South Yarra

Population growth drivers in South Yarra are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

By Nov 2025, South Yarra's population is estimated at around 29,272. This reflects an increase of 4,244 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 25,028. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 28,366 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 744 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 8,245 persons per square kilometer, placing South Yarra in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. South Yarra's growth rate of 17.0% since the 2021 census exceeded both the national average (8.9%) and state averages. The primary driver for population growth was overseas migration contributing approximately 93.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and utilising VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 for areas not covered by this data. For future trends, South Yarra is forecast to grow significantly, with an increase of 9,539 persons expected by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 29.7% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in South Yarra shows an average of approximately 397 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years. This totals around 1,985 homes. As of FY-26, 41 approvals have been recorded. The population growth rate is approximately zero people per dwelling built annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that supply meets or exceeds demand.

The average construction cost value for new properties is $733,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $215.5 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. New building activity comprises 2.0% detached houses and 98.0% medium to high-density housing.

South Yarra's population is projected to increase by 8,699 residents by 2041, potentially outpacing current housing supply if development rates remain constant, which could intensify buyer competition and support stronger price growth.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 89 projects that could affect the region. Notable projects include 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 of those most likely to be 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 conditions in South Yarra demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

South Yarra has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.6%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 6.3%. As of June 2025, 21,191 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.6% compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.6%. Workforce participation in South Yarra is higher at 72.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

The area has a strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level. However, construction has limited presence at 4.9% compared to the regional average of 9.7%. The worker-to-resident ratio is substantial at 0.9, indicating significant local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 6.3%, while labour force grew by 7.2%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.8 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% over the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Yarra's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest data for South Yarra, released for the financial year ending June 2022, indicates a median income among taxpayers of $70,702 and an average income of $127,316. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high. In Greater Melbourne, the median income is $54,892 with an average of $73,761. Based on a 12.16% growth in wages since June 2022, as per the Wage Price Index, current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $79,299 and an average income of $142,798 by September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in South Yarra rank at the 96th percentile nationally ($1,395 weekly), while household incomes rank lower at the 69th percentile. Income distribution shows that 33.5% of locals (9,806 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly earnings bracket, similar to surrounding regions where 32.8% occupy this range. Economic strength is evident with 31.6% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting high consumer spending. High housing costs consume 17.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. 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 above-average rates of outright home ownership

South Yarra dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 7.4% houses and 92.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had no reported houses or other dwellings at that time. Home ownership in South Yarra was 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, aligning with Melbourne metro's average. The median weekly rent figure was $415, whereas Melbourne metro had no recorded figures for these metrics. Nationally, South Yarra's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,100 compared to Australia's average of $1,863. Similarly, rents in South Yarra were substantially higher at $415 than the national figure of $375.

South Yarra features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a median household size of 1.7 people

Family households constitute 42.3% of all households, including 8.9% composed of couples with children, 27.2% consisting of couples without children, and 4.5% being single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 57.7%, with lone person households making up 49.3% and group households comprising 8.4%. The median household size is 1.7 people.

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

Educational attainment in South Yarra is notably high, with 64.3% of residents aged 15 years and over holding university qualifications, compared to the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common 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 making up 9.4% and certificates 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. South Yarra has a robust network of eight schools educating approximately 3,500 students. The area's educational performance is exceptional (ICSEA: 1154), placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes two primary, two secondary, and four K-12 schools. Note that for schools showing '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

South Yarra has 77 active public transport stops. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 11 individual routes operating in total.

They collectively provide 9,665 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 145 meters to the nearest one. The service frequency is high, with an average of 1,380 trips per day across all routes. This results in approximately 125 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 shows excellent health outcomes, with very low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is exceptionally high here at approximately 77% of the total population of 22,489 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 9.6 and 8.1% respectively. A significant majority, 74.0%, report being completely free of medical ailments, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's 0%. The area has 11.6% residents aged 65 and over, totaling 3,395 people. Seniors' health outcomes align closely with the general population's profile.

South Yarra is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

South Yarra has high cultural diversity, with 26.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 40.3% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 33.4%. Judaism is overrepresented at 2.2%, compared to 0% in Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.6%), Australian (15.5%), and Other (12.2%). Notably, French (1.1%) Russian (0.8%), and Polish (1.2%) ethnicities are overrepresented in South Yarra compared to the regional averages of 0%.

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

South Yarra has a median age of 32 years, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and lower than Australia's national average of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Yarra has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (35.5%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has grown from 11.7% to 13.2%, while those aged 25-34 increased from 34.1% to 35.5%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 has declined from 9.8% to 8.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that South Yarra's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow strongly at a rate of 23%, adding 2,398 residents to reach a total of 12,790.