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 AreaSearch validations, the suburb of St Ives (NSW) had an estimated population of 19,433 as of Feb 2026. This reflects a growth of 1,049 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 18,384. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 19,396 residents following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release (June 2024) and an additional 106 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,359 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. St Ives's growth rate of 5.7% since the 2021 census exceeded its SA3 area's rate of 4.3%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of 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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the suburb is expected to grow by 1,638 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall gain of 8.2% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates St Ives recorded approximately 89 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, FY-21 to FY-25, around 447 homes were approved, with an additional 31 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, about 1.3 new residents arrived per new home over these five years, suggesting balanced supply and demand conditions, which have recently accelerated to 5 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, implying increasing demand and tightening supply. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $975,000, indicating developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $47.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting significant local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Ives shows slightly more development, 24.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, balancing buyer choice while supporting current property values. New development consists of 55.0% detached dwellings and 45.0% medium and high-density housing, offering choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options.

St Ives has around 242 people per dwelling approval, characteristic of a low density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, St Ives is projected to grow by 1,601 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable 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 impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects likely affecting the area. Notable ones include Hermitage St Ives, Fairview St Ives, Ellis Residences, and St Ives Shopping Village Redevelopment. The following details projects expected to have the most relevance.

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.

While St Ives retains a healthy unemployment rate of 4.0%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

St Ives has an educated workforce, with the technology sector notably represented. The unemployment rate is 4.0%. Employment stability has been relatively consistent over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of December 2025, 9180 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate at 0.2% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is lower, at 61.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. A high proportion of residents work from home, with 60.1% doing so according to Census responses. The dominant employment sectors are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance.

St Ives has a notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. However, construction is under-represented, at 5.4% of St Ives's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population count versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, labour force levels increased by 1.0%, while employment remained stable at 0.0%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2% over the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia suggest that St Ives's employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to St Ives's current employment mix.

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 exceptionally high nationally, with Greater Sydney's median income being $60,817 and average income being $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for St Ives would be approximately $67,893 (median) and $119,805 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, incomes in St Ives rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes between the 84th and 95th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 37.0% of the community earns $4000+ per week (7,190 individuals), differing from regional patterns where earnings in the $1,500 - 2,999 range dominate with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of residents (48.7%) earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 15.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income 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

St Ives dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 66.2% houses and 33.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Ives stood at 42.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.6% and rented ones at 16.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,467, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in St Ives was $688, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, St Ives' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents 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 comprise 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 making up 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

St Ives has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 54.0% holding university qualifications compared to the national average of 30.4% and the state average of 32.2%. This significant educational advantage is largely driven by Bachelor degrees, which are held by 32.9% of residents in this age group, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways also play a role, with 20.1% of qualifications being advanced diplomas (11.3%) or certificates (8.8%). Educational participation is particularly 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

Analysis of public transport in St Ives reveals 116 active transport stops operating within the area, consisting solely of bus services. These stops are serviced by 93 individual routes, collectively providing 2,240 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 185 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 85%, with 7% using the train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 60.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 320 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 19 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location 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. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (13,657 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9% and the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.6% and 5.5% of residents respectively, while 75.4% report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 74.6%.

St Ives has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.4% (4,547 people), compared to 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 cultural diversity with 34.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 48.6% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 43.6% of St Ives' population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in St Ives at 8.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.4%), Chinese (16.4%), and Australian (15.6%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: South Australian (3.9% vs regional 0.5%), Korean (2.1% vs 1.1%), and Russian (0.6% vs 0.4%) are overrepresented in St Ives.

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 individuals aged 5-14 years make up 16.2% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 4.9%. Between 2021 and the present, the proportion of individuals 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 4.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate substantial shifts in St Ives's age structure. The number of individuals aged 85 and above is projected to rise significantly, increasing by 874 people (98%) from 893 to 1,768. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above are expected to account for 87% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the age cohorts of 55-64 years and 0-4 years are anticipated to experience population declines.