St Leonards - Naremburn
Statistical Area - sa2

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, is approximately 13,588 by 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 of 4,923 persons per square kilometer, placing St Leonards-Naremburn in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 14.2% since the 2021 census exceeds both the SA4 region (5.4%) and the SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 69.7% to overall population gains in recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections 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. Future population trends forecast a significant increase, with St Leonards-Naremburn expected to grow by 5,988 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 43.3% in total 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, nine approvals have been recorded. On average, seven new residents arrived per year for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This results in demand exceeding supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost value of $371,000. In the current financial year, $375.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Leonards-Naremburn has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 43rd percentile nationally, leading to relatively constrained buyer choice and interest in existing dwellings. New development consists predominantly of townhouses or apartments (92%), with detached houses making up approximately 8%.

This trend reflects a highly mature market with around 1069 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, St Leonards-Naremburn is projected to grow by 5,883 residents. 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 20% nationally

The performance of a specific area can significantly impacted by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 73 such projects that are expected to influence this particular area. Notable projects include The Newlands by Eterno (previously known as Top Spring), Park Avenue Residences St Leonards, the St Leonards Telstra Exchange Mixed-Use Tower, and the upgrade of St Leonards Station. The following list provides more details about these projects, which are considered most relevant to this area.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

St Leonards-Naremburn has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 3.7%.

In this month, 8,820 residents are employed while the area's unemployment rate is 0.5% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 75.0%, surpassing 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. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.2% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

The area hosts more jobs than residents, with a worker-to-resident ratio of 2.9, functioning as an employment hub attracting workers from nearby areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.2% in St Leonards-Naremburn, accompanied by a 1.5% decrease in employment, leading to a 1.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment increase by 2.6%, labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Leonards-Naremburn's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 7.7% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not consider localized population projections.

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

St Leonards-Naremburn has an exceptionally high national income level according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for the financial year ending June 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $82,149 and the average income stands at $119,227. This compares to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 2022 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $92,508 (median) and $134,262 (average). Census data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in St Leonards-Naremburn, between the 95th and 99th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 33.8% of the population falls within the $4000+ income range, differing from regional patterns where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 30.9%. The 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, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 93rd percentile and 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's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 16.8% houses and 83.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 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 ones at 55.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, below Sydney metro's average of $3,033. Median weekly rent in the area was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $560. Nationally, St Leonards-Naremburn's mortgage repayments were higher at $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 the remaining 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

St Leonards-Naremburn has a high level of educational attainment, with 66.6% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common 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 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. The area has four schools with a combined enrollment of 463 students. It demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1127. The educational mix includes one primary school, two secondary schools, and one K-12 school. Local school capacity is limited at 3.4 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 11.9, leading many families to travel for schooling. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis shows 25 active stops operating in St Leonards - Naremburn. These include both train and bus services. There are 49 individual routes serving these stops, providing a total of 10,876 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 208 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency is high, with an average of 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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across St Leonards - Naremburn, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 80% of the total population (10,856 people), compared to 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. A total of 79.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than the Greater Sydney average of 78.0%. The area has 11.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,577 people), which is lower than the 15.7% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors 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 Leonard's-Naremburn has a high level of cultural diversity, with 37.6% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 49.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in St Leonard's-Naremburn, accounting for 37.4%. Judaism, however, is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 0.9% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups based on parents' country of birth are English (19.2%), Australian (15.4%), and Chinese (15.3%). Notably, Russian (0.8%) and Spanish (0.7%) are overrepresented compared to regional figures of 0.6% and 0.5%, respectively. Korean is slightly underrepresented at 1.6%.

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

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