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, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stands at approximately 13,588 as of November 2025. This figure represents a growth of 1,685 individuals (14.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,903 people. The increase is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 13,498 in June 2024 and an additional 909 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4,923 persons per square kilometer, placing St Leonards-Naremburn among the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. St Leonards-Naremburn's growth rate since the 2021 Census (14.2%) surpassed both the SA4 region (5.4%) and the SA3 area, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 69.7% of overall population gains during recent periods, with natural growth and interstate migration also playing positive roles.

AreaSearch's projections for St Leonards-Naremburn are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia figures released in 2024, using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022, with a 2021 base year, are utilized. Future population trends forecast significant growth for St Leonards-Naremburn, with an expected increase of 5,988 persons by 2041. This reflects a total gain of 43.3% over the 17-year period, based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

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 per year over the past five financial years, totalling 243 homes. As of FY-26 to date, 9 approvals have been recorded. Historically, around 7 new residents arrived annually for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This has resulted in demand outstripping supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $371,000. In this financial year, $375.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Leonards-Naremburn has about two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 42nd percentile nationally, leading to relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. New development comprises approximately 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, St Leonards-Naremburn reflects a highly mature market. By 2041, the area is projected to grow by approximately 5,883 residents (based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 73 projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable 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 provides details on those projects deemed most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch assessment positions St Leonards - Naremburn ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

St Leonards - Naremburn has an educated workforce with a notable presence in the technology sector. The unemployment rate is 3.7%.

Over the past year, employment has remained relatively stable. As of September 2025, 8,953 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.7%, which is 0.5% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. The workforce participation rate is 75.0%, higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.9 times the regional level), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance sectors.

However, construction shows lower representation at 4.2% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The area hosts more jobs than residents, with 2.9 workers per resident as at the Census. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 1.0%, while employment decreased by 0.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1% over the same period. As of 25-Nov-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 indicate a projected expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Leonards - Naremburn's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 had exceptionally high national income levels according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $82,149 and the average income stood at $119,227. This compares with Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $92,508 (median) and $134,262 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in St Leonards - Naremburn, between the 94th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 33.8% of the population (4,592 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, differing from regional patterns where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners, 47.5%, are above $3,000/week, indicating 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, comprised 16.8% houses and 83.2% other dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 41.1% houses and 58.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Leonards-Naremburn was 20.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.5% and rented ones 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 at $1,863 and rents 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 account for 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 make up the remaining 39.7%, consisting of 34.4% lone person households and 5.3% group households. 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

St Leonards - Naremburn has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above. Specifically, 66.6% hold university qualifications, surpassing the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. This indicates a significant educational advantage for the area, potentially opening up opportunities in knowledge-based sectors. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification type at 41.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%).

Vocational pathways account for 17.0% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.6% and certificates 7.4%. Educational participation is also high in the area, 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

St Leonards - Naremburn has 25 active public transport stops. These include train and bus services. There are 49 individual routes operating in total.

The weekly passenger trips across these routes amount to 10,876. Residents have good accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 208 meters to the nearest stop. The service frequency is 1,553 trips per day across all routes, which equals 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 demonstrates excellent health outcomes with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 80% of its total population of 10,856 people have private health cover, significantly higher than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.3 and 6.2% of residents respectively. Notably, 79.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 78.0%. As of 15th 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, health outcomes among seniors in St Leonards-Naremburn are particularly strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health 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 1.0% in Greater Sydney.

Top ancestry groups are English (19.2%), Australian (15.4%), and Chinese (15.3%). Notably, Russian (0.8%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.6%. Korean and Spanish also have notable divergences at 1.6% and 0.7%, respectively.

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

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