Franchise opportunities in Southbank - East, VIC

Southbank - East’s 16,506 residents give it a franchise opportunity score of 73/100. The strongest fit is Quick-Service Food (73/100), followed by Retail and Beauty & Health.

Geography: this report covers the Southbank - East area (ABS SA2). Demographics from the ABS Census 2021.

16,506Population (ABS 2021)
+26.7%5-year growth
$97,800Median household income
258Franchises recruiting in VIC
Opportunity score73/100
How this opportunity score works

The score is a weighted 0–100 research signal, not a site-selection decision. It combines, per category:

  • Demand (category fit for the population) — 30%
  • Competition gap (trade-area model, more room scores higher) — 25%
  • Demographic fit (income vs the category) — 20%
  • 5-year population growth (percentile) — 15%
  • Franchise availability (systems recruiting here) — 10%

Inputs: ABS Census 2021 (population, income, growth) and a trade-area competition model using OpenStreetMap / ABS business data where available. It doesn’t model rent, site specifics or local trading conditions, treat it as a starting point for research, then confirm on the ground and with the franchisor. See our methodology.

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For sale & open territories in Southbank - East

258 franchise systems are recruiting new territories that cover Southbank - East:

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Southbank - East on the map

Where Southbank - East sits and the real local businesses around its centre, the operators a new franchise would compete with. Tap a pin for the business name and type.

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Top 3 franchise categories by opportunity score

1. Quick-Service Food

73
Strong Median $337,000–$675,000 · 34 recruiting
Quick-Service Food franchises

2. Retail

73
Strong Median $200,000–$511,000 · 17 recruiting
Retail franchises

3. Beauty & Health

72
Strong Median $150,000–$494,000 · 11 recruiting
Beauty & Health franchises

What it costs to start in Southbank - East

Franchise fees don’t change by suburb, but the categories that fit Southbank - East best sit in these all-in investment ranges (Q3 2026 Fee Index, national medians).

CategoryTotal investmentInitial feeRoyaltySouthbank - East fit
Quick-Service Food$337,000–$675,000$45,0006.0%73
Retail$200,000–$511,000Not enough dataNot enough data73
Beauty & Health$150,000–$494,000Not enough dataNot enough data72
Lawn & Garden$18,000–$49,000Not enough dataNot enough data71
Massage & Wellness$467,000–$850,000Not enough dataNot enough data71
Mortgage & Finance$60,000–$124,000Not enough dataNot enough data71

Fees: Q3 2026 Fee Index (“Not enough data” means fewer than five systems publish that figure). The fit score blends Southbank - East’s demand, competition, demographics and growth, see methodology.

Southbank - East snapshot

Southbank - East vs a typical comparable Victoria area (median)
MetricSouthbank - EastTypical VIC areaDifference
Population16,50614,123+17%
Median household income$97,800$96,800+1%
5-year population growth26.7%1.2%+25.5 pts

Community & demographics

Who lives in Southbank - East, and what it means for a franchise. Every figure below is a real ABS Census 2021 median for this area, not an estimate.

Southbank - East community profile (ABS Census 2021)
MeasureSouthbank - EastWhat it signals for franchising
Median age31 yearsYounger market, skews to fitness, quick-service food and services
Average household size1.8 peopleSmaller households, favours convenience and single-serve formats
Median household income$1,880/wkOverall spending power of the local market
Median family income$2,385/wkDiscretionary spend of family households
Median personal income$1,152/wkIndividual earnings, a labour-cost and spend signal
Median rent$408/wkCost of living and a proxy for commercial rents
Median mortgage$1,820/moHomeowner cost base in the area
People per bedroom1Denser housing, larger or shared households

Source: ABS Census 2021 (G02/G35/G36/G37/G46) + ERP 2016→2021 · SA2 Southbank - East (206041509). Incomes are median weekly (household income is also shown annualised in the headline stats).

Housing, tenure & households

How Southbank - East lives, works and is housed, and what each signal means for siting a franchise here. All figures are real ABS Census 2021 counts for this area.

Southbank - East housing & workforce (ABS Census 2021)
MeasureSouthbank - EastWhat it signals for franchising
Renting68.6%High rental share, a mobile, convenience-led customer base
Owned with a mortgage17.3%Working homeowners, family services and home categories
Owned outright11.4%Fewer outright owners, younger area
Separate houses0%Mixed density, more walk-in potential
Flats & apartments97.7%Higher density, strong for cafés, gyms and quick-service food
Family households43.3%Broad household mix
Lone-person households42.6%Many singles, convenience, fitness and single-serve formats
Unemployment rate5.8%Around the national average

Source: ABS Census 2021, Southbank - East, tenure (G37), dwelling structure (G36), household composition (G35) and labour force (G46).

Survival & viability analysis

Quick-Service Food viability: High

The quick-service food opportunity in Southbank - East scores 73 out of 100. With a population of 16,506, the catchment is smaller, so demand may support only one well-sited quick-service food outlet. At about 2 existing quick-service food operators, competition sits below typical metro density, an opening for a well-run entrant. Median household income ($97,800) runs above the typical comparable area in the state ($96,800), supporting discretionary spend. Population is growing at 26.7% over five years, ahead of the typical comparable area in the state (1.2%), so new demand is still arriving.

Nearby competition by category

Trade-area model, estimated operators and market status
CategoryEst. operatorsCompetitionStatus
Retail1LowGap
Beauty & Health1LowGap
Lawn & Garden1LowGap
Massage & Wellness1LowGap
Mortgage & Finance1LowGap
B2B Services1LowGap

Operator counts are a trade-area model derived from ABS population, not a live business census. Richer POI data (OpenStreetMap / Google Places) is ingested per methodology.

How Southbank - East compares to nearby areas

LocationPopulationMedian income5-yr growthTop categoryScore
Southbank - East16,506$97,80026.7%Quick-Service Food73
Doreen - North16,484$113,00012.6%Bakery & Dessert76
Shepparton - South East16,573$59,5001.9%Quick-Service Food56
Mildura - South16,414$73,20010.9%Bakery & Dessert65
Donvale - Park Orchards16,410$118,800-1.8%Retail68
Moonee Ponds16,400$109,8008.2%Bakery & Dessert74
Port Melbourne16,366$122,000-6.3%Bakery & Dessert66

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Frequently asked questions

What franchise is best for Southbank - East?

Based on population, income, growth and competition data, Quick-Service Food scores highest for Southbank - East at 73/100, competition sits below typical metro density. The next best are Retail and Beauty & Health.

How much does a franchise cost in Southbank - East?

Fees don't vary by suburb. Across the Quick-Service Food systems that publish their costs, the Q3 2026 Fee Index shows a median all-in cost of $337,000–$675,000 (173 systems), a $45,000 median initial fee (9 systems), a 6.0% median royalty (9 systems) and a 4.3% median marketing levy (9 systems) nationally. See the Fee Index for every category.

Is Southbank - East good for a coffee franchise?

It's promising: a coffee & café franchise scores 70/100 in Southbank - East, with about 2 existing operators in the trade area (Strong suitability).

Demographics: ABS Census 2021 & Regional Population. Category scores combine ABS demographics with a trade-area competition model and live franchise availability, see methodology. Fees: Q3 2026 Fee Index.