Bentleigh East VIC 3165
Bentleigh East is a suburb in Victoria, 22 km from Melbourne CBD, around 30 minutes by car. Population is 30,159; the median age is 40 and the median household income is $115,180 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 9.1% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $500 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,500. The area shows no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 8 schools within the suburb boundary, 2 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Bentleigh East a good suburb?
Bentleigh East scores a A (79/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on prices.
Mixed results
8 schools · 2 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 85/100 · 22.2 km · 30 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.45M · Less affordable than 80% of VIC
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 43/100 · Flood 30/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 40 · 30,159 residents
Liveability Rating
79 / 100 · Ranked #63 in VICEach bar is Bentleigh East's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Bentleigh East?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
79 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBentleigh East's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.45 million, 0.3% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,450,000
8% below its 10 neighbours (median $1,580,000)
Based on 345 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 173 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 25 sales $1.07M
- 3 bed 164 sales $1.36M
- 4 bed 131 sales $1.59M
- 5 bed 19 sales $1.9M
Units
$775,000
38% above its 9 neighbours (median $561,000)
Based on 183 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 22 days — median across 88 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 19 sales $380K
- 2 bed 103 sales $660K
- 3 bed 47 sales $1.02M
- 4 bed 11 sales $1.5M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Bentleigh East are currently listed at around $1.42 million on average. Based on 277 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.42M
277 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$652K
88 units listed in the last 6 months.
365 of the suburb's 10,802 dwellings (3.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Bentleigh East rent for around $980 a week on average, based on 145 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$980/wk
9% above its 9 neighbours (median $900/wk)
145 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$630/wk
8% above its 9 neighbours (median $582/wk)
36 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
181 rentals advertised against an estimated 2,636 rented homes (6.9%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202588 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 34% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3165.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$980/week ($51,000 a year) on a $1.42 million median
$630/week ($33,000 a year) on a $652,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
23 active Airbnb listings: 12 whole homes and 11 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.1% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Bentleigh East safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Bentleigh East sits in the moderate band, with 932 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 16% on the prior year.
932 offences
16.4% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202586 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 4 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Eight schools serve Bentleigh East, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Coatesville Primary School and Valkstone Primary School lead the pack.
- • 3,642 students across 6 schools (avg 607)
- • Sectors: 6 Government, 2 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1049-1156, median 1110 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Bentleigh Secondary College (936 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 5.0 kmMonash CaulfieldMonash University · 198 courses
- 5.6 kmMonash ClaytonMonash University · 383 courses
- 8.9 kmDeakin University, Melbourne Burwood CampusDeakin University · 204 courses
2.9% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Bentleigh East is very walkable on foot — at 85/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 15 parks and 27 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Bentleigh East.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 463.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 400.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 250.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.5 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Bentleigh East.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 3%
- Premises covered
- 12,873
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Glen Eira: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 62 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Bentleigh East is home to about 30,200 residents, with a median age of 40, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $115,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
30,159
Median Age
40
Median Household Income
$115,180/yr
Census Median Rent
$500/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,500/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$48,204/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.0%
Total Dwellings
10,802
Owner-Occupier Rate
75.6%
Houses
69.2%
Rental Stress
22.6%
Mortgage Stress
26.0%
Work From Home
41.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
68 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 36 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 2,590 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 62.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 63.1%
- Employment Rate
- 64.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 55.8%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
1,423 residents (4.7%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 28,450 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
19% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (2,953 of 15,473).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 7,453 people work here; 15,473 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.5 jobs per working resident. At least 51% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,577 a year through Glen Eira based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 85%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Parks and recreation 4%
- Other and special use 3%
- Commercial 1%
- Zones under 1% 1%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Glen Eira
In the year to August 2026, 617 new dwellings were approved across Glen Eira. That mix is 221 houses and 396 units. Approvals are down 68.9% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 3,094 homes
- Projects firmly planned 335 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 12 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 2,747 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 7.6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
From the Brighton monitoring station, 6.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Moorabbin Airport, 6.9 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 52 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 6.3 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.1% of addresses
- 10 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 644 mm
- 94 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.0°C
- 10 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.9°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
13 facilities within 5 km- 0.4 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 2.1 kmPaint and Coatings ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Ethyl acetate
- 2.5 kmSoft Drink, Cordial and Syrup ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 2.8 kmPrintingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Oxides of Nitrogen
- 3.1 kmHuman Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
EV adoption
In postcode 3165, 443 of 20,480 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.6% (744 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3165, 2,624 rooftop-solar systems totalling 16.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 11,558 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 230 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3165 in 2025-26. The most was 155, in 2005-06.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
31 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $1,450,000 this is $700,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Clare O'Neil Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Clare O'Neil | 66.9% | 33.1% | +5.3 |
| 2022 | Clare O'Neil | 64.2% | 35.8% | -3.1 |
| 2019 | Clare O'Neil | 55.9% | 44.1% | -1.7 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Nick Staikos Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Nick Staikos ALP | 58.0% | 58.0% | 42.0% |
| 2018 | Nick Staikos ALP | 50.2% | 61.9% | 38.1% |
| 2014 | Nick Staikos ALP | 50.8% | 50.8% | 49.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Bentleigh East?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 30,159 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Bentleigh VIC 3204
Carnegie VIC 3163
Murrumbeena VIC 3163
Oakleigh South VIC 3167
Oakleigh VIC 3166
Ormond VIC 3204
Compare Bentleigh East to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Bentleigh East
Is Bentleigh East a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Bentleigh East is moderate (43/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Bentleigh East?
Bentleigh East has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a low share of it (30/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Bentleigh East a good place to live?
Bentleigh East has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (79/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Bentleigh East?
Bentleigh East, VIC had a population of 30,159 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Bentleigh East, VIC?
The postcode for Bentleigh East, VIC is 3165.
How far is Bentleigh East from Melbourne?
Bentleigh East is 22 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 30 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Bentleigh East?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Bentleigh East was $115,180 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Bentleigh East?
The median advertised rent in Bentleigh East is $980 a week for houses (145 listings) and $630 a week for units (36 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Bentleigh East?
The median age of residents in Bentleigh East was 40 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Bentleigh East?
There are 8 schools inside the Bentleigh East boundary: 2 above, 2 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Bentleigh East walkable?
Bentleigh East scores 85/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Bentleigh East?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Bentleigh East (Brighton) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.6 µg/m³. That puts Bentleigh East below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Bentleigh East?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Bentleigh East, Moorabbin Airport (6.9 km away), summer days average 26°C, winter nights 6.9°C, 644 mm of rain a year over 94 rainy days, and 10 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Bentleigh East?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Bentleigh East belong to?
Bentleigh East sits within the Glen Eira local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Bentleigh East?
The average residential rates bill through Glen Eira is $1,577 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Bentleigh East?
Across Glen Eira, 617 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 68.9% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Bentleigh East in?
Bentleigh East sits within the federal Division of Hotham, currently held by Clare O'Neil (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.