Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury

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

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury's population was approximately 16,231 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 287 people from the 2021 Census total of 15,944. The rise is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 16,229 in June 2025 and 69 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,847 persons per square kilometer, placing it among the upper quartile of locations assessed by AreaSearch nationally. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in 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 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Future demographic trends suggest lower quartile growth nationally, with the area projected to grow by 290 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of approximately 1.8% over the 16-year period.

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, with a total of 273 homes approved between FY21 and FY25. In FY26, 32 homes have been approved so far. The population has declined in recent years, suggesting that new supply is likely meeting demand, providing good options for buyers.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $1,219,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This financial year has seen $18.1 million in commercial approvals, reflecting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Surrey Hills West - Canterbury has around 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 suggests maturity in the area and possible planning constraints. New developments consist of 48% standalone homes and 52% medium to high-density housing, indicating a shift from the existing housing stock which is currently 66% houses. This trend may reflect decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring more diverse and affordable housing options.

The area has approximately 308 people per dwelling approval, suggesting a low density market. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 288 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 25 projects likely affecting the area. Notable ones are 359-365 Canterbury Road Retail Development, Maling Road Mixed-Use Development (Canterbury Hill), Highfield Park Residential Estate, and 426-430 Canterbury Road Development, with the following list detailing those 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 (West) - Canterbury demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Unemployment is low at 2.4%, with estimated employment growth of 1.9% in the past year. As of December 2025, 9,035 residents are employed, with unemployment at 2.4%, below Greater Melbourne's 4.8%.

Workforce participation is 66.6%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. Home workership is high at 50.5%. Dominant sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training, with notable concentration in the latter (1.6 times regional average). Construction employs just 5.6% locally, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between December 2024 and 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, labour force by 2.2%, raising unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 2.4% and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Surrey Hills West - Canterbury's employment mix suggests local growth could reach 7.4% in five years and 14.9% in ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation 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 aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 indicates that Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $64,071 and an average level of $122,203. These figures are exceptionally high nationally, compared to Greater Melbourne's levels of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 would be approximately $70,235 (median) and $133,959 (average). Census 2021 income data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 93rd percentiles. Distribution data shows that 35.9% of the population (5,826 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.8%. The area demonstrates considerable affluence with 46.6% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 87.5% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

In Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury, as per the latest Census, 65.7% of dwellings were houses while 34.3% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury stood at 46.4%, with mortgaged properties making up 33.3% and rented dwellings accounting for 20.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,150, significantly higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure stood at $475, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's mortgage repayments were notably higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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 make up 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 2.6.

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 shows that 56.4% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 16.6% and graduate diplomas at 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.

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

Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury has 73 active public transport stops operating within it. These stops offer a mix of light rail and bus services, with 13 individual routes collectively providing 7,231 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 204 meters from the nearest stop. The area is primarily residential, with most commuters travelling outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 79%, followed by train at 10% and walking at 5%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 50.5% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,033 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 99 weekly trips per individual stop.

Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

AreaSearch's assessment shows excellent health outcomes for Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low, especially among younger residents. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 79% of the total population (12,790 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

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, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 24.0% of residents aged 65 and over (3,895 people), higher than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. While health outcomes among seniors are strong, they rank lower nationally than those of the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Surrey Hills West-Canterbury exhibited significant cultural diversity, with 29.2% of its population 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 its population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.4% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (24.3%), Australian (20.1%), and Chinese (11.6%), the latter being substantially higher than the regional average of 6.5%. Some other ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Sri Lankan was overrepresented at 0.6% versus 0.8%, Greek at 2.2% versus 2.7%, and Welsh at 0.7% versus 0.4%.

Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury is 45 years, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years, and considerably older than Australia's national median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (17.2%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.7%). According to the Census conducted on August 9th, 2021, the population aged 75-84 grew from 6.3% to 8.5%, while the 15-24 age group increased from 15.0% to 17.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 age cohort declined from 15.2% to 13.4%, and the 5-14 age group decreased from 12.6% to 11.1%. 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 39%, adding 543 people and reaching a total of 1,930 from the 2021 figure of 1,386. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 93% of the total population growth in the area, reflecting its aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers by 2041.