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, as of February 2026, is approximately 16,285. This figure represents a rise of 341 individuals since the 2021 Census count of 15,944 people. The increase is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 16,231 in June 2024 and the addition of 74 new addresses post-Census date. This results in a population density ratio of approximately 2,857 persons per square kilometer, placing it among the higher quartile of locations assessed by AreaSearch nationally. Population growth was predominantly driven by overseas migration 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, AreaSearch employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. By 2041, based on the latest ERP population numbers, the area is projected to grow by 424 persons, reflecting a total growth rate of approximately 2.3% over the 17-year period. This anticipates lower quartile demographic trends for national areas moving forward.

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 saw approximately 54 new home approvals annually. Between financial years 2021 and 2025, around 273 homes were approved, with an additional 24 approved in the current financial year 2026. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $1,219,000, indicating a focus on premium developments. This financial year has seen $18.1 million in commercial approvals, suggesting 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. This lower-than-average activity reflects the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New developments consist of 48% standalone homes and 52% medium to high-density housing, a shift from the existing housing composition (currently 66% houses). The location has around 308 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

Population forecasts suggest Surrey Hills West - Canterbury will gain approximately 370 residents by 2041. 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 to affect the area. Notable ones are Maling Road Mixed-Use Development (Canterbury Hill), 359-365 Canterbury Road Retail Development, Highfield Park Residential Estate, and 426-430 Canterbury Road Development. The following list details 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 a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.1% as of September 2025, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.7%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.5%.

In September 2025, 9,020 residents were employed, with a workforce participation rate of 66.2%, below Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. A significant portion, 50.5%, worked from home according to Census responses, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area shows notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, at 1.6 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction employs only 5.6% of local workers, lower than Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 2.5%, labour force grew by 2.3%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.0%, labour force grow by 3.3%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project national employment 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 employment could increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 2023, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $64,071 and an average income of $122,203. These figures are exceptionally high nationally compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $69,357 (median) and $132,285 (average). Census 2021 data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 93rd percentiles. Income distribution reveals that 35.9% of the population earns $4000+ per week, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.8%. The area exhibits significant affluence 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

Dwelling structure in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury, as per the latest Census, consisted of 65.7% houses and 34.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury was 46.4%, with the rest either mortgaged (33.3%) or rented (20.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,150, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,000 and Australia's average of $1,863. Median weekly rent was $475, compared to Melbourne metro's $390 and the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 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%, consisting of 22.3% lone person households and 2.0% group households. 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 is notably higher than broader benchmarks. As of the latest data, 56.4% of residents aged 15 and above hold 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 among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 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.

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

In Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury, there are 73 active public transport stops serving a mix of lightrail and buses. These stops are operated by 13 individual routes that collectively facilitate 7,231 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically residing 204 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential region, most commuters travel outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 79%, while train usage stands at 10% and walking at 5%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 50.5% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The 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

Surrey Hills West - Canterbury shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts specifically have a very low prevalence of common health conditions. The area has an exceptionally high private health cover rate at approximately 79% of its total population (12,832 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the 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 being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24.8% (4,030 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong but rank lower nationally than 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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 29.2% of its population born overseas and 23.1% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Surrey Hills West-Canterbury, comprising 45.6%. However, Judaism is more prevalent here compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.4% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.3%), Australian (20.1%), and Chinese (11.6%), which is higher than the regional average of 6.5%. Notable differences exist in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Sri Lankan 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 Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (17.2%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.1%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75-84 grew from 6.3% to 8.6%, while the 15-24 age group increased from 15.0% to 17.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group decreased from 15.2% to 13.3%, and the 5-14 age group dropped from 12.6% to 11.2%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury's age structure. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 40%, reaching 1,964 people from 1,407. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 92% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 35-44 and 0-4 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.