St Ives (NSW)

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

Based on ABS population updates and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, as of Feb 2026, St Ives's population is estimated at around 19,433. This reflects an increase of 1,049 people (5.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 18,384. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 19,396 following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 106 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 1,359 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. St Ives's growth of 5.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's 4.3%, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, 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. By 2041, based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of St Ives (NSW) is expected to grow by 1,636 persons, reflecting a gain of 7.5% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within St Ives when compared nationally

St Ives recorded approximately 88 residential properties granted approval annually, with about 444 homes approved between FY21-FY25 and 29 in FY26. On average, 1.4 new residents arrived per new home over the past five financial years, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this figure has increased to 5.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting rising demand and tightening supply. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $975,000, reflecting a focus on premium market developments.

This year, St Ives has seen $47.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Ives has slightly more development, with 23.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, offering buyer choice while supporting current property values. New developments consist of 55.0% detached dwellings and 45.0% medium and high-density housing, providing choices across price ranges.

With around 247 people per dwelling approval, St Ives exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. By 2041, St Ives is projected to grow by 1,461 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, presenting good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

St Ives has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that may impact the area. Key projects include Hermitage St Ives, Fairview St Ives, Ellis Residences, and St Ives Shopping Village Redevelopment. The following list details those likely to be 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 conditions in St Ives remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

St Ives has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate is 4.2%, as aggregated by AreaSearch from statistical area data. As of September 2025, 9,184 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate aligned to Greater Sydney's at 4.2%.

However, workforce participation lags at 61.8% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 60.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. St Ives has a particularly high concentration in professional & technical jobs, at 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction is under-represented with only 5.4% of the workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.5%, while employment declined by 1.0%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.4 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to St Ives's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

The suburb of St Ives had a median taxpayer income of $62,367 and an average income of $110,054 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. By September 2025, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since the financial year 2023, estimated incomes would be approximately $67,893 (median) and $119,805 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in St Ives rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 95th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 37% of the community earns more than $4,000 per week (7,190 individuals), differing from regional patterns where earnings between $1,500 and $2,999 dominate with 30.9%. This indicates a substantial proportion of high earners (48.7% above $3,000/week) in the suburb, suggesting strong economic capacity. High housing costs consume 15.3% of income, but despite this, disposable income ranks at the 95th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

St Ives displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In St Ives, as per the latest Census evaluation, 66.2% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 33.7% being semi-detached, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Ives stood at 42.6%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 40.6% and rented ones comprising 16.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,467, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure in St Ives was $688, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, St Ives' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

St Ives features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 82.0% of all households, including 46.1% couples with children, 26.3% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for 18.0%, with lone person households at 17.0% and group households comprising 1.0%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

St Ives 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 St Ives is notably high, with 54.0% of residents aged 15+ possessing university qualifications as of the latest data point. This figure exceeds national (30.4%) and state (32.2%, NSW) averages. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 32.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 17.8%, and graduate diplomas at 3.3%. Vocational pathways account for 20.1% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas making up 11.3% and certificates 8.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.8% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 5.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

St Ives has 116 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 93 different routes that together facilitate 2,240 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 185 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outward due to St Ives being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 85%, with trains used by 7% of residents. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 60.1% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 320 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 19 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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

St Ives' health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (13,657 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (6.6%) and asthma (5.5%), while 75.4% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the 74.6% in Greater Sydney.

St Ives has 23.2% of residents aged 65 and over (4,508 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with national rankings for the general population.

St Ives 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 Ives has a significant level of cultural diversity, with 34.2% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 48.6% born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion in St Ives, accounting for 43.6% of people. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in St Ives compared to the Greater Sydney average, comprising 8.5% versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestral groups based on parents' country of birth are English at 22.4%, Chinese at 16.4%, and Australian at 15.6%. Some other ethnic groups are also notably divergent in their representation: South African is overrepresented at 3.9% compared to the regional average of 0.5%, Korean at 2.1% versus 1.1%, and Russian at 0.6% versus 0.4%.

St Ives hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in St Ives is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 5-14 years make up 16.2% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years constitute only 4.8%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of people aged 15-24 has increased from 11.2% to 13.4%, while the proportion of those aged 25-34 has decreased from 6.1% to 4.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in St Ives's age structure. The number of people aged 85 and above is projected to rise by 866 individuals (99%), from 874 to 1,741. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 89% of total population growth, reflecting St Ives's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the age groups of 55-64 years and 0-4 years are expected to experience population declines.