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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bentleigh East - South's population is around 15,628 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,571 people (11.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,057 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,770 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 177 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,404 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Bentleigh East - South's 11.2% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (8.7%) and 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 73.4% 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. Regarding demographic trends, an above-median population growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is projected, with the area expected to grow by 2,832 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 12.6% in total over the 17 years.

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

Bentleigh East - South has averaged around 113 new dwelling approvals per year, totalling 565 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 32 approvals have been recorded. Given an average of 1.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed 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 $465,000—somewhat higher than regional norms—reflecting quality-focused development. Additionally, $18.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Bentleigh East - South has slightly more development (24.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values, though building activity has slowed in recent years. New building activity shows 24.0% detached dwellings and 76.0% townhouses or apartments. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 70.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 180 people per dwelling approval, Bentleigh East - South shows characteristics of a growth area.

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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 25 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades, Mackie Road Reserve Upgrade, 1 Victor Road Retirement Village, and 7-21 Station Road Apartments, 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.

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 possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, and an unemployment rate of 4.3%. As of December 2025, 8,056 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.5% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. Based on Census responses, a high 40.7% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and retail trade. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 3.5% versus the regional average of 5.2%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.3% alongside a 0.9% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Bentleigh East - South. 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 - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% 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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Bentleigh East - South SA2's median income among taxpayers is $63,949, with an average of $82,270. This is among the highest in Australia, and compares to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $69,225 (median) and $89,057 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Bentleigh East - South cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 28.7% of the community (4,485 individuals), aligning with regional levels where this cohort likewise represents 32.8%. Bentleigh East - South demonstrates considerable affluence with 35.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 76th percentile and 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

Dwelling structure within Bentleigh East - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 70.3% houses and 29.7% 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 - South was well beyond that of Melbourne metro, at 36.6%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (40.1%) or rented (23.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Melbourne metro average at $2,512, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $490, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Bentleigh East - South'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 - South has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 76.0% of all households, comprising 40.1% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 10.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 24.0%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size of 2.6 people matches 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 faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (40.4%) substantially below the SA3 area average of 50.6%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 26.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (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

Public transport analysis reveals 82 active transport stops operating within Bentleigh East - South, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 13 individual routes, collectively providing 2,178 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 148 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 87%, with 6% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. A high 40.7% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 311 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 26 weekly trips per individual 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

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Bentleigh East - South, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (9,361 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 6.5% and 6.4% of residents, respectively, while 73.4% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,873 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne, though ranking lower nationally 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 scores highly on cultural diversity, with 34.2% of its population born overseas and 30.7% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Bentleigh East - South is Christianity, which makes up 46.5% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 9.2% 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 - South are Australian, comprising 19.0% of the population, English, comprising 18.6% of the population, and Other, comprising 12.3% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Russian is notably overrepresented at 2.1% of Bentleigh East - South (vs 0.4% regionally), Polish at 1.8% (vs 0.8%) and Greek at 6.5% (vs 2.7%).

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

With a median age of 40, Bentleigh East - South is somewhat higher than the Greater Melbourne figure of 37 and similarly marginally higher than Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 45 - 54 cohort is notably over-represented (14.4% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (9.8%). In the period since 2021, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 10.7% to 11.9% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 5.1% to 6.2%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 10.9% to 9.8%. Demographic modeling suggests Bentleigh East - South's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to see notable expansion, growing by 483 people (21%) from 2,251 to 2,735. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 cohort grows by a modest 1% (12 people).