Chelsea - Bonbeach
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Chelsea - Bonbeach's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 15,932. This figure represents an increase of 728 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,204. The growth was inferred from ABS estimates of 15,882 in June 2024 and validated new addresses post-Census. The population density is around 2,939 persons per square kilometer, placing the area in the upper quartile nationally. Over the past decade, Chelsea - Bonbeach has shown steady growth with a compound annual growth rate of 1.2%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.4% of recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs 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. By 2041, Chelsea - Bonbeach is projected to expand by 2,828 persons, an increase of 17.4% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Chelsea - Bonbeach when compared nationally

Chelsea - Bonbeach recorded approximately 69 residential property approvals each year over the past five financial years, totalling 349 homes. As of FY-26, 9 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.6 new residents per dwelling were constructed annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this figure increased to 4.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $425,000, slightly above the regional average.

This year, $19.1 million in commercial approvals have been granted, indicating steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Chelsea - Bonbeach shows 17.0% lower construction activity per person and ranks among the 58th percentile of areas assessed nationally. New building activity comprises 38.0% detached houses and 62.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living for affordability and suitability to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The area has around 263 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

Population forecasts project Chelsea - Bonbeach to gain 2,778 residents by 2041. Construction is maintaining pace with projected growth, but increasing competition among buyers can be expected as population grows.

Chelsea - Bonbeach has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Five projects are identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area: The Dell by Stockland, Bonbeach Station Precinct Redevelopment & Level Crossing Removal, Bonbeach Lifesaving Club Redevelopment, and Carrum Foreshore and Patterson River Precinct Improvements.

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

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The labour market performance in Chelsea - Bonbeach lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Chelsea-Bonbeach has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation and a 7.1% unemployment rate as of June 2025. The area had 8,505 employed residents at this time, with an unemployment rate 2.5% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

Workforce participation was on par with Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key employment sectors were health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction showed particularly strong specialization, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, accommodation & food had lower representation at 4.2% compared to the regional average of 6.4%.

Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels increased by 1.4%, while employment declined by 0.9%, leading to a 2.1 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In comparison, Greater Melbourne had employment growth of 3.5% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment rising by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand trends for Chelsea-Bonbeach. These projections indicate national employment expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Chelsea-Bonbeach's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Chelsea - Bonbeach had a median income among taxpayers of $63,591 and an average income of $76,902. These figures are high nationally compared to Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. By September 2025, estimates suggest a median income of approximately $71,324 and an average income of $86,253 based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 75th percentile ($962 weekly), while household income is at the 48th percentile. Income distribution shows that 31.5% of locals (5,018 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to broader trends across the region at 32.8%. Housing affordability pressures are severe with only 82.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 47th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Chelsea - Bonbeach displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Chelsea-Bonbeach, as per the latest Census evaluation, 36.5% of dwellings were houses while 63.6% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments and other types of dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metropolitan area's figures of 54.8% houses and 45.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chelsea-Bonbeach stood at 30.3%, lower than Melbourne metro's level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (38.4%) or rented (31.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,065, below Melbourne metro's average of $2,167. Weekly rent median figure was recorded at $381, compared to Melbourne metro's $410. Nationally, Chelsea-Bonbeach's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Chelsea - Bonbeach features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 62.1% of all households, including 25.7% couples with children, 25.1% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.9%, with lone person households at 34.8% and group households making up 3.0%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.4.

Chelsea - Bonbeach 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 32.7%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 46.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 22.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 34.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.6% and certificates at 21.8%. Educational participation is high, with 25.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 8.9% in primary, 5.9% in secondary, and 4.0% in tertiary education.

Chelsea - Bonbeach's 5 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,048 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1083). There are 3 primary and 2 secondary schools serving distinct age groups. Local school capacity is limited at 6.6 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.7, leading many families to travel for schooling. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Chelsea-Bonbeach has 51 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus services, operated by 9 different routes. Together, these routes provide 4,210 weekly passenger trips.

The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located about 228 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 601 daily trips across all routes, which amounts to approximately 82 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Chelsea - Bonbeach is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Chelsea-Bonbeach faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 58% of the total population of 9,208 people. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.4 and 8.4% of residents respectively. 66.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 70.4% across Greater Melbourne. As of 2016, 20.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,218 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Chelsea - Bonbeach was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Chelsea-Bonbeach's cultural diversity is above average, with 13.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of 2016 Census data. This figure is higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 37.9%. Additionally, 24.8% of Chelsea-Bonbeach residents were born overseas, compared to the regional average of 35.7%.

Christianity is the predominant religion in Chelsea-Bonbeach, with 45.0% of people identifying as such. However, Judaism is overrepresented at 0.5%, higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.1%. The top three ancestry groups are English (28.4%), Australian (23.3%), and Irish (9.5%). Notably, Russian, Polish, and Hungarian ethnicities have similar representation in Chelsea-Bonbeach compared to Greater Melbourne, each comprising 1.0% of the population.

Chelsea - Bonbeach's median age exceeds the national pattern

Chelsea-Bonbeach's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in Chelsea-Bonbeach at 10.3%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 15-24 age group is under-represented at 8.4%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has increased from 6.0% to 6.9% of the population. Conversely, the 25-34 age cohort has decreased from 14.2% to 13.0%. Demographic modeling projects significant changes in Chelsea-Bonbeach's age profile by 2041. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 69%, adding 762 residents to reach 1,868. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 58% of the population growth. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts.