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 was around 14,993 as of May 2026. This reflected an increase of 936 people (6.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,057 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,949 from the ABS as of June 2025 and an additional 181 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 3,266 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Bentleigh East - South had demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 73.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 utilised 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 were also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth of national areas was projected, with the area expected to expand by 2,693 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 17.7% over the 16 years.

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 so far, 47 approvals have been recorded. This area has seen an average of 1.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25, indicating a balanced supply and demand, with stable market conditions. The average construction cost value for new properties is $465,000, which is somewhat higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development.

In this financial year, $18.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development compared to Greater Melbourne. Bentleigh East - South has had slightly more development activity than the regional average per person over the past five years, maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. The new building activity shows 24.0% detached dwellings and 76.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards compact living to offer affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This is a significant change from the current housing mix of 70.0% houses, due to reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

With around 180 people per dwelling approval, Bentleigh East - South shows characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, this area is forecasted to gain approximately 2,649 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 24 projects that may impact this region. Notable projects 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 most likely to be relevant.

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

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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 being strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 4.3% as of December 2015. As of December 2025, the number of residents in work is 8,056 while the unemployment rate is 0.5% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's at 69.9%. According to Census responses, 40.7% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. 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 in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 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 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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023. Bentleigh East - South SA2's median income among taxpayers was $63,949 with an average of $82,270. This is one of the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates are approximately $70,101 (median) and $90,184 (average) as of March 2026. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Bentleigh East - South cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. Distribution data indicates that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 28.7% of the community (4,302 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 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 structures, 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 ones at 23.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,512, above Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure for Bentleigh East - South was $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 account for 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 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 is 2.6 people, which 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's university qualification rate is 40.4%, significantly lower than the SA3 average of 50.6%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are held by 26.4% of residents aged 15+, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (15.0%). Educational participation is high, with 28.4% currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.9% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 5.1% in 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 of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 13 different routes that collectively facilitate 2,178 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 148 meters from the nearest transport stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation at 87%, while 6% use trains for commuting. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 40.7% of residents work from home, which may be reflective of COVID-19 conditions. The 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

Bentleigh East - South shows excellent health outcomes, as per AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence among younger residents who exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover stands at approximately 60% of the total population (8,980 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 56.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 6.5% and 6.4% of residents respectively, with 73.4% reporting no medical ailments compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,707 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.0%, but ranks 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 has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.2% of its population born overseas and 30.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Bentleigh East-South, comprising 46.5% of its population. Judaism is notably overrepresented, making up 9.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (19.0%), English (18.6%), and Other (12.3%). Some ethnic groups show significant divergences: Russian at 2.1% (compared to the regional average of 0.4%), Polish at 1.8% (versus 0.8%), and Greek at 6.5% (against 2.7%).

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 median age of 38. The 45-54 age group is notably over-represented in Bentleigh East - South at 14.3%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 10.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 10.7% to 11.9% of the population, while the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 13.3% to 12.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Bentleigh East - South's age profile. The 45-54 age group is projected to expand by 578 people (27%), growing from 2,142 to 2,721. Meanwhile, the 0-4 cohort is expected to grow modestly by 8% (68 people).