Bentleigh East - South
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bentleigh East - South had a population of around 14,787 as of August 2025. This reflected an increase of 730 people, representing a growth rate of 5.2% since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,057 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,774 as of June 2024 and an additional 168 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 3,221 persons per square kilometer, placing Bentleigh East - South in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Bentleigh East - South demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.1%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing 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 a base year of 2022. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises 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, an above median population growth of national areas is projected, with Bentleigh East - South expected to expand by 2,832 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, resulting in a total increase of 19.0% 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 averaged approximately 138 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY20 and FY25693 dwellings were approved, with 8 approvals recorded in FY26 so far. On average, each constructed dwelling accommodates around 1.3 new residents per year over the past five financial years.

This balance between supply and demand contributes to stable market conditions. The average construction cost of new properties is $741,000, indicative of a focus on premium segment development. In FY26, commercial development approvals totalled $18.3 million. Compared to Greater Melbourne's averages, Bentleigh East - South has slightly higher development activity (25.0% above the regional average per capita over five years). This maintains good buyer choice and supports existing property values.

However, building activity has slowed in recent years. The current dwelling approvals show a mix of 24.0% detached dwellings and 76.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards compact living options that appeal to downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. Bentleigh East - South's population density is approximately 180 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density area. Population forecasts project an increase of 2,815 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current projections.

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

The performance of a region is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of twenty-two projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are Westfield Southland Ongoing Upgrades, East Bentleigh Ambulance Station, Mackie Road Reserve Upgrade, and 1 Victor Road Retirement Village. The following list provides details on those projects deemed most relevant.

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

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. The unemployment rate was 4.2% as of June 2021.

In June 2025, the unemployment rate is 4.6%, down from Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne at 66.6%. Leading employment industries are health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade.

Transport, postal & warehousing has lower representation at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities. From June 2024 to June 2025, the labour force increased by 1.4%, but employment declined by 0.3%, raising unemployment by 1.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne had employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%. As of Sep-25, Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bentleigh East - South's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Bentleigh East - South had a median income among taxpayers of $60,365 and an average of $80,990. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Bentleigh East - South would be approximately $66,468 (median) and $89,178 (average) as of March 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that incomes in Bentleigh East - South cluster around the 74th 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 also represents approximately 32.8%. In Bentleigh East - South, 35.0% earn over $3,000 per week. 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

Dwelling structure in Bentleigh East - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 70.3% houses and 29.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 47.8% houses and 52.1% 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 $2,396. The median weekly rent figure was $490, compared to Melbourne metro's $435. 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 higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 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 account for 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 is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

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

The university qualification rate in Bentleigh East - South is 40.4%, significantly lower than the SA3 area average of 50.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (15.0%), are held by 26.4% of residents aged 15 and above. Current educational participation is high at 28.4%, with 9.9% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

Bentleigh East - South has a robust network of six schools educating approximately 2,589 students. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1089) with an educational mix including three primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs at 17.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.2, indicating Bentleigh East - South serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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 distinct routes that together facilitate 3,658 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed excellent, with residents on average situated just 148 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 522 trips per day, translating to roughly 44 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Bentleigh East - South is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Bentleigh East - South demonstrates above-average health outcomes with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population. However, it is higher than the national average for older and at-risk cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (8,842 people), compared to 65.2% 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 74.0% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 17.9% of residents aged 65 and over (2,648 people), which is higher than the 16.8% in Greater Melbourne.

Bentleigh East - South 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-South has high cultural diversity with 34.2% overseas-born population and 30.7% speaking non-English languages at home. Christianity is the dominant religion, comprising 46.5%. Judaism is lower than Melbourne's average at 9.2%.

Top ancestral groups are Australian (19.0%), English (18.6%), and Other (12.3%). Russian (2.1%) is slightly higher than regional average, Polish (1.8%) is lower, and Hungarian (0.7%) is similar to the region.

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

Bentleigh East - South has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. The 45-54 age cohort is notably over-represented in Bentleigh East - South at 14.5%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 10.1%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 10.7% to 11.7% of the population, while the 25 to 34 cohort has decreased from 10.9% to 10.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Bentleigh East - South's age profile. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to expand by 596 people (28%), growing from 2,138 to 2,735. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age cohort is expected to grow modestly by 5%.