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 was 10,807 as of Aug 2025. This figure reflected an increase of 641 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,166. The growth was inferred from ABS estimates of 10,765 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density of 3,245 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The area's growth rate of 6.3% since the census was close to the SA4 region's rate of 8.1%, indicating strong 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 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate an increase just below the national median, with the area expected to expand by 1,217 persons to 2041 based on current numbers, resulting in a total gain of 10.9% over the 17 years.

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 recorded approximately 32 residential property approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 163 homes over the past five financial years from FY21 to FY25 and 12 so far in FY26. On average, there are 0.1 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years. This suggests supply is meeting or exceeding demand, offering greater buyer choice while supporting potential population growth above projections.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $1,440,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, $7.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily 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 constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes, with activity also under the national average, suggesting an established area and potential planning limitations. New development consists of 63.0% detached dwellings and 37.0% medium to high-density housing, offering a mix of townhouses and apartments across different price points from family homes to more affordable compact living.

With around 568 people per approval, Surrey Hills East Mont Albert shows a mature, established area. Population forecasts indicate the area will gain approximately 1,175 residents by 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may face increased competition 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 identified 33 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects are Tunstall Village, Whitehorse Activity Centres Program, Havenwood Townhouses, and SKY SQR, with the following list detailing those most relevant.

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

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. The unemployment rate is 3.0% and there was an estimated employment growth of 2.9% in the past year as of June 2025.

There are 6,361 residents employed with an unemployment rate of 1.6% lower 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 education & training. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical services with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

Construction has limited presence with 5.7% employment compared to the regional average of 9.7%. Most residents work outside the area. In the past year, employment increased by 2.9% while labour force grew by 3.0%, keeping unemployment essentially unchanged. Greater Melbourne recorded higher growth rates during this period. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Victorian employment grew by 1.08% with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National forecasts project employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.9% over ten years for Surrey Hills East - Mont Albert, based on its industry mix.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows median income in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert at $62,708 and average income at $105,164. This is higher than Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $69,048 (median) and $115,796 (average), based on a 10.11% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data reveals that income ranks highly in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, between the 85th and 88th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 28.8% of individuals earn over $4,000, contrasting with surrounding regions where incomes between $1,500 - $2,999 dominate at 32.8%. Economic strength is evident as 41.0% of households have high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. 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

Dwelling structure in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, as per the latest Census, consisted of 60.9% houses and 39.1% other dwellings. Compared to Melbourne metro's 60.2% houses and 39.8% other dwellings, this shows a similar distribution. Home ownership in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert stood at 41.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.0% and rented ones at 25.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,300. The median weekly rent figure was $462, compared to Melbourne metro's $412. Nationally, Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,600 against the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 at $462.

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

Family households represent 73.1% of all households, including 36.0% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.9%, with lone person households at 23.8% and group households comprising 3.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches 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 notably higher than broader Australian benchmarks. 55.7% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to the national average of 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent 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 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 10.5% and certificates 8.0%.

Educational participation is high in the area, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in tertiary education, 8.4% in primary education, and 8.3% pursuing secondary education. The three schools in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert have a combined enrollment of 1,140 students. The area demonstrates exceptional educational performance, with an ICSEA score of 1154, placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. All three schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. School places per 100 residents stand at 10.6, below the regional average of 14.5, indicating 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

Transport analysis indicates 34 active stops operating within Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert. These stops offer a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. Eight individual routes service these stops, providing collectively 3,598 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 243 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 514 trips per day across all routes, equating 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 of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert. The prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups was very low. Approximately 74% of the total population had private health cover, compared to 56.0% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions were asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.1 and 7.0% of residents respectively. 73.0% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.9% across Greater Melbourne. As of the latest data (2021), 20.2% of residents were aged 65 and over, totalling 2,188 people, which is higher than the 17.7% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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, surveyed in June 2016, had a higher proportion of overseas-born residents at 30.8%, compared to the regional average of 35.9%. A total of 25.0% spoke a language other than English at home, slightly lower than the regional average of 34.7%. Christianity was the predominant religion at 44.6%, higher than the regional average of 42.1%.

Judaism's representation was similar to the region, at 0.2%. The top three ancestry groups were English (24.5%), Australian (19.6%), and Chinese (13.3%). Notably, Sri Lankan ancestry was overrepresented at 0.6%, Greek at 1.8% compared to regional averages of 0.8% and 3.0% respectively, while Scottish ancestry was underrepresented at 8.4%.

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, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 65-74 age group constitutes 10.3% of the population, compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 25-34 age group makes up 11.6%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has grown from 5.3% to 7.3%, and the 15-24 age group has increased from 13.3% to 14.8%. Conversely, the 65-74 age group has decreased from 11.2% to 10.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 43%, reaching 1,123 people from the previous figure of 785. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 53% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. In contrast, the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are projected to experience population declines.