South Yarra

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

The estimated population of South Yarra as of February 2026 is around 29,493, reflecting an increase of 4,465 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 17.8% increase from the previous population count of 25,028. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 28,418 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024 and validation of an additional 730 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 8,307 persons per square kilometer, placing South Yarra in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate exceeded both the national average (9.9%) and state averages, indicating it as a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 93.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting them using a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of Australian statistical areas, with South Yarra expected to grow by 9,549 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections. This reflects an overall increase of 28.7% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions South Yarra among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows South Yarra had around 397 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling approximately 1,985 homes. As of FY-26193 approvals have been recorded. The average population increase per dwelling built in South Yarra was zero people per year between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating supply met or exceeded demand during this period. New properties were constructed at an average cost of $736,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $72.1 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. Building activity comprised 2.0% detached houses and 98.0% medium and high-density housing. South Yarra's population is projected to grow by 8,474 residents by 2041, potentially outpacing current housing supply if development rates remain constant, which could increase buyer competition and support stronger price growth.

Population forecasts indicate South Yarra will gain 8,474 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

South Yarra has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 89 projects likely to impact the area, with key ones being 671 Chapel Street, The Jam Factory, One Toorak Place (Orchard Piper Carters Avenue), and Holckner Family Senior Living and Community Precinct - St Kilda Road Stage 2. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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.

Employment performance in South Yarra exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

South Yarra has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 3.6% as of an unspecified past year. Employment growth over this period was estimated at 4.3%.

As of December 2025, 20,915 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.2% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation in South Yarra was 81.0%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. According to Census responses, 51.8% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

South Yarra had a particular specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level. However, construction had limited presence with 4.9% employment compared to 9.7% regionally. The ratio of workers to residents was 0.9 as at the Census, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 4.3%, while labour force increased by 4.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4%, labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within South Yarra. These projections estimate national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to South Yarra's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, South Yarra suburb has a median income among taxpayers of $70,666 and an average income of $127,210. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to the Greater Melbourne median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates for South Yarra would be approximately $76,496 (median) and $137,705 (average) as of September 2025. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics' Census figures from 2021, individual earnings in South Yarra stand out at the 96th percentile nationally ($1,395 weekly), though household income ranks lower at the 69th percentile. Distribution data shows that 33.5% of locals (9,880 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly earnings category, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. Economic strength is evident through 31.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 17.1% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 67th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

South Yarra features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

South Yarra's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 7.4% houses and 92.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Yarra was at 18.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.2% and rented ones at 63.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in South Yarra was $415, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, South Yarra's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

South Yarra features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 42.3% of all households, including 8.9% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 4.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 57.7%, with lone person households at 49.3% and group households comprising 8.4%. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

South Yarra demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

South Yarra's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 64.3% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. This high level of education positions the area favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 40.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%).

Vocational pathways account for 16.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 7.5%. Educational participation is high, with 25.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.9% in tertiary education, 3.6% in primary education, and 3.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

South Yarra has 76 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 13 different routes that facilitate 11,389 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically living just 147 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily. Car remains the primary mode of transportation, used by 46% of residents, followed by train at 21% and walking at 16%. On average, there are 0.4 vehicles per dwelling, below the regional norm.

A significant 51.8% of residents work from home, as recorded in the 2021 Census, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 1,627 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly 149 weekly trips per individual stop.

South Yarra's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

South Yarra's health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 77% of South Yarra's total population (22,647 people) have private health cover, compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 9.6% and 8.1% of residents respectively. 74.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. South Yarra has 12.3% of residents aged 65 and over (3,627 people), lower than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, ranking even higher than the general population nationally.

South Yarra was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

South Yarra has a high level of cultural diversity, with 26.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 40.3% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in South Yarra, making up 33.4% of people. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 2.2% of South Yarra's population versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 23.6%, Australian at 15.5%, and Other at 12.2%. Notably, French (1.1%), Russian (0.8%), and Polish (1.2%) ethnicities are overrepresented in South Yarra compared to regional averages of 0.5%, 0.4%, and 0.8% respectively.

South Yarra's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

South Yarra's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Yarra has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (35.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.7% to 13.3%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 9.8% to 8.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests South Yarra's age profile will change significantly. The 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow by 24%, adding 2,477 residents to reach a total of 12,800.