Highett (East) - Cheltenham
Statistical Area - sa2

Highett (East) - Cheltenham lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Highett (East) - Cheltenham's population is around 26,036 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,951 people (8.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 24,085 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 25,866 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 645 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,978 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Highett (East) - Cheltenham's 8.1% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (5.6%), along with the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 84.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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. With demographic trends, an above median population growth is projected, with the area expected to grow by 5,390 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, resulting in a total increase of 20.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Highett (East) - Cheltenham among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Highett East - Cheltenham has recorded approximately 268 residential property approvals per year. Development approval data is provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totalling 1,340 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with an additional five approved in FY-26 so far. On average, 1.3 people have moved to the area annually for each dwelling built over these five years. This suggests a balanced supply and demand dynamic, maintaining stable market conditions.

The average new home construction cost is $603,000, slightly higher than the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. In FY-26 alone, commercial approvals amount to $47.8 million, reflecting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Highett East - Cheltenham records 53.0% more new home approvals per capita, offering buyers greater choice. New building activity comprises 19.0% standalone homes and 81.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This marks a significant shift from the current housing mix of 54.0% houses, reflecting reduced development site availability and evolving lifestyle demands. The area has approximately 245 people per dwelling approval, indicating potential for growth.

By 2041, Highett East - Cheltenham is projected to grow by 5,220 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Highett (East) - Cheltenham has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Sanctuary Sandringham, Suburban Rail Loop East - Cheltenham Station, Cycle Sandringham Infrastructure, and Highett Common. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment indicates Highett (East) - Cheltenham faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Highett East - Cheltenham has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 6.7%.

There are 13,978 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 2.0% higher than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Finance & insurance shows notable concentration, at 1.3 times the regional average.

Transport, postal & warehousing has lower representation at 3.4% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force increased by 1.4%, while employment declined by 1.4%, causing unemployment to rise by 2.7 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.5% and unemployment rise by 0.5%. As of Sep-25, Victorian 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 Highett East - Cheltenham's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Highett (East) - Cheltenham had a median income among taxpayers of $60,715 and an average level of $78,183. These figures are high nationally 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 Highett (East) - Cheltenham would be approximately $66,853 (median) and $86,087 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Highett (East) - Cheltenham cluster around the 63rd percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 30.2% of the population falls within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, similar to regional levels where 32.8% occupy this range. High housing costs consume 16.6% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 56th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Highett (East) - Cheltenham displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Highett (East) - Cheltenham's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 54.2% houses and 45.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 54.8% houses and 45.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Highett (East) - Cheltenham was at 33.9%, similar to Melbourne metro, with the rest being mortgaged (37.8%) or rented (28.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, aligning with Melbourne metro's average. Median weekly rent was $421, compared to Melbourne metro's $410. Nationally, Highett (East) - Cheltenham's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Highett (East) - Cheltenham features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 66.7% of all households, including 30.5% couples with children, 24.4% couples without children, and 10.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.3%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households comprising 2.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.4.

Highett (East) - Cheltenham shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Highett (East) - Cheltenham's educational qualifications exceed regional averages. 37.9% of residents aged 15+ have university degrees compared to the SA4 region's 46.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 9.2% and graduate diplomas at 3.5%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 28.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 12.3% and certificates at 16.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.7% in primary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education. Highett (East) - Cheltenham has five schools with a combined enrollment of 1,937 students. It demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1092. Education provision is balanced with four primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. Local school capacity is limited at 7.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.7, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Highett (East) - Cheltenham has 116 active public transport stops. These are served by 26 routes, offering 9,505 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents' average proximity to the nearest stop is 193 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

Daily service frequency averages 1,357 trips across all routes, translating to about 81 weekly trips per individual stop.

Highett (East) - Cheltenham's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data shows Highett (East) - Cheltenham residents have relatively positive health outcomes, with common conditions seen across both young and old age groups.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population of 15,309 people. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues impacting 7.8% of residents and asthma affecting 7.5%. A total of 70.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.4% across Greater Melbourne. As of the latest data, 19.6% of residents are aged 65 and over (5,090 people), which is broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Highett (East) - Cheltenham 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

Highett East-Cheltenham exhibited higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 32.7% of residents born overseas and 26.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 46.1% of Highett East-Cheltenham's population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented at 1.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 1.1%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (23.2%), Australian (20.1%), and Other (10.7%). There were significant differences in the representation of certain ethnicities: Russian (1.3% vs regional 1.0%), Greek (4.7% vs 3.3%), and Polish (1.2% vs 1.0%) were notably higher than their regional averages.

Highett (East) - Cheltenham's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Highett (East) - Cheltenham has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The area has an over-representation of the 75-84 age cohort at 6.9%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 12.3%. Between 2021 and present, the population of individuals aged 15 to 24 has increased from 9.7% to 10.4%, while the 25 to 34 age group has decreased from 13.8% to 12.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Highett (East) - Cheltenham's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is expected to grow by 63%, increasing from 1,806 to 2,953 people. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 54% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Meanwhile, populations aged 35-44 and 0-4 are projected to decline.