Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury
Statistical Area - sa2

Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury's population was around 16,363 as of Nov 2025. This reflected an increase of 419 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 15,944. The change was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 16,231 in June 2024 and an additional 61 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 2,870 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilised VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends, the area was expected to grow by 424 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 1.8% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury has seen approximately 54 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 273 homes were approved, with a further 21 approved in FY26 as of now. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has likely been meeting demand, providing good options for buyers.

The average construction cost value of new properties is approximately $1,219,000, indicating a focus on the premium market by developers. This financial year has seen around $18.1 million in commercial approvals registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Surrey Hills West - Canterbury has about two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 58th percentile nationally when measured against other areas assessed. This lower-than-average national activity reflects the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New developments consist of approximately 48% standalone homes and 52% medium to high-density housing, marking a shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 66% houses. This trend provides accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers, suggesting decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles.

The location has approximately 308 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Population forecasts project Surrey Hills West - Canterbury to gain around 292 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

"Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 25 projects potentially impacting the area. Notable projects include Canterbury Gardens Precinct, Maling Road Mixed-Use Development (Canterbury Hill), 359-365 Canterbury Road Retail Development, and Canterbury Sports Ground Pavilion Renewal.".

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 performance in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 2.1%, with an estimated employment growth of 3.4% over the past year.

In June 2025, 9,222 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.6 percentage points below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Notably, professional & technical employs 1.6 times the regional average.

However, construction only employs 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population to local population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.4% while labour force increased by 2.9%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.5%, labour force grow by 4.0%, and unemployment increase by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Surrey Hills West - Canterbury's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localised population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury had a median income among taxpayers of $64,479 and an average level of $125,238. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $72,320 (median) and $140,467 (average). Census data from 2021 shows Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 85th and 94th percentiles nationally. Income distribution indicates that 35.9% of residents earn over $4,000 per week, contrasting with the surrounding region where the majority earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly. The area's affluence is evident with 46.6% earning over $3,000 per week. After housing costs, residents retain 87.5% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile nationally.

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

The dwelling structure in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury, as per the latest Census, consisted of 65.7% houses and 34.3% other dwellings. In Melbourne metro, this was 55.5% houses and 44.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury stood at 46.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.3% and rented ones at 20.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,150, higher than Melbourne metro's $3,000. The median weekly rent was $475, compared to Melbourne metro's $451. Nationally, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,150 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 at $475.

Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 75.6% of all households, including 38.8% couples with children, 27.1% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 24.4%, with lone person households at 22.3% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

Educational achievement in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury is notably higher than broader benchmarks. 56.4% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.5%). Vocational pathways account for 16.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 7.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.0% in secondary education, 8.8% in tertiary education, and 8.6% pursuing primary education. There are 9 schools operating within Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury, educating approximately 4,144 students. The area demonstrates high educational performance, with an ICSEA score of 1161, indicating local schools are among the most advantaged nationally. The school mix includes 3 primary, 2 secondary, and 4 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 25.3 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 19.2, suggesting the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

The analysis of public transport in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury shows that there are currently 73 active transport stops operating. These stops offer a variety of services including trains, light rail, and buses. The area is served by 9 individual routes which together facilitate around 4,156 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of these transport services is rated as good with residents typically located approximately 203 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are about 593 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 56 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury shows superior health outcomes for both younger and elderly residents, with low prevalence of common health conditions. The area has a high private health cover rate of approximately 80%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 77.7% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.9% and 6.9% of residents respectively.

71.7% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's 73.8%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 19.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, mirroring the general population's health profile.

Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury 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 West-Canterbury exhibited significant cultural diversity, with 29.2% of its residents born overseas and 23.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Surrey Hills West-Canterbury, comprising 45.6% of the population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.4% versus 0.9%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (24.3%), Australian (20.1%), and Chinese (11.6%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences in representation: Sri Lankan at 0.6% (versus 0.7% regionally), Greek at 2.2% (versus 3.4%), and Welsh at 0.7% (versus 0.5%).

Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (17.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the age group 15-24 has increased from 15.0% to 17.1%, while the 75-84 cohort has risen from 6.3% to 8.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 15.2% to 13.9%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 12.6% to 11.4%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's age structure. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 47%, increasing from 1,333 to 1,964 people. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for all total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 45-54 and 25-34 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.