Highett VIC — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Highett, Victoria. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Highett VIC is 12,016 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Highett is $1,026 per week ($53,352 per year). Median rent in Highett is $430 per week ($1,863 per month). Highett has a median age of 40 years, older than the national median of 38. Highett has a population density of 3252.8 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Highett is England. The most common religion is No Religion (51% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Highett is $2,300.

There were 1,121 recorded offences in Highett in 2025-25, a rate of 93 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (412 offences).

Highett Map

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Highett Population

0
residents (Census 2021)

Highett Median Income & Rent

💰
Median Income
$1,026/wk
$53,352 per year
#1061 of 14,663
🏠
Median Rent
$430/wk
$1,863 per month
#1360 of 14,663
👤
Median Age
40years
2 years older than national median
🏡
Mortgage
$2,300/mo
Avg household size: —

Highett Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.6% (5,711) Female 52.4% (6,299)

Population Density

3252.8
people per km²
12,016 people · 3.7 km²

Households

Avg household size
Persons per bedroom
$2,788
Family income/wk

Highett Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Highett Housing Tenure

🏠
Owned outright
42.9% 1,461 dwellings
🏦
Owned with mortgage
57.1% 1,942 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Highett Country of Birth

Australia
82.9%
England
7.1%
India
3.1%
China
2.7%
Greece
1.5%
Germany
0.7%
Canada
0.6%
Croatia
0.5%
France
0.4%
Hong Kong
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Highett Religion

No Religion
50.6%
Catholic
23.6%
Anglican
8.4%
Not stated
5.8%
Eastern Orthodox
5.2%
Christian (other)
2.2%
Uniting Church
2.1%
Judaism
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Highett Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
80.0%
Year 11 or equivalent
9.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
8.0%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Highett Languages Spoken at Home

Mandarin
21.1%
Greek
21.0%
Other
16.9%
Russian
14.0%
Cantonese
7.1%
Italian
6.9%
Hindi
6.7%
Polish
6.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Highett Employment

💼
Employed full-time
44.5% 4,041 people
Employed part-time
22.0% 1,996 people
🔍
Unemployed
3.2% 286 people
🏠
Not in labour force
30.3% 2,751 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Highett Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
41.6%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
18.4%
Certificate III/IV
17.8%
Postgraduate Degree
15.0%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.2%
Certificate I/II
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Highett Occupation

Professionals
37.1%
Managers
21.7%
Clerical & Administrative
12.4%
Technicians & Trade Workers
10.6%
Community & Personal Service
8.7%
Sales Workers
5.3%
Labourers
2.5%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Highett Field of Study

Management & Commerce
29.0%
Society & Culture
13.5%
Health
10.9%
Engineering
10.5%
Education
8.1%
Creative Arts
6.7%
Architecture & Building
5.9%
Information Technology
5.8%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.1%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.0%
Agriculture & Environment
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Highett Dwelling Types

Separate house
65.1%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
21.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
13.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Highett Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.7%
$1-$149/wk
0.9%
$150-$299/wk
1.3%
$300-$399/wk
2.2%
$400-$499/wk
5.3%
$500-$649/wk
3.4%
$650-$799/wk
4.7%
$800-$999/wk
5.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
5.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.8%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.8%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.5%
$4,000+/wk
21.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Highett Marital Status

💍
Married
45.0% 4,411
↔️
Separated
3.5% 340
📋
Divorced
10.1% 986
🕊️
Widowed
4.7% 465
👤
Never married
36.7% 3,597

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Highett Ancestry

English
27.7%
Australian
23.2%
Other
10.7%
Irish
10.2%
Scottish
8.4%
Italian
4.2%
Chinese
4.1%
Greek
3.4%
German
3.0%
Indian
2.1%
Polish
1.6%
Dutch
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Highett School & University Attendance

Primary — Government
29.5%
Secondary — Government
17.0%
Pre-school
14.0%
Primary — Catholic
10.4%
Vocational Education
10.1%
Secondary — Catholic
8.4%
Secondary — Other Non-Govt
7.1%
Primary — Other Non-Govt
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Highett Need for Assistance

Needs assistance
5.7% 1,306
No need for assistance
94.3% 21,803

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Highett Volunteering

🤝
Volunteer
14.0% 1,317
Not a volunteer
86.0% 8,100

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Highett Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.4%
$300-$449/mo
1.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.9%
$600-$799/mo
1.8%
$800-$999/mo
2.5%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.6%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
15.4%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.9%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
16.7%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
20.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Highett How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
65.4%
Did not go to work
19.7%
Train
4.4%
Car (passenger)
3.6%
Walked only
3.6%
Bicycle
1.1%
Bus
0.9%
Other
0.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.3%
Truck
0.3%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Highett Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.4%
1 vehicle
45.1%
2 vehicles
38.6%
3 vehicles
6.9%
4+ vehicles
3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Highett Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
5.0%
2 bedrooms
35.0%
3 bedrooms
38.3%
4 bedrooms
18.8%
5 bedrooms
2.6%
6+ bedrooms
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Highett Population Mobility

14.9%
moved in the last year
45.1%
moved in the last 5 years
4.3%
unemployment rate (Census)
68.4%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Highett Indigenous Population

0.3%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
81
Indigenous residents
23,216
Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Highett Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,050
Asthma
426
Heart disease
258
Arthritis
241
Diabetes
232
Lung condition
163
Cancer
151
Kidney disease
100
Stroke
84
Dementia
34

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Highett Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.4%
$1-$149/wk
4.2%
$150-$299/wk
5.5%
$300-$399/wk
2.7%
$400-$499/wk
3.0%
$500-$649/wk
2.2%
$650-$799/wk
6.8%
$800-$999/wk
8.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
13.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.1%
$3,500+/wk
7.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Highett Family Structure

Couple — children under 15
45.4%
Couple — no children
25.3%
Couple — no children under 15
16.5%
One parent — no children under 15
7.3%
One parent — children under 15
5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Highett Military Service

🎖️
Current ADF — Regular
0.0% 3
🛡️
Current ADF — Reserves
0.1% 8
🏅
Previously served
1.7% 161
👤
Never served
98.2% 9,287

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Highett Unpaid Carers

🤲
Provided unpaid assistance
13.6% 1,283
Did not provide
86.4% 8,123

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Highett Children Ever Born

No children
38.2%
1 child
16.3%
2 children
30.3%
3 children
11.5%
4 children
3.1%
5+ children
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Highett When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
40
1951–1960
128
1961–1970
331
1971–1980
367
1981–1990
400
1991–2000
478
2001–2010
831
2011–2015
567
2016
135
2017
84
2018
82
2019
84
2020
34
2021
16

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Highett Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
24.2%
5–14 hours
33.4%
15–29 hours
12.9%
30+ hours
7.1%
Did not do domestic work
22.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Highett Household Size

1 person
29.6%
2 persons
31.8%
3 persons
16.3%
4 persons
16.8%
5 persons
4.7%
6+ persons
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Highett Where Residents Moved From

Same address
9,754
Moved from VIC
1,365
Moved — same area (SA2)
218
Moved from overseas
70
Moved from NSW
14
Moved from WA
10
Moved from SA
9
Moved from QLD
8
Moved from ACT
5
Moved from TAS
4

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Highett Family Blending

Intact family — no other children
91.5%
Step family — no other children
5.8%
Blended family — no other children
1.9%
Intact family — other children present
0.4%
Other couple — children only
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Highett Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-25 — 1,121 total

Theft
412
Justice Procedures
213
Assault
129
Break & Enter
100
Fraud
73
Drug Offences
73
Property Damage
57
Weapons
35
Public Order
20
Robbery
4
Other
3
Traffic
2

Offence trend by year:

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria — crimestatistics.vic.gov.au

Highett Schools

28
schools nearby
19
government
1104
avg ICSEA score
10,608
total students
Beaumaris North Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 477 students
1150
ICSEA
Black Rock Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 489 students
1143
ICSEA
Sandringham East Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 432 students
1135
ICSEA
St Paul's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 341 students
1134
ICSEA
Cheltenham East Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 392 students
1122
ICSEA
Southmoor Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 368 students
1121
ICSEA
St Peter's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 625 students
1121
ICSEA
Tucker Road Bentleigh Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 393 students
1120
ICSEA
Tombolo Academy Independent
Secondary · U · 38 students
1119
ICSEA
Cheltenham Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 402 students
1116
ICSEA
Moorabbin Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 545 students
1108
ICSEA
Our Lady of the Assumption School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 257 students
1107
ICSEA
Sandringham College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,079 students
1106
ICSEA
Mentone Girls Secondary College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,102 students
1102
ICSEA
East Bentleigh Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 324 students
1100
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 28 schools

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Highett with map →

Highett Rent Prices & Affordability

20%
of income
Affordable
Household Income $2,119/wk
Median Rent $430/wk
Rent-to-Income 20.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Highett

≈ $9,182/month
Median rent $430/wk
Left after rent $1,689/wk
Rent share 20.3%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Highett vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in VIC

Frequently Asked Questions About Highett

What is the population of Highett VIC?

The population of Highett VIC is 12,016 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 3252.8 people per km².Highett is ranked #457 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Highett?

The median personal income in Highett VIC is $1,026 per week, or $53,352 per year.The median household income is $2,119 per week.Family income is $2,788 per week.Highett is ranked #1,061 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Highett?

Median rent in Highett VIC is $430 per week ($1,863 per month).Rent represents 20.3% of household income, which is considered affordable.Highett ranks #1,360 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Highett?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Highett VIC is $2,300. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Highett?

The median age in Highett VIC is 40 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Highett a good suburb to live in?

Highett is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 12,016.The median income is $1,026/wk, which is above the VIC average of $779/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 21185. All dollar figures in AUD.