Bentleigh, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Bentleigh is an established, family-friendly suburb in Melbourne's south-east, within the City of Glen Eira and around thirteen kilometres from the central business district. Once known as East Brighton, it was renamed in 1908 after the Victorian premier Sir Thomas Bent, bringing the suburb into line with the name of its railway station. The heart of Bentleigh is the shopping strip along Centre Road, the largest in the district, with hundreds of businesses known for fresh food, continental delicatessens, cake shops, cafes and restaurants, and a weekly market beside the station. Leafy reserves such as Alnutt Park and Halley Park give the area its green, suburban character. Near Patterson station a large mosaic mural, Stationary Faces, created by the artist Pamela Irving, brightens the streetscape. The suburb sits on the Frankston railway line.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Bentleigh is more socio-economically advantaged than about 95% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1103, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Bentleigh at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 17,921
- Median age
- 39
- Median weekly household income
- $2,263
- SEIFA score
- 1103
- Coordinates
- -37.9227, 145.0377
Bentleigh demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Bentleigh using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 27%, 28% of homes are rented, and 37% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,236 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,209 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,903 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,904 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,673 | 15% |
Share of the 17,925 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,279 | 34% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,382 | 35% |
| Rented | 1,915 | 28% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4,016 | 60% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,338 | 20% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,315 | 20% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 6,719 occupied private dwellings in Bentleigh.
- Median weekly rent
- $480
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,500
- Average household size
- 2.6 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,877
- Median weekly personal income
- $990
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 6,497 (37%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 5,474 (32%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 49 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 10,867 (78%)
- Labour-force participation
- 68.3%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.3%
- Employed full-time
- 5,807
- Employed part-time
- 3,229
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Bentleigh
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Bentleigh is January (average daytime high around 25.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 13.2°C). The area receives roughly 800 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.9°C | 15.5°C | 60 mm |
| Feb | 24.9°C | 15°C | 40 mm |
| Mar | 23.4°C | 14.2°C | 51 mm |
| Apr | 19.9°C | 11.6°C | 68 mm |
| May | 16.3°C | 9.6°C | 70 mm |
| Jun | 13.8°C | 7.5°C | 68 mm |
| Jul | 13.2°C | 7.1°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 13.8°C | 7.3°C | 76 mm |
| Sep | 16.4°C | 8.4°C | 70 mm |
| Oct | 19.3°C | 9.8°C | 84 mm |
| Nov | 21.1°C | 11.7°C | 86 mm |
| Dec | 23.7°C | 13.4°C | 68 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Bentleigh
Where is Bentleigh?
Bentleigh is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Bentleigh?
At the 2021 Census, Bentleigh had a population of about 17,921.
Is Bentleigh an advantaged area?
Bentleigh has an ABS SEIFA score of 1103, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 95 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 95% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Bentleigh?
Bentleigh has average daytime highs of about 19.3°C and overnight lows of about 10.9°C, with roughly 800 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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