Highett (West) - Cheltenham
Statistical Area - sa2

Highett (West) - 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

Highett (West) - Cheltenham's population is 13,158 as of Aug 2025. This shows an increase of 719 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 12,439. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates of 13,153 in June 2024 and 167 new addresses validated since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,473 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. Highett (West) - Cheltenham's growth of 5.8% since the 2021 census exceeds the SA3 area's growth of 5.2%, indicating it is a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 75.2% of overall population gains recently.

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 utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends indicate a significant population increase in the top quartile of national statistical areas, with Highett (West) - Cheltenham forecasted to expand by 4,109 persons by 2041, recording a gain of 30.8% over the 17 years.

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

Highett West-Cheltenham has received approximately 153 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides this data on a financial year basis, totaling 766 approvals from FY21 to FY25 and 6 so far in FY26. Each new home has attracted an average of one new resident per year over the past five financial years. This pace meets or exceeds demand, offering ample buyer choice while supporting population growth beyond current projections.

The average construction cost value is $623,000, which is moderately above regional levels, indicating quality construction focus. Commercial approvals amount to $11.8 million this year, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Highett West-Cheltenham shows elevated construction activity at 26.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This level is significantly higher than the national average, reflecting strong developer interest in the area. New building activity comprises 15.0% standalone homes and 85.0% medium to high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift from the current 62.0% houses indicates decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring diverse housing options.

Highett West-Cheltenham has around 56 people per dwelling approval, suggesting a low-density area. Future projections estimate an addition of 4,049 residents by 2041. Current development levels appear aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Highett (West) - Cheltenham has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 29 such projects likely affecting this region. Notable ones include 91 McKinnon Road Development, Highett Common, Banksia Apartments Cheltenham, and Highett Gasworks, detailed below for their potential relevance.

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

The employment landscape in Highett (West) - Cheltenham shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Highett West - Cheltenham has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 5.0% as of June 2025.

In this period, 7,422 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.4%, 0.8 percentage points higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation in Highett West - Cheltenham was 69.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. The area shows a high specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

However, transport, postal & warehousing sector is under-represented, with only 2.8% of Highett West - Cheltenham's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 5.2%. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force in Highett West - Cheltenham increased by 1.4%, while employment declined by 0.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced 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, adding 39,880 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Highett West - Cheltenham's employment mix, local growth is estimated at approximately 6.9% 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

In financial year 2022, Highett (West) - Cheltenham had a median income among taxpayers of $63,114 and an average level of $83,700. Nationally, these figures are extremely high, compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $69,495 (median) and $92,162 (average), accounting for a 10.11% growth in wages since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, Highett (West) - Cheltenham's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 81st and 83rd percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 27.3% of locals (3,592 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 weekly income category, consistent with metropolitan trends at 32.8%. Higher earners make up a substantial presence, with 38.2% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, but disposable income still ranks at the 82nd percentile nationally, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Highett (West) - Cheltenham dwelling structures, as per the latest Census report, comprised 61.7% houses and 38.3% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. In contrast, Melbourne metropolitan area had 62.6% houses and 37.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Highett (West) - Cheltenham was at 30.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.3% and rented ones at 27.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,500, significantly lower than Melbourne's average of $3,000. Median weekly rent in Highett (West) - Cheltenham was $450, compared to Melbourne's $520. Nationally, Highett (West) - Cheltenham's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,500 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Highett (West) - Cheltenham has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 71.9% of all households, including 36.9% couples with children, 22.6% couples without children, and 11.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 28.1%, with lone person households at 25.6% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Highett (West) - Cheltenham demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

In Highett (West) - Cheltenham, 43.5% of residents aged 15 years and above have university qualifications, exceeding national (30.4%) and state (VIC: 33.4%) averages. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 26.5% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (14.1%). Educational participation is high, with 30.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (10.6%), secondary (8.1%), and tertiary (5.6%).

The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 550 students. Highett (West) - Cheltenham has notable socio-educational advantages, with an ICSEA score of 1111. Educational provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity is limited locally (4.2 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 14.5), 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 (West) - Cheltenham has 77 active public transport stops operating. These include a mix of train and bus services. Sixteen individual routes service these stops, collectively providing 4051 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 157 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 578 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 52 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Highett (West) - Cheltenham is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Highett West - Cheltenham shows better-than-average health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions among its general population. Among older cohorts and those at risk, the prevalence is closer to the national average. Approximately 61% of Highett West - Cheltenham's total population (8,065 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Melbourne's 78.5% and Australia's national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.0% and 7.8% of residents respectively. A total of 71.8% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 72.0%. Highett West - Cheltenham has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 15.9% (2,094 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 22.9%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Highett (West) - 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 West-Cheltenham, surveyed in June 2021, exhibited greater cultural diversity than most local areas. Here, 18.4% spoke a language other than English at home and 28.8% were born overseas. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 43.7% of residents.

However, Judaism's representation stood out at 1.3%, higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 0.9%. The top three ancestry groups were English (26.2%), Australian (22.7%), and Irish (9.0%). Notable differences existed for Russian (0.9% vs regional 0.5%), Hungarian (0.5% vs regional 0.4%), and Polish (1.1% vs regional 1.4%) groups.

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

Highett (West) - Cheltenham has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. Compared to the Greater Melbourne average, the 45-54 age cohort is notably over-represented in Highett (West) - Cheltenham at 15.8%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 10.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 10.9% to 12.4% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort has increased from 4.6% to 5.8%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age cohort has declined from 13.8% to 12.6%. Demographic modeling suggests that Highett (West) - Cheltenham's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 45 to 54 age cohort projected to expand by 770 people (37%) from 2,075 to 2,846.