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 of February 2026, is around 13,489. This figure reflects a growth of 1,586 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,903. The increase was inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2024 and the Census date. The population density is 4,887 persons per square kilometer, placing St Leonards-Naremburn in the top 10% nationally. Its growth rate of 13.3% since the 2021 Census exceeded both its SA4 region (5.8%) and SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 69.7% to overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers being positive factors.

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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends forecast a significant population increase in the top quartile of national statistical areas. By 2041, St Leonards-Naremburn is expected to grow by 5,988 persons, reflecting a total gain of 44.4% 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 has averaged approximately 48 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 243 homes. As of FY-26, 10 approvals have been recorded. Each year, around 7 new residents arrive per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This has led to demand significantly exceeding supply, typically resulting in price growth and increased buyer competition.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost 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 42nd 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 focus on compact living offers affordable entry pathways, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 1069 people per dwelling approval, St Leonards - Naremburn reflects a highly mature market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by approximately 5,982 residents through to 2041. 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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 73 projects likely influencing the region. Notable initiatives 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 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. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 3.7%. Over the past year, employment has remained relatively stable.

As of this date, 8,953 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.2% below Greater Sydney's rate. Workforce participation in St Leonards-Naremburn is high at 79.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 67.3% of residents work from home. 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% versus the regional average of 8.6%. There are 2.9 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding regions. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 1.0%, while employment decreased by 0.1%, resulting in a rise of unemployment rate by 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1% and unemployment increase by only 0.2 percentage points during this period. According to Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25, total employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. 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.

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 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $84,713 and the average income stood at $121,405. These figures compared favourably with Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $92,219 (median) and $132,161 (average). Census data revealed that household, family, and personal incomes all ranked highly in St Leonards - Naremburn, between the 94th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income distribution showed that 33.8% of the population (4,559 individuals) fell within the $4000+ income range, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 range dominated with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (47.5% above $3,000/week) indicated strong economic capacity throughout St Leonards - Naremburn. High housing costs consumed 18.2% of income, yet strong earnings placed disposable income at the 92nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed 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

As of 2016 Census data, St Leonards-Naremburn had 16.8% houses and 83.2% other dwellings, compared to Sydney's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in the area was at 20.2%, with mortgages at 24.5% and rentals at 55.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, above Sydney's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent was $600, higher than Sydney's $470. Nationally, St Leonards-Naremburn's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,000 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher at $600 compared to 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 constitute the remaining 39.7%, with lone person households at 34.4% and group households making up 5.3%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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 notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 66.6% hold university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with 41.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 20.9%. Vocational pathways account for 17.0%, including advanced diplomas at 9.6% and certificates at 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.

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

St Leonards - Naremburn has 36 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 49 individual routes, collectively facilitating 12,540 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 207 meters from the nearest stop. Commuting patterns show car as the dominant mode at 50%, followed by train at 20% and walking at 19%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.5 per dwelling, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 67.3% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 1,791 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 348 weekly trips per 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 shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 79% (10,629 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.3 and 6.2% respectively.

A total of 79.2% reported being free from medical ailments, higher than the 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 12.1% (1,633 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors align with national rankings and are broadly in line with the general population.

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 0.8%.

Top ancestry groups are English (19.2%), Australian (15.4%), and Chinese (15.3%), which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 8.4%. Russian, Korean, and Spanish ethnicities are notably overrepresented at 0.8%, 1.6%, and 0.7% respectively.

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

St Leonard's-Naremburn has a median age of 37, matching Greater Sydney and closely aligning with Australia's median age of 38. The 35-44 age group is strongly represented at 21.4%, higher than Greater Sydney's figure, while the 5-14 cohort stands at 8.0%. This concentration in the 35-44 bracket is well above the national average of 14.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 7.2% to 9.0%, while the 75 to 84 cohort rose from 2.7% to 4.2%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort decreased from 23.7% to 21.4%, and the 0 to 4 group fell from 6.5% to 5.5%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in St Leonard's-Naremburn's age structure, with the 45 to 54 group set to grow by 53%, reaching 2,735 people from a previous total of 1,783.