St Ives

Population growth drivers in St Ives are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, St Ives's population is approximately 22,761, marking a growth of 1,096 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 5.1% rise from the previous population count of 21,665. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 22,724, with an additional 110 validated new addresses recorded after the Census date. St Ives's population density stands at 1,280 persons per square kilometer, surpassing the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 5.1% since the 2021 census outpaced the SA3 area's 4.4%, positioning St Ives as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver behind this population increase.

AreaSearch uses 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 employs NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 using the 2021 Census as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, St Ives is projected to grow by approximately 1,853 persons based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall gain of 8.0% 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 on average over the past five financial years, with a total of 472 homes approved between FY-21 and FY-25. As of FY-26, 25 homes have been approved so far. The population growth rate per dwelling built averaged 1.5 people per year over these five years but has intensified to 5.2 people per dwelling in the past two financial years. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost value of $756,000.

This fiscal year has seen $47.2 million in commercial approvals registered, indicating significant local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Ives has slightly more development activity, with 11.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. The current building activity shows a mix of housing types: 58.0% detached houses and 42.0% medium to high-density housing.

This results in approximately 295 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, St Ives is projected to gain 1,816 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand effectively, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

St Ives has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 44thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely to influence the area. Key projects include Hermitage St Ives, St Ives Indoor Sports Centre, St Ives Shopping Village Redevelopment, and Ellis Residences. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in St Ives remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

St Ives has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector and an unemployment rate of 4.1% as of September 2025. There are 10,826 residents employed, with an unemployment rate matching Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Workforce participation is at par with Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. St Ives shows strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, construction has lower representation at 5.3% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the census working population versus resident population count. Between September 2024 and September 2025, St Ives' labour force increased by 0.5%, while employment declined by 0.9%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by only 0.2 percentage points. State-level data as of 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, industry-specific projections for St Ives indicate local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows St Ives SA2 had a median income of $61,962 and an average income of $109,339. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $69,775 and the average would be around $123,127, based on a 12.61% growth in wages since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data indicates St Ives' household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 96th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 37.7% of residents earn $4,000 or more weekly (8,580 residents), contrasting with the metropolitan region where the leading bracket is $1,500 - $2,999 at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (49.6% above $3,000/week) suggests strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. Housing accounts for 15.0% of income, and residents rank within the 96th percentile for disposable income. St Ives' 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, with 29.7% being other types such as semi-detached properties and apartments. Comparing this to Sydney metropolitan areas, it shows a similar distribution: 68.8% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Ives stood at 42.7%, mirroring the Sydney metro average. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (41.7%) or rented (15.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in St Ives was $3,500, matching the Sydney metro average, while the median weekly rent was $700 compared to Sydney's $630. Nationally, St Ives' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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 constitute the remaining 16.8%, with lone person households at 15.8% and group households comprising 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 a notably high level of educational attainment, with 54.0% of its residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This figure surpasses both the Australian average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification held by residents, at 32.9%. Postgraduate qualifications follow with 17.8%, and graduate diplomas account for 3.3% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above.

Vocational pathways make up 19.9% of qualifications in this age group, with advanced diplomas comprising 11.1% and certificates making up 8.8%. Educational participation is particularly high in St Ives, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.0% in primary education, 9.3% in secondary education, and 5.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

St Ives has 132 active public transport stops. All these stops operate buses. There are 95 different bus routes serving the town.

Together, they provide a total of 1,822 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents' homes to the nearest transport stop is 182 meters. On average, there are 260 trips per day across all routes. This means each stop gets about 13 weekly trips.

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

St Ives demonstrates excellent health outcomes across all age groups, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions. As of 17th June 2021, approximately 75% of St Ives' total population of 17,139 people have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 79.6%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in St Ives are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.4% and 5.6% of residents respectively, as of June 2021. Meanwhile, 75.6% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 76.0%. As of the same period, St Ives has 22.1% of its population aged 65 and over, totaling 5,039 people, which is higher than Greater Sydney's 20.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in St Ives 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 has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.1% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 48.4% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in St Ives, making up 43.4% of people. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented, comprising 8.3% of the population compared to Greater Sydney's average of 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 22.5%, Chinese at 16.7%, and Australian at 15.8%. Notably, South African ethnicity is overrepresented at 3.9%, Korean at 1.9%, and Russian at 0.6% compared to regional averages.

St Ives's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in St Ives is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 5-14 years make up a significant portion at 16.9%, while those aged 25-34 are relatively smaller at 4.8% compared to Greater Sydney. Between 2021 and present, the population of those aged 15-24 has increased from 11.3% to 13.0%. Conversely, the population of those aged 25-34 has decreased from 5.8% to 4.8%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show a significant growth in the 85+ age cohort, with an increase of 1,027 people (110%) from 933 to 1,961. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 86% of total population growth, reflecting St Ives' aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 55-64 and 25-34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.