St Ives (NSW)

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of St Ives (NSW) statistical area (Lv2) is around 19,433. This reflects a growth of 1,049 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 18,384. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 19,396 residents following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release (June 2024) and validation of 104 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,359 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. St Ives's growth rate of 5.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's rate of 4.3%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains in 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 uses NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections indicate that the St Ives (NSW) area is expected to grow by 1,634 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of 7.5% over the 17 years. This growth rate is just below the median for statistical areas across the nation.

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

St Ives recorded approximately 88 residential properties granted approval annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval data. Around 444 homes were approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with an additional 29 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 1.4 new residents arrived per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, suggesting balanced supply and demand. However, this figure increased to 5.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating growing demand and tightening supply.

The average construction value of new properties was $975,000, reflecting a focus on premium developments. In FY-26, there have been $47.2 million in commercial approvals, signifying high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Ives had 23.0% more development per person over the five-year period.

New development comprised 55.0% detached dwellings and 45.0% medium and high-density housing, offering choices across price ranges. With around 247 people per dwelling approval, St Ives exhibited characteristics of a low density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, St Ives is projected to grow by 1,464 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing 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 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. Its unemployment rate is 4.2%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, there are 9,173 residents employed, with an unemployment rate matching Greater Sydney's at 4.2%. Workforce participation is also on par with Greater Sydney's figure of 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. St Ives has a particularly high concentration in the professional & technical sector, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction is under-represented, with only 5.4% of St Ives's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.4%, while employment declined by 1.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data from NSW as of 25-Nov shows employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that while overall employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry 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 this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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. These figures are notably high compared to national averages, with Greater Sydney's median income being $60,817 and average income at $83,003. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $67,893 (median) and $119,805 (average), based on a Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since the financial year 2023. 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 37.0% of the community (7,190 individuals) falls into the $4000+ earnings band, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 band dominates with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (48.7% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 15.3% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 95th percentile, and 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 while 33.7% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Sydney metropolitan areas which had 68.8% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Ives stood at 42.6%, similar to Sydney metro's level, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (40.6%) or rented (16.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in St Ives was $3,467, lower than Sydney metro's average of $3,500. The median weekly rent figure for St Ives was recorded at $688, compared to Sydney metro's $630. Nationally, St Ives' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

St Ives features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 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 constitute the remaining 18.0%, with lone person households at 17.0% and group households comprising 1.0%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which aligns with the Greater Sydney average.

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

St Ives has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 54.0% holding university qualifications. This figure surpasses national (30.4%) and state (NSW, 32.2%) averages, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the 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 residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 8.8%.

Educational participation is high in St Ives, 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

Transport analysis in St Ives shows 116 active public transport stops operating within the area. These stops are served by a mix of buses along 93 individual routes. Collectively, these routes provide 2,240 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 185 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 320 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 19 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

St Ives shows excellent health outcomes across all age groups, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (13,657 people), compared to 78.8% in Greater Sydney and 55.7% nationally. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.6% and 5.5% of residents respectively.

A majority, 75.4%, report being completely free from medical ailments, close to the Greater Sydney average of 76.0%. St Ives has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.6% (4,391 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 20.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with the general population's health profile.

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 high 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 predominant religion in St Ives, comprising 43.6% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in St Ives compared to Greater Sydney, making up 8.5% of the population versus the regional average of 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups based on country of birth of parents are English (22.4%), Chinese (16.4%), and Australian (15.6%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: South African is overrepresented at 3.9% compared to the regional average of 1.6%, Korean stands at 2.1% versus a regional figure of 2.3%, and Russian is represented at 0.6% compared to the regional average of 0.5%.

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

The median age in St Ives is 43 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeding the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 5-14 years make up 16.5% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 5.0%. Between 2021 and present, the percentage of people aged 15-24 has increased from 11.2% to 13.0%, while the percentage of those aged 25-34 has decreased from 6.1% to 5.0%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate substantial shifts in St Ives's age structure. The number of people aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 909 individuals (an increase of 109%) from 835 to 1,745. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 88% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the age cohorts of 55-64 years and 25-34 years are expected to experience population declines.