St Ives

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

St Ives' population is approximately 22,761 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,096 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,665. The growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 22,724 in June 2024 and validated new addresses totalling 110 since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,280 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. St Ives' growth rate of 5.1% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 area (4.4%), indicating it is a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, St Ives is expected to grow by approximately 1,853 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of around 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. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 472 homes were approved, with an additional 21 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.5 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years. However, recent data shows this has increased to 5.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $975,000, indicating a focus on the premium market by developers. This year alone, $47.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Ives has seen slightly more development, with 11.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, balancing buyer choice while supporting current property values.

Building activity shows a mix of housing types: 58.0% detached houses and 42.0% medium to high-density housing. St Ives has around 295 people per dwelling approval, indicating characteristics of a low density area. Population forecasts suggest St Ives will gain approximately 1,816 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering 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 to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include Hermitage St Ives, St Ives Indoor Sports Centre, St Ives Shopping Village Redevelopment, and Ellis Residences. The following list details those most relevant.

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

St Ives has an educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector and an unemployment rate of 3.8%. As of June 2025, there are 10,959 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, which is 0.4% lower than Greater Sydney's rate.

Workforce participation is at par with Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Major employment industries include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. St Ives has a strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level, but construction shows lower representation at 5.3% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, St Ives' labour force decreased by 0.3%, while employment declined by 1.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with an increase in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. As of Nov-25, NSW's employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Ives' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, although these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not consider localized population projections.

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 released for financial year ending June 2022 shows St Ives SA2's median income among taxpayers was $61,962 with an average of $109,339. This is notably higher than the national averages and compares to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% from financial year ending June 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes for St Ives would be approximately $69,775 (median) and $123,127 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in St Ives rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 96th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 37.7% of residents earn $4000 or more weekly, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1500 - $2999 bracket leads at 30.9%. The significant proportion of high earners (49.6% above $3000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. Housing accounts for 15.0% of income, and residents rank 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

Dwelling structure in St Ives, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 70.3% houses and 29.7% other dwellings including semi-detached properties, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Sydney metropolitan area's figures of 68.8% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Ives stood at 42.7%, aligning with the Sydney metro average, while mortgaged dwellings accounted for 41.7% and rented dwellings made up 15.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in St Ives was $3,500, mirroring the Sydney metro average, whereas the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $700 compared to Sydney metro's $630. Nationally, St Ives' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 as of 2019, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 during the same period.

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

Family households comprise 83.2% of all households, including 47.7% composed of couples with children, 26.2% consisting of couples without children, and 8.8% made up of single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 16.8%, with lone person households at 15.8% and group households comprising 0.9% of the total. 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

Educational attainment in St Ives significantly surpasses broader benchmarks. As of 2016, 54.0% of residents aged 15+ held university qualifications compared to the national average of 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. This educational advantage is reflected in the types of qualifications held: bachelor degrees lead at 32.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways account for 19.9% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas making up 11.1% and certificates 8.8%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2016. 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

Transport analysis shows 132 active public transport stops in St Ives. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 95 individual routes. Together, they facilitate 1,822 weekly passenger trips.

Residential accessibility to transport is rated excellent, with residents on average located 182 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 260 trips per day across all routes, equating 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 demonstrates excellent health outcomes across all age groups, with a low prevalence of common health conditions. As of July 2021, approximately 75% of St Ives' total population (17,139 people) has 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. A total of 75.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 76.0%. As of July 2021, 22.1% of St Ives' population is aged 65 and over (5,039 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 20.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in St Ives are strong and largely align with the overall 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 there. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, comprising 8.3% of the population compared to the Greater Sydney average of 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups in St Ives are English at 22.5%, Chinese at 16.7%, and Australian at 15.8%. Some ethnic groups are significantly different from regional averages: South African is overrepresented at 3.9% (compared to 1.6%), Korean is slightly underrepresented at 1.9% (versus 2.3%), and Russian is marginally overrepresented at 0.6% (against 0.5%).

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 16.9% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 4.8%. Between 2021 and now, the percentage of people aged 15-24 has increased from 11.3% to 13.0%, while the percentage of those aged 25-34 has decreased from 5.8% to 4.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in St Ives's age structure. The number of people aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 1,027 (an increase of 110%), from 933 to 1,961. Notably, the combined population of those aged 65 and above will account for 86% of total population growth, reflecting St Ives's aging demographic trend. Conversely, the populations of those aged 55-64 and 25-34 are expected to decline.