Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert

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 10,781 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 615 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,166. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates; in June 2025, the estimated resident population was 10,776, and there were 28 new validated addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,237 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's 6.0% growth since the census is within 2.9 percentage points of its SA4 region (8.9%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 97.7% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods for areas not covered by the ABS data. Future demographic trends anticipate median population growth nationally, with the area expected to increase by 1,138 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 10.5% over 16 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 granted around 32 residential property approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 163 homes were approved, with an additional 21 approved so far in FY26. The average population growth associated with new dwellings over this period is 0.1 people per year.

New construction has matched or outpaced demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that may exceed current expectations. The average expected construction cost of new properties is $586,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY26, $7.5 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, 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, which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This activity is also lower than the national average, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints.

New development in the area consists of 63.0% detached dwellings and 37.0% medium and high-density housing, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points. The population density per approval is around 568 people, indicating a mature, established area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Surrey Hills East Mont Albert is projected to add 1,133 residents by 2041. Building activity appears to be keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience increased competition as the population grows.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects that could impact this region. Notable initiatives include Tunstall Village, Whitehorse Activity Centres Program, Havenwood Townhouses, and Wembley Hill Townhomes. The following list details projects expected to have the most relevance.

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 skilled workforce with professional services being prominently represented. Its unemployment rate is 3.1%, lower than the national average. Over the past year, there's been an estimated employment growth of 2.3%.

As of December 2025, 6,310 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.6% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's at 69.9%. Notably, 48.8% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

The area has a particularly high concentration in professional & technical jobs, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. However, construction jobs are less prevalent at 5.7% compared to 9.7% regionally. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the difference between working population and resident population counts. Over a 12-month period ending in May-25, employment increased by 2.3%, labour force also grew by 2.3%, with unemployment remaining largely unchanged. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising slightly to 5.1%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Surrey Hills East - Mont Albert's employment mix suggests local employment could grow by 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not consider local population projections.

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 2023 shows that income in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert SA2 is exceptionally high nationally. The median assessed income is $63,786 while the average income stands at $104,227. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's figures of a median income of $57,688 and an average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $69,922 (median) and $114,254 (average) as of March 2026. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, between the 84th and 87th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 28.8% of the community falls into the $4000+ earnings band (3,104 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

The dwelling structure in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, as per the latest Census, consisted of 60.9% houses and 39.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert stood at 41.1%, with the rest being mortgaged (33.0%) or rented (25.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent was $462, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert's mortgage repayments are higher at $2,600 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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 constitute the remaining 26.9%, with lone person households at 23.8% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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 notable, with 55.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 16.5% and graduate diplomas at 5.6%. Vocational pathways account for 18.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, 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.

This includes 9.1% in tertiary education, 8.4% in primary education, and 8.3% pursuing secondary education.

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

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert has 34 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These stops are served by eight individual routes, facilitating 5,527 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically living within 243 meters of the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most commuters travel outward; cars remain the dominant mode at 80%, while train use stands at 11%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 48.8% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 789 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 162 weekly trips per stop.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Surrey Hills East - Mont Albert shows excellent health outcomes according to AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 73% of the total population (7,880 people) have private health cover, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's 56.7%, and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.1 and 7.0% of residents respectively. About 73.0% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.6% (2,217 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are generally strong and align with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number 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 languages other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Surrey Hills East-Mont Albert, comprising 44.6% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.2% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.5%), Australian (19.6%), and Chinese (13.3%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 6.5%. Some other ethnic groups show notable differences: Sri Lankan at 0.6% versus 0.8% regionally, Greek at 1.8% versus 2.7%, and Scottish at 8.4% versus 5.6%.

Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert's median age exceeds the national pattern

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 10.6% of the population compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 12.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group grew from 5.3% to 7.1%, and the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 13.3% to 14.9%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort decreased from 14.0% to 13.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Surrey Hills (East) - Mont Albert, with the 45-54 age group expected to grow by 22%, reaching 1,704 people from 1,399. Conversely, the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.