age group has grown from 5.1% to 6.2%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 10.9% to 9.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Bentleigh East - South's age profile. The 45-54 age cohort is expected to expand by 483 people (21%), growing from 2,251 to 2,735 individuals. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group is projected to grow modestly by 1%, adding 12 people.