Bentleigh East vs Oakleigh South

In both, the large majority of households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Bentleigh East: a median of $1.45 million, against $1.22 million in Oakleigh South, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Oakleigh South tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Bentleigh East is a significantly larger suburb with a population of 30,159 compared to Oakleigh South's 9,851, and commands higher median household income at $115,180 versus $99,580. Bentleigh East also scores better on walkability (85 versus 80) and has a notably lower crime risk rating of 43 compared to 66. Oakleigh South edges ahead on liveability (82 versus 79) and offers slightly lower property prices—median houses at $1,220,000 versus $1,450,000—which may appeal to buyers prioritising affordability. Both suburbs are equidistant from the CBD and share the same median age of 40 years.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Bentleigh East

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (20 vs 11)
  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 66/100)
  • But Oakleigh South has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 2)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Oakleigh South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,220,000 vs $1,450,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Oakleigh South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($418/wk vs $500/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bentleigh East

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (10 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (31% vs 16%)
  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 66/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Bentleigh East and Oakleigh South drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Walkability 85 / 80
Bentleigh East — Walkability: 85/100 Oakleigh South — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 57 / 34
Bentleigh East — Safety: 57/100 Oakleigh South — Safety: 34/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Bentleigh East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Oakleigh South — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 70 / 76
Bentleigh East — Low flood risk: 70/100 Oakleigh South — Low flood risk: 76/100

Demographics

Bentleigh East has more residents (30,159 vs 9,851); Bentleigh East rents higher ($500/wk vs $418/wk).

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Population 30,159
+67% vs other
 9,851
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.1% +6.4%
Median age 40
same for both
Median household income $115,180/yr
+14% vs other
 $99,580/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+16% vs other
 $418/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
0-4 5.7% / 5.6%
Bentleigh East — 0-4: 5.7% Oakleigh South — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 14.7% / 11.0%
Bentleigh East — 5-14: 14.7% Oakleigh South — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 6.5% / 4.5%
Bentleigh East — 15-19: 6.5% Oakleigh South — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 5.1% / 5.7%
Bentleigh East — 20-24: 5.1% Oakleigh South — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 10.2% / 14.9%
Bentleigh East — 25-34: 10.2% Oakleigh South — 25-34: 14.9%
35-44 15.6% / 14.6%
Bentleigh East — 35-44: 15.6% Oakleigh South — 35-44: 14.6%
45-54 15.6% / 12.5%
Bentleigh East — 45-54: 15.6% Oakleigh South — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 11.2% / 12.2%
Bentleigh East — 55-64: 11.2% Oakleigh South — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 7.9% / 10.0%
Bentleigh East — 65-74: 7.9% Oakleigh South — 65-74: 10.0%
75-84 4.7% / 6.3%
Bentleigh East — 75-84: 4.7% Oakleigh South — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 2.8% / 2.8%
Bentleigh East — 85+: 2.8% Oakleigh South — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bentleigh East 54.2% couple families
Bentleigh East — Couple Families: 54.2% Bentleigh East — Lone Person: 26.4% Bentleigh East — One Parent Families: 15.1% Bentleigh East — Group Household: 2.8% Bentleigh East — Other Families: 1.4%
Oakleigh South 51.5% couple families
Oakleigh South — Couple Families: 51.5% Oakleigh South — Lone Person: 27.3% Oakleigh South — One Parent Families: 14.3% Oakleigh South — Group Household: 4.9% Oakleigh South — Other Families: 2.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bentleigh East 24.4% renting
Bentleigh East — Owned Outright: 35.4% Bentleigh East — Mortgage: 40.1% Bentleigh East — Renting: 24.4%
Oakleigh South 23.8% renting
Oakleigh South — Owned Outright: 39.3% Oakleigh South — Mortgage: 36.8% Oakleigh South — Renting: 23.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Bachelor Degree 19.9% / 18.1%
Bentleigh East — Bachelor Degree: 19.9% Oakleigh South — Bachelor Degree: 18.1%
Certificate III & IV 8.7% / 8.9%
Bentleigh East — Certificate III & IV: 8.7% Oakleigh South — Certificate III & IV: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 8.0% / 8.5%
Bentleigh East — Postgraduate Degree: 8.0% Oakleigh South — Postgraduate Degree: 8.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 7.8%
Bentleigh East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Oakleigh South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.3%
Bentleigh East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Oakleigh South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
India 3.6% / 8.1%
Bentleigh East — India: 3.6% Oakleigh South — India: 8.1%
China 4.8% / 6.4%
Bentleigh East — China: 4.8% Oakleigh South — China: 6.4%
Greece 2.2% / 5.0%
Bentleigh East — Greece: 2.2% Oakleigh South — Greece: 5.0%
England 2.2% / 1.4%
Bentleigh East — England: 2.2% Oakleigh South — England: 1.4%
Vietnam 0.9% / 2.0%
Bentleigh East — Vietnam: 0.9% Oakleigh South — Vietnam: 2.0%
South Africa 2.1% / —
Bentleigh East — South Africa: 2.1% Oakleigh South — South Africa: not among its largest
Sri Lanka — / 1.9%
Bentleigh East — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Oakleigh South — Sri Lanka: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bentleigh East 69.2% houses
Bentleigh East — Houses: 69.2% Bentleigh East — Townhouses: 14.1% Bentleigh East — Flats / Apartments: 16.7%
Oakleigh South 83.7% houses
Oakleigh South — Houses: 83.7% Oakleigh South — Townhouses: 10.1% Oakleigh South — Flats / Apartments: 6.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Median house price $1,450,000 $1,220,000
Median unit price $775,000 $720,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 173 sales
 22 days
from 69 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
2 bed $660K / $648K
Bentleigh East — 2 bed: $660K (103 sales) Oakleigh South — 2 bed: $648K (27 sales)

103 vs 27 sales

3 bed $1.02M / $901K
Bentleigh East — 3 bed: $1.02M (47 sales) Oakleigh South — 3 bed: $901K (17 sales)

47 vs 17 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
2 bed $1.07M / $950K
Bentleigh East — 2 bed: $1.07M (25 sales) Oakleigh South — 2 bed: $950K (7 sales)

25 vs 7 sales

3 bed $1.36M / $1.1M
Bentleigh East — 3 bed: $1.36M (164 sales) Oakleigh South — 3 bed: $1.1M (50 sales)

164 vs 50 sales

4 bed $1.59M / $1.28M
Bentleigh East — 4 bed: $1.59M (131 sales) Oakleigh South — 4 bed: $1.28M (39 sales)

131 vs 39 sales

5 bed $1.9M / $1.43M
Bentleigh East — 5 bed: $1.9M (19 sales) Oakleigh South — 5 bed: $1.43M (8 sales)

19 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Oakleigh South has more industrially zoned land (13% vs 0%).

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Residential 85% 40%
Other and special use 3% 33%
Industrial 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 9%
Parks and recreation 4% 3%
Commercial 1% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
New dwellings approved 617
across Glen Eira
 1,233
across Monash
Approvals change year on year -69% -4%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Houses 3.6%
$980/wk on $1.42M
 3.2%
$750/wk on $1.24M
Units 5.0%
$630/wk on $652K
 4.7%
$562/wk on $625K

Ranking within VIC

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
House price Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Income Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Schools Higher than 57% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 23% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 62% of VIC Higher than 44% of VIC

Liveability

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Grade A A+
Score 79/100 82/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Oakleigh South carries more crime risk (66 vs 43).

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
43/100
 Moderate
66/100
Flood Low
30/100
 Low
24/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 13
within 5 km
 23
within 5 km

Schools

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Inside the suburb 8 3
Rated above peers 2 3
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Monash Caulfield, 5.0 km
 3
Monash Clayton, 3.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9%
same for both

Schools in Bentleigh East

  • Coatesville Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Valkstone Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Bentleigh Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Peter's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • East Bentleigh Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • McKinnon Secondary College - East Campus Government · Secondary

Schools in Oakleigh South

  • Huntingdale Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Oakleigh South Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • South Oakleigh College Government · Secondary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Supermarkets 2 1
Cafes & restaurants 27 5
Parks & reserves 15 12
Childcare 20 11
GPs 10 0
Pharmacies 3 2
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 1
Fuel stations 4 2
EV chargers 0 1

Mobility

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Walkability score 85/100 80/100
Distance to Melbourne 22.2 km 22 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 30 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 463.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 291.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.2%
postcode 3165
 1.9%
postcode 3167
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 23
postcode 3165
 28
postcode 3167

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Car (driver) 49.5% / 54.5%
Bentleigh East — Car (driver): 49.5% Oakleigh South — Car (driver): 54.5%
Worked from Home 41.9% / 33.2%
Bentleigh East — Worked from Home: 41.9% Oakleigh South — Worked from Home: 33.2%
Train 2.7% / 4.8%
Bentleigh East — Train: 2.7% Oakleigh South — Train: 4.8%
Car (passenger) 3.1% / 3.7%
Bentleigh East — Car (passenger): 3.1% Oakleigh South — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.5%
Bentleigh East — Walked Only: 1.3% Oakleigh South — Walked Only: 1.5%
Bus 0.8% / 1.8%
Bentleigh East — Bus: 0.8% Oakleigh South — Bus: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.5%).

Setting

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Elevation 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 61 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.3 km 7.8 km

NBN connectivity

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Connectivity score 76/100 80/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
12,873 premises
 16%
4,564 premises

Climate

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Annual rainfall 644 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Average residential rate $1,577/yr $1,697/yr
Council Glen Eira Monash

Federal electorate

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Division Hotham
same for both
Member Clare O'Neil
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bentleigh East Oakleigh South
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bentleigh East

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Urban

Oakleigh South

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bentleigh East

Bentleigh East vs Bentleigh Bentleigh East vs Carnegie Bentleigh East vs Murrumbeena Bentleigh East vs Oakleigh Bentleigh East vs Ormond Bentleigh East vs Hughesdale

Other comparisons with Oakleigh South

Oakleigh South vs Clayton Oakleigh South vs Oakleigh Oakleigh South vs Hughesdale Oakleigh South vs Clarinda Oakleigh South vs Oakleigh East Oakleigh South vs Moorabbin
Full data on Bentleigh East Full data on Oakleigh South
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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