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 is 16,363 as of Aug 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 419 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,944. The change is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 16,231 in June 2024 and an additional 61 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,870 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth in the area 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 years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth is anticipated nationally, with the area expected to grow by 424 persons by 2041 based on current population numbers, representing a total gain of 1.8% over the 17-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. Development approval data from the ABS is on a financial year basis: 273 homes over the past five years (FY-21 to FY-25), with 5 so far in FY-26. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to other areas. The average construction cost of new properties is $1,753,000, indicating a premium market focus.

There have also been $18.1 million in commercial approvals this financial year. 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. This suggests possible planning constraints due to the area's maturity. New development consists of 48% standalone homes and 52% medium-high density housing, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. The location has around 308 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Population forecasts project an increase of 292 residents by 2041.

Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, potentially facilitating further population growth beyond projections.

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

Twenty-two infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. Key projects include the retail development at 359-365 Canterbury Road, the renewal of the Canterbury Sports Ground Pavilion, and the residential development at Glyndon Residences. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.1% in June 2025, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Employment growth was estimated at 3.4% over the past year. As of June 2025, 9,222 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

Construction employs only 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 3.4%, labour force grew by 2.9%, reducing unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.5% but unemployment increase by 0.5 percentage points due to a larger labour force growth of 4.0%. State-level data to Sep-25 showed VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase 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 extrapolations for illustrative purposes 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 ending June 2022, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury had a median income among taxpayers of $64,479 and an average level of $125,238. These figures are exceptionally high nationally compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% from financial year ending June 2022 to March 2025, current estimates would be approximately $70,998 (median) and $137,900 (average). Census data from 2021 shows that incomes in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 94th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. Income distribution reveals that 35.9% of the population fall within the $4000+ income range, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is highest at 32.8%. The area's affluence is evident with 46.6% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 87.5% of their income, indicating 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

The latest Census evaluation of dwelling structures in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury showed 65.7% houses and 34.3% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's breakdown of 55.5% houses and 44.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury stood at 46.4%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (33.3%) or rented (20.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in this area was $3,150, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $3,000. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure here was $475, compared to Melbourne metro's $451. Nationally, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's mortgage repayments were significantly 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% that are couples with children, 27.1% that are couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute 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, which is 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. Among residents aged 15+, 56.4% hold university qualifications, surpassing Australia's national average of 30.4% and Victoria's state average of 33.4%. This educational advantage positions the area favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 34.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.5%).

Vocational pathways account for 16.2% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas representing 9.1% and certificates 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 nine schools operating within Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury, educating approximately 4,144 students. The area demonstrates exceptional educational performance with an ICSEA score of 1161, indicating local schools are among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes three primary, two secondary, and four 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 hub for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 73 active transport stops operating within Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury. These comprise a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. Nine individual routes service these stops, collectively providing 4,156 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 203 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 593 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 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 older residents. The prevalence of common conditions remains low, with arthritis and asthma affecting 6.9% each of its 13,123 inhabitants. Notably, approximately 80% of the population has private health cover, exceeding Greater Melbourne's 77.7%.

Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%. A majority (71.7%) claims 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% (3,878 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 19.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors align well with the overall 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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 29.2% of its residents born overseas and 23.1% speaking a language other than English at home. The predominant religion is Christianity, accounting for 45.6% of the population. Judaism is overrepresented, comprising 0.4% compared to 0.9% in Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.3%), Australian (20.1%), and Chinese (11.6%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences: Sri Lankan is slightly overrepresented at 0.6%, Greek is underrepresented at 2.2% compared to the regional average of 3.4%, and Welsh is also underrepresented at 0.7%.

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 also older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (17.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 15.0% to 17.1%, while the 75-84 age group has grown 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 show significant shifts in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's age structure. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 47%, reaching 1,964 people from 1,333. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for all of the total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 45-54 and 25-34 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.