Highett (East) - Cheltenham

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Highett (East) - Cheltenham's population is around 26,072 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,987 people 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 661 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,983 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Highett (East) - Cheltenham's growth rate of 8.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 5.7%. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 84.4% 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 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 applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Highett (East) - Cheltenham is projected to grow by 5,390 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 19.9% in total 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 approved approximately 202 residential properties per year over the past five financial years, totalling 1,011 homes. As of FY-26, 12 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.3 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. The average construction cost value of new homes is $306,000, aligning with regional trends.

In FY-26, $47.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Highett East - Cheltenham has recorded 51.0% more new home approvals per capita, offering buyers greater choice. Nineteen percent of new building activity consists of standalone homes, while 81.0% comprises townhouses or apartments, promoting affordability and suiting downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift from the current housing mix of 54.0% houses reflects reduced development site availability and changing lifestyle demands. The area has approximately 245 people per dwelling approval, suggesting room for growth. By 2041, Highett East - Cheltenham is projected to grow by 5,184 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 moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones include Sanctuary Sandringham, Suburban Rail Loop East - Cheltenham Station, Cheltenham Precinct Structure Plan - Suburban Rail Loop East, and Cycle Sandringham Infrastructure. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Highett (East) - Cheltenham recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Highett East - Cheltenham has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate is 6.4%.

As of September 2025, 13,949 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.7% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. 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, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, 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 September 2024 and 2025, Highett East - Cheltenham's labour force increased by 0.6%, but employment declined by 0.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.4 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% during the same period. State-level data from 25-Nov shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts suggest total employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Highett East - Cheltenham's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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 SA2 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 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $68,098 for the median income and $87,690 for the average as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, 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 income range, which is similar to regional levels at 32.8%. 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. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 54.8% houses and 45.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Highett (East) - Cheltenham was 33.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.8% and rented ones at 28.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, aligning with Melbourne metro's average. The median weekly rent was $421, compared to Melbourne metro's $410. Nationally, Highett (East) - Cheltenham's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 versus Australia's average of $1,863. Rents were also substantially higher at $421 compared to 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 constitute 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 account for 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

In Highett (East), educational qualifications meet regional benchmarks with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees, compared to the SA4 region's 46.0%. University degree holders lead at 25.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 9.2% and graduate diplomas at 3.5%. Vocational credentials are prominent with 28.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.3%) and certificates (16.5%). Educational participation is high, with 27.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including primary (8.7%), secondary (6.7%), and tertiary (5.3%) levels.

Educational participation is notably 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.

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

The analysis of public transport in Highett (East) - Cheltenham shows that there are currently 116 active transport stops operating. These include a mix of train and bus services. The area is served by 26 individual routes, which collectively facilitate 9,505 weekly passenger trips.

The report rates the transport accessibility as excellent, with residents typically located approximately 193 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency across all routes amounts to 1,357 trips per day, equating to around 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 a standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age groups.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population, which is 15,330 people. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 7.8 and 7.5% of residents respectively. A total of 70.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.4% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 19.6% of residents aged 65 and over, which is 5,097 people in total, 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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 32.7% of its population born overseas and 26.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Highett East-Cheltenham, accounting for 46.1% of the population. Notably, Judaism is more prevalent here at 1.9%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 1.1%.

The top three ancestral groups based on parents' country of birth are English (23.2%), Australian (20.1%), and Other (10.7%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Russian is overrepresented at 1.3% versus 1.0%, Greek at 4.7% versus 3.3%, and Polish at 1.2% versus 1.0%.

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

The median age in Highett (East) - Cheltenham is 40, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. The 75-84 age cohort is over-represented at 6.9% locally compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 12.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 9.7% to 10.4%, while the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 13.8% to 12.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Highett (East) - Cheltenham's age profile. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to grow by 63%, from 1,809 to 2,953 people. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 54% of total population growth. Meanwhile, the 35-44 and 0-4 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.