State Electorate · Area profile
Forest Hill (Eastern Metropolitan)
25 km²
More people are now calling Forest Hill home, with the population growing by 3% since 2016 to reach 61,409. It is a noticeably older community where the typical resident is 42, and over 22% are seniors. The area is highly diverse and well-qualified, with a strong presence of overseas-born residents and a high proportion of university degrees. This mix of an aging population and high educational attainment contributes to a professional character within the suburb.
Explore Forest Hill (Eastern Metropolitan) by topic
The community is older than most areas, with a typical age of 42 and a senior population that is well above the national figure. Families are common, though de facto relationships are much less frequent than in other parts of the state.
Born overseas, 44.6% of residents come from other countries, which is far above the national figure. Chinese, English, and Australian are the most common ancestries.
Language diversity is very high, with 45.2% of people using a language other than English at home. This is far above the national average, and the number of people who speak little or no English is also well above the typical level.
About 40.1% of residents report no religion, a figure that rose 6.7 points since 2016. Christianity remains the most common religious affiliation at 41.2%.
The area is highly qualified, with 38.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, which is far above the national figure. Year 12 completion is also much higher than most areas at 71.1%.
Typical family incomes are slightly above the national figure, and 25.8% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, up 9.4 points since 2016. However, typical personal income is a little below the national average.
Mental health conditions are much less common here than in most other areas. About 6.3% of people need help with daily activities, which is about the same as the state average.
Unpaid care is more common here than in most areas, with 13% of people providing care. Volunteering rates are around the middle for this level, though they fell 7.2 points since 2016.
Homes here are larger than usual, with a typical 2.7 people per household. One-parent families are much less common than in most other areas.
Home ownership is very strong, with 41.7% of homes owned outright—far above the national figure. Most homes are large, as 85% have three or more bedrooms, and typical rents are a little above the national average.
Working from home has surged to 33% since 2016, a figure far above the national average. While public transport departures are higher than the state average, only 2.6% of people use it to commute.
The population is relatively stable, with 32.5% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals make up 12.9% of the community.
Professionals and managers make up a large part of the workforce, with health and professional services being the top industries. About 58.7% of adults are working or looking for work.
Forest Hill is very walkable, with nearly all homes within a 15-minute walk of public transport, parks, and groceries. This access to services is far above the state average.