St Ives
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in St Ives are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

St Ives' population is approximately 22,732 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,067 people (4.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,665. The change is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 22,724 in June 2024 and an additional 100 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,278 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. St Ives' growth rate of 4.9% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 area (4%), indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest population numbers, St Ives is expected to grow by 1,853 persons by 2041, recording an overall gain of 8.1% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within St Ives when compared nationally

St Ives has seen approximately 94 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 472 homes were approved, with an additional 16 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 1.5 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years. However, this figure has increased to 5.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is around $975,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year, St Ives has seen $47.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Ives has slightly more development activity, at 11.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, balancing buyer choice while supporting current property values.

In terms of housing types, 58.0% are detached houses and 42.0% are medium to high-density housing, offering a mix of opportunities across price brackets. St Ives has around 295 people per dwelling approval, characteristic of a low-density area. Population forecasts indicate that St Ives will gain approximately 1,845 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply is expected to meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

St Ives has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Area infrastructure significantly impacts local performance. AreaSearch identified 17 projects potentially affecting the area. Notable initiatives include St Ives Shopping Village Mixed-Use Redevelopment, St Ives Indoor Sports Centre, Ellis Residences, and Fairview St Ives. The following details projects likely most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

While St Ives retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.8%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

St Ives has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.8%.

As of June 2025, there are 10,959 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.2% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation at 60.0%, the same as Greater Sydney's. The leading employment industries among St Ives residents are professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. Notably, professional & technical services have an employment share that is 1.6 times the regional level, while construction shows lower representation at 5.3% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The predominantly residential area may offer limited local employment opportunities.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, St Ives' labour force decreased by 0.3%, and employment declined by 1.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% during the same period. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. Job and Skills Australia's forecasts indicate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Ives' employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. St Ives' median income among taxpayers was $61,962 with an average of $109,339. Nationally, this is exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Using Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of March 2025 would be approximately $68,530 (median) and $120,929 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly in St Ives, between the 84th and 97th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 37.7% of residents earn $4000+ weekly (8,569 residents), contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (49.6% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. Housing accounts for 15.0% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 96th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

St Ives is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In St Ives, as per the latest Census evaluation, 70.3% of dwellings were houses while 29.7% comprised semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This compares to Sydney metro's figures of 68.8% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Ives stood at 42.7%, similar to Sydney metro, with mortgaged properties at 41.7% and rented ones at 15.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,500, aligning with the Sydney metro average, while median weekly rent was $700 compared to Sydney metro's $630. Nationally, St Ives' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

St Ives features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 83.2% of all households, including 47.7% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 16.8%, with lone person households at 15.8% and group households at 0.9%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which aligns with the Greater Sydney average.

St Ives demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

St Ives has significantly higher educational attainment than national averages. 54.0% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common (32.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways account for 19.9%, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (8.8%).

Educational participation is high, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.0% in primary, 9.3% in secondary, and 5.8% in tertiary education. There are 10 schools operating within St Ives, educating approximately 4725 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1132). The educational mix includes six primary, two secondary, and two K-12 schools.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis in St Ives indicates 132 active public transport stops operating within the town. These are served by a mix of buses along 95 individual routes, collectively facilitating 1,822 weekly passenger trips. The report dated 10th January 2022 highlights excellent transport accessibility, with residents on average located 182 meters from their nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 260 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

St Ives's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

St Ives' health outcomes data shows excellent results across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 75% (17,117 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 79.6%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.4% and 5.6% of residents respectively. 75.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, close to Greater Sydney's 76.0%. St Ives has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.1% (5,032 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 20.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with the general population's health profile.

St Ives is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

St Ives' cultural diversity is notable, with 34.1% speaking a language other than English at home and 48.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 43.4%. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented at 8.3%, higher than Greater Sydney's average of 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.5%), Chinese (16.7%), and Australian (15.8%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: South African is overrepresented at 3.9% compared to the regional 1.6%, Korean is slightly underrepresented at 1.9% vs 2.3%, and Russian is marginally overrepresented at 0.6% vs 0.5%.

St Ives hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in St Ives is 43 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeding the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 5-14 years make up 16.9% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 4.8%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of people aged 15-24 has increased from 11.3% to 13.0%, while the proportion of individuals aged 25-34 has decreased from 5.8% to 4.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate substantial changes in St Ives's age structure. The number of people aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 1,028 (an increase of 110%), from 932 to 1,961. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 years and above will account for 86% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Conversely, the populations aged 55-64 and 25-34 are expected to decrease.