St Leonards - Naremburn

St Leonards - Naremburn lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

St Leonards - Naremburn's population is around 13,588 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,685 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,903. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 13,498 in June 2024 and an additional 909 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 4,923 persons per square kilometer, placing St Leonards - Naremburn among the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's population growth of 14.2% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.4%) and the SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 69.7% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Future population trends forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of national statistical areas, with St Leonards - Naremburn expected to grow by 5,988 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 43.3% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees St Leonards - Naremburn among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

St Leonards-Naremburn averaged approximately 48 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 243 homes. As of FY-26, 9 approvals have been recorded. Each year, around 7 new residents arrive per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This significant demand exceeding supply typically leads to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average construction cost for new properties is $964,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals reached $375.7 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Leonards-Naremburn has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks in the 42nd percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and interest in existing dwellings. New development comprises 8.0% detached houses and 92.0% townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

With around 1069 people per dwelling approval, the area reflects a highly mature market. By 2041, St Leonards-Naremburn is projected to grow by approximately 5,883 residents (AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

St Leonards - Naremburn has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

A total of 73 infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Park Avenue Residences St Leonards, St Leonards Telstra Exchange Mixed-Use Tower, Waterstone, St Leonards, and Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) Campus Master Plan. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates St Leonards - Naremburn maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

St Leonards-Naremburn has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector being notably represented. Its unemployment rate is 3.7%.

As of June 2025, there are 8,820 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, which is 0.5% lower than Greater Sydney's rate. Workforce participation in the area stands at 75.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical services (19.8%), finance & insurance (13.4%), and health care & social assistance (12.1%). The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.2% versus the regional average of 8.6%. There are 2.9 workers for every resident, indicating that the area serves as an employment hub. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.2%, while employment decreased by 1.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6% during the same period. As of Nov-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Leonards-Naremburn's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.2% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The St Leonards - Naremburn SA2 has a high national income level, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for the financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $82,149, with an average income of $119,227. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on a 12.61% growth in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes are approximately $92,508 (median) and $134,262 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly in St Leonards - Naremburn, between the 94th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 33.8% of the population falls within the $4000+ income range, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 range dominates with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (47.5% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout St Leonards - Naremburn. High housing costs consume 18.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 92nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

St Leonards - Naremburn features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

St Leonards-Naremburn dwelling structure, as per the latest Census (2016), consisted of 16.8% houses and 83.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 41.1% houses and 58.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Leonards-Naremburn stood at 20.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.5% and rented dwellings at 55.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, below Sydney metro's average of $3,033. Median weekly rent in St Leonards-Naremburn was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $560. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

St Leonards - Naremburn features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 60.3% of all households, including 23.8% couples with children, 29.6% couples without children, and 6.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for 39.7%, with lone person households at 34.4% and group households comprising 5.3%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

St Leonards - Naremburn shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in St Leonards-Naremburn is notable with 66.6% of residents aged 15+ having university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% statewide (NSW). University degrees are most common at 41.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.0%, including advanced diplomas (9.6%) and certificates (7.4%). Educational participation is high, with 25.2% currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 7.7% in primary, 6.6% in tertiary, and 4.2% in secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 7.7% in primary education, 6.6% in tertiary education, and 4.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Transport analysis in St Leonards - Naremburn shows 25 active public transport stops operating. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. There are 49 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 10,876 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 208 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 1,553 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 435 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

St Leonards-Naremburn has excellent health outcomes, with a low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 80%, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent conditions are asthma (6.3%) and mental health issues (6.2%). A total of 79.2% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 78.0%. As of 14th March 2021, the area has 11.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,577 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 15.7%. Despite this, seniors' health outcomes are strong and align with the general population's profile.

St Leonards - Naremburn 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 Leonards-Naremburn has high cultural diversity, with 37.6% speaking a language other than English at home and 49.1% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 37.4%. Judaism is overrepresented at 0.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 1.0%.

Top ancestral groups are English (19.2%), Australian (15.4%), and Chinese (15.3%). Notably, Russian (0.8% vs regional 0.6%), Korean (1.6% vs 1.8%) and Spanish (0.7% vs 0.5%) are overrepresented.

St Leonards - Naremburn's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

St Leonards-Naremburn has a median age of 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38. The 35-44 age group is prominent at 21.5%, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage but lower than the national average of 14.2%. The 15-24 cohort stands at 8.8%, less prevalent than in Greater Sydney. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 7.2% to 8.8%, while the 75-84 cohort grew from 2.7% to 4.0%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group decreased from 23.7% to 22.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in St Leonards-Naremburn's age structure. Notably, the 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 55%, adding 975 people and reaching a total of 2,735 from its current figure of 1,759.