St Kilda East

An assessment of population growth drivers in St Kilda East reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, the estimated population of St Kilda East as of Feb 2026 is around 13,626. This reflects an increase of 1,055 people (8.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,571. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 13,473 following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 52 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 6,002 persons per square kilometer, placing St Kilda East within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 8.4% growth since census is within 1.5 percentage points of the national average (9.9%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 83.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Considering projected demographic shifts, significant population increase is forecast for St Kilda East, expected to reach 16,924 persons by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall increase of 25.1% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in St Kilda East according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Based on AreaSearch analysis, St Kilda East averaged approximately 27 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 137 homes. As of FY-26, four approvals have been recorded. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an average of 0.1 people moved to the area for each dwelling built. New supply has kept pace with or exceeded demand, offering ample buyer choice.

Properties are constructed at an average value of $1,205,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. This financial year, there have been $13.1 million in commercial approvals. Building activity shows 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living.

St Kilda East has around 315 people per dwelling approval, indicating a developing market. Population forecasts estimate an increase of 3,415 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

St Kilda East 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 23 projects that could affect this region. Notable ones include Coles Carlisle Street Precinct Development, Small Parks Program - Balaclava/St Kilda East, 191-193 Carlisle Street Mixed Development, and Armadale Manor. The following list details 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 performance in St Kilda East has been broadly consistent with national averages

St Kilda East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 4.8% as of September 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.8%.

The area's unemployment rate is 0.1% higher than Greater Melbourne's, which stands at 4.7%. Workforce participation is high at 81.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. According to Census responses, 45.8% of residents work from home, potentially impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.5 times the regional level), health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors.

Construction employment is limited at 6.3%, compared to the regional average of 9.7%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the resident population vs working population count. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 3.8% while unemployment remained broadly flat. Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment during this period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Kilda East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.4% over ten years.

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

St Kilda East's income level is exceptionally high nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The suburb's median income among taxpayers is $63,730 and average income stands at $100,005, compared to Greater Melbourne's figures of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $68,988 (median) and $108,255 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows individual earnings at the 90th percentile nationally are $1,183 weekly. The data shows 34.0% of the population (4,632 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the region showing 32.8% in the same category. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, placing disposable income at the 65th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

St Kilda East's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 19.0% houses and 81.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda East was at 21.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.1% and rented dwellings at 49.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,128, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,000. Median weekly rent in St Kilda East was $396, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, St Kilda East's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

St Kilda East features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 50.5% of all households, including 19.7% composed of couples with children, 24.2% consisting of couples without children, and 5.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 49.5%, with lone person households making up 40.5% and group households comprising 8.9%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than Greater Melbourne's average of 2.6.

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

St Kilda East's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 54.1% possess university qualifications, exceeding Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent (34.8%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational pathways account for 22.0%, with advanced diplomas at 10.7% and certificates at 11.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in tertiary education, 8.4% in primary education, and 6.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

St Kilda East has 35 active public transport stops, offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 8 different routes, facilitating 7,499 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located just 183 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward; cars remain the primary mode at 67%, followed by trains at 10% and walking at 7%. On average, there are 0.7 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional norm. Notably, 45.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census).

Daily service frequency averages 1,071 trips across all routes, equating to around 214 weekly trips per individual stop.

St Kilda East's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout St Kilda East. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 66% of the total population (9,019 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were mental health issues impacting 10.4% of residents and asthma affecting 7.5%. A total of 73.8% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 11.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,539 people), lower than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in St Kilda East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

St Kilda East had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 22.8% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 32.3% born overseas. The predominant religion was Judaism, comprising 28.8%, significantly higher than the 1.0% average in Greater Melbourne. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (19.9%), Australian (19.4%), and Other (18.7%).

Notably, Polish (3.9%) Russian (2.0%), and Hungarian (1.6%) ethnicities had higher representations than their regional averages of 0.8%, 0.4%, and 0.3% respectively.

St Kilda East hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

St Kilda East's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda East has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 at 25.1%, but fewer residents aged 5-14 at 9.6%. This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population of those aged 15 to 24 has increased from 10.8% to 12.8%, while the percentage of residents aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 10.6% to 9.6%. By 2041, forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in St Kilda East. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 49%, adding 737 residents to reach a total of 2,250. Conversely, the 15-24 age group is expected to show minimal growth of just 5%, with an increase of only 82 people.