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

As of November 2025, the estimated population of St Kilda East is around 13,701. This reflects a growth of 1,130 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,571. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 13,670 in June 2024, following an examination of the latest ABS ERP data release and validation of 53 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,035 persons per square kilometer, placing St Kilda East in the top 10% nationally for population density. The suburb's 9.0% growth rate since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 83.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, St Kilda East is forecasted to experience significant population growth, with an increase of 3,297 persons expected by 2041. This reflects a total increase of 24.4% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in St Kilda East, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

St Kilda East averaged approximately 24 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 123 homes. In FY-26 so far, three approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.1 person moved to the area for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction cost value of new properties was $1,205,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

There were also $632,000 in commercial approvals this financial year. Building activity showed 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living and affordability for various buyer types. St Kilda East had around 393 people per dwelling approval, indicating a developed market.

By 2041, the area is projected to gain approximately 3,349 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

St Kilda East has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 23 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives 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 projects of particular relevance.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment performance in St Kilda East has been broadly consistent with national averages

St Kilda East has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate in the area was 4.9% as of June 2025, which is 0.3% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

Workforce participation in St Kilda East is also high at 73.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area has a particular specialization in professional & technical employment, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. However, construction employment is limited at 6.3%, compared to 9.7% regionally.

Employment levels increased by 4.9% and labour force increased by 5.7% during the year to June 2025 in St Kilda East, resulting in a rise of 0.7 percentage points in unemployment rate. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5%, labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment rising 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Kilda East's employment mix, local employment is estimated to 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 median income among taxpayers was $63,700 and average income stood at $99,888 in the financial year 2022, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This compares with Greater Melbourne figures of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated median income is approximately $71,446 and average income is $112,034 as of September 2025. Census 2021 data shows individual earnings at the 90th percentile nationally were $1,183 weekly. In St Kilda East, 34.0% of the population (4,658 individuals) fell 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 consumed 16.8% of income, placing disposable income at the 65th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking in the 9th decile.

St Kilda East features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

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). In contrast, Melbourne metro had 0.0% houses and 0.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda East was at 21.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.1% and rented ones at 49.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,128, aligning with Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $396. Nationally, St Kilda East's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

St Kilda East features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a median household size of 2.1 people

Family households constitute 50.5% of all households, including 19.7% couples with children, 24.2% couples without children, and 5.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 49.5%, with lone person households at 40.5% and group households comprising 8.9%. The median household size is 2.1 people.

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

Educational attainment in St Kilda East is notably high, with 54.1% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to national (30.4%) and Victorian (33.4%) averages. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational pathways account for 22.0% of qualifications, 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, including 8.8% in tertiary, 8.4% in primary, and 6.2% in secondary education.

St Kilda East has a robust network of 9 schools educating approximately 5,186 students, with significant socio-educational advantages (ICSEA: 1110). The educational mix includes 3 primary, 1 secondary, and 5 K-12 schools. There are 37.9 school places per 100 residents, indicating strong educational infrastructure serving both local and surrounding communities. Note: where schools show '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

The analysis of public transport in St Kilda East shows that there are 35 active transport stops currently operating. These include a mix of light rail and bus services. The area is served by 8 individual routes in total.

Together, these routes provide 4,583 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to public transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 183 meters away from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 654 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 130 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

St Kilda East shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 66% of its total population of 9,061, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 10.4 and 7.5% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 73.8%, report no medical ailments, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's 0%. The area has 10.7% seniors aged 65 and over (1,466 people), with strong health outcomes broadly matching the general population's profile.

St Kilda East was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

St Kilda East has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 22.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 32.3% born overseas. The predominant religion in St Kilda East is Judaism, making up 28.8% of the population, while none is prevalent across Greater Melbourne. The top three ancestry groups are English (19.9%), Australian (19.4%), and Other (18.7%).

Notably, Polish (3.9%) is overrepresented compared to none regionally, as are Russian (2.0%) and Hungarian (1.6%).

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 proportion of residents aged 25-34 (25.6%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (9.7%). This proportion of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 10.8% to 12.6%, while the population aged 5 to 14 has declined from 10.6% to 9.7%. By 2041, demographic forecasts indicate significant changes in St Kilda East's population. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 48%, adding 736 residents and reaching a total of 2,257.