Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert's population is approximately 10,805 as of November 2025. This represents a rise of 639 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,166 people. The increase is inferred from an estimated resident population of 10,765 in June 2024 and an additional 29 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,244 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 6.3% growth since the census is within 2.0 percentage points of the SA4 region (8.3%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 96.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 the 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. Based on current trends, a population increase just below the median of national statistical areas is anticipated, with an expected expansion of 1,217 persons by 2041, resulting in a total gain of 10.9% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Surrey Hills East Mont Albert has granted approximately 32 residential property approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25163 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved in FY26 so far. The average population growth per dwelling built over these years is 0.1 people annually.

This indicates that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and facilitating population growth. The average expected construction cost value of new properties is $586,000, signifying a focus on the premium segment. In FY26, $7.5 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Surrey Hills East Mont Albert has significantly less development activity, at 64.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties.

New development consists of 63.0% detached dwellings and 37.0% medium and high-density housing, offering a mix of townhouses and apartments catering to various price points. The area has around 568 people per approval, indicating maturity and established status. Future projections estimate an addition of 1,177 residents by 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though increased competition among buyers is expected as the population grows.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert 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 32 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects are Tunstall Village, Whitehorse Activity Centres Program, Havenwood Townhouses, and SKY SQR. The following details those expected to be most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Surrey Hills East - Mont Albert has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.0% as of June 2025, below Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.9%. In June 2025, 6,361 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate 1.6% lower than Greater Melbourne's and workforce participation similar to the regional average of 64.1%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, at 1.6 times the regional average, but limited construction employment at 5.7% compared to the regional average of 9.7%.

Analysis of SALM and ABS data for the 12 months prior showed employment increasing by 2.9%, labour force by 3.0%, with unemployment essentially unchanged. Greater Melbourne recorded higher growth rates during this period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Surrey Hills East - Mont Albert's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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 that income in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert is exceptionally high nationally. The median income is assessed at $62,708 while the average income stands at $105,164. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's figures of a median income of $54,892 and an average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $70,333 (median) and $117,952 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, between the 85th and 88th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that the $4000+ earnings band captures 28.8% of the community (3,111 individuals), differing from patterns across the surrounding region where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 32.8%. Economic strength emerges through 41.0% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, as per the latest Census evaluation, 60.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 39.1% comprising semi-detached units, apartments, and other types. This is similar to Melbourne's metropolitan area, which had 60.2% houses and 39.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert stood at 41.1%, with mortgaged properties at 33.0% and rented dwellings at 25.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, higher than Melbourne's metro average of $2,300. The median weekly rent was $462, compared to Melbourne's metro figure of $412. Nationally, Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 73.1 percent of all households, including 36.0 percent couples with children, 27.2 percent couples without children, and 8.5 percent single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 26.9 percent, with lone person households at 23.8 percent and group households at 3.2 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 55.7% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% statewide in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Vocational pathways account for 18.5% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.5% and certificates at 8.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.1% in tertiary, 8.4% in primary, and 8.3% in secondary education. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,140 students and demonstrate exceptional educational performance (ICSEA: 1154), placing them among the most advantaged nationally. These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. School places per 100 residents are lower than the regional average at 10.6, suggesting some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

The analysis of public transportation in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert shows that there are currently 34 operational transport stops. These stops offer a variety of services including trains, light rail, and buses. Eight different routes serve these stops, collectively facilitating 3,598 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of these transport services is rated as good, with residents typically residing about 243 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 514 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 105 weekly trips per individual stop.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert has low prevalence of common conditions across ages. Private health cover is high at 74%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 56%. Nationally, it's 55.3%.

Common conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.1% and 7.0% respectively. 73.0% report no ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 73.9%. The area has 20.2% residents aged 65+, compared to Greater Melbourne's 17.7%. Senior health outcomes are strong, outperforming the general population.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert 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

Surrey Hills East-Mont Albert has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 30.8% of its population born overseas and 25.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Surrey Hills East-Mont Albert, making up 44.6% of the population. However, Judaism shows an overrepresentation, comprising 0.2% compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.5%), Australian (19.6%), and Chinese (13.3%). Notably, Sri Lankan, Greek, and Scottish ethnicities have higher representations in Surrey Hills East-Mont Albert than the regional averages: Sri Lankan at 0.6% vs 0.8%, Greek at 1.8% vs 3.0%, and Scottish at 8.4% vs 5.8%.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 65-74 age group comprises 10.3% of the population, compared to a lower percentage in Greater Melbourne. Conversely, the 25-34 age group makes up 11.6%, which is less than the Greater Melbourne figure. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75-84 age group has increased from 5.3% to 7.3%, while the 15-24 cohort has risen from 13.3% to 14.8%. However, the 65-74 age group has decreased from 11.2% to 10.3%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 43%, reaching 1,123 people from the current figure of 785. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 53% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.