St Kilda (Vic.)

St Kilda has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

The population of the St Kilda (Vic.) statistical area (Lv2) is estimated to be around 23,421 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 3,931 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,490 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 22,785 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 900 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 7,365 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The St Kilda (Vic.) (SA2) experienced a growth rate of 20.2% since the 2021 Census, exceeding the national average of 9.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting them employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is forecasted to grow by 8,716 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 33.5% in total over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows St Kilda had approximately 111 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 556 homes. In FY-26, 25 approvals have been recorded so far. On average, 0.4 new residents per year arrived for each new home built between FY-21 and FY-25.

This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more buying options and facilitating population growth that may surpass current projections. The average development value of new dwellings was $703,000, indicating a focus on premium market segments with higher-end properties. Commercial approvals this financial year totalled $19.9 million, reflecting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda has significantly lower construction levels, at 54.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings.

New building activity consisted of 1.0% detached dwellings and 99.0% medium and high-density housing, promoting affordable entry points and suiting downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. St Kilda's population density is around 209 people per approval, indicating a developing area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, St Kilda is projected to gain 7,840 residents by 2041. If current development rates persist, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 52 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones include Neometro's 97 Alma Road project in Fareham, the St Kilda Pier Foreshore Upgrade, and the development at 52 St Kilda Road. The following list details those 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.

St Kilda has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

St Kilda has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector notably well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 6.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.7%.

As of September 2025, 16,143 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 1.8% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation in St Kilda is 72.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries for employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. St Kilda has a particular specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

However, manufacturing is under-represented, with only 3.8% of St Kilda's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 7.2%. The worker-to-resident ratio, as at the Census, indicates a higher-than-average level of local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels in St Kilda increased by 4.7%, while the labour force grew by 5.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. Providing broader context, state-level data from 25-Nov shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year (adding 41,950 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Kilda's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of St Kilda had a median taxpayer income of $61,356 and an average income of $88,073 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is among the highest incomes in Australia, compared to Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. By September 2025, these figures are estimated to reach approximately $66,418 (median) and $95,339 (average), based on an 8.25% growth in wages since financial year 2023. Census data shows individual earnings rank at the 91st percentile nationally ($1,214 weekly), while household income ranks lower at the 51st percentile. Income distribution reveals that 35.0% of St Kilda's population (8,197 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.8% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 80.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 48th percentile. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

St Kilda's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 5.5% houses and 94.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasted with Melbourne metro's figures of 8.7% houses and 91.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda stood at 14.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.4% and rented ones at 61.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,170. Median weekly rent in St Kilda was $381, compared to Melbourne metro's $420. Nationally, St Kilda's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 39.1% of all households, including 8.7% that are couples with children, 25.2% that are couples without children, and 4.2% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 60.9%, with lone person households at 52.7% and group households comprising 8.2%. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.9.

St Kilda 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 is notably high, with 53.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian state average of 33.4%. University graduates make up the majority of these residents, at 34.0%, followed by those with postgraduate qualifications (15.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent in St Kilda, with 25.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications.

Advanced diplomas account for 12.1% and certificates make up 13.6% of these vocational credentials. Educational participation is high in the area, with 25.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% pursuing tertiary education, 3.7% in primary education, and 2.9% engaged in secondary education.

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

St Kilda has 94 active public transport stops, serving a mix of light rail and bus routes. These stops are covered by 15 individual routes, offering 15,731 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 128 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 2,247 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 167 weekly trips per individual stop.

St Kilda's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout St Kilda. Both young and old age cohorts saw low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (14,413 people), compared to 71.9% across Greater Melbourne, which is higher than the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues were the most common medical condition in the area, impacting 12.1% of residents, followed by asthma at 7.8%. A total of 71.2% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.3% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 12.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,810 people), which is lower than the 14.3% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

St Kilda 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's population showed higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 21.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 40.1% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in St Kilda, making up 28.8%. Notably, Judaism had a higher representation in St Kilda at 2.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 3.7%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (24.6%), Australian (15.2%), and Other (12.2%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French was slightly overrepresented at 1.4% versus the regional 1.1%, Polish remained similar at 1.5%, and Russian was marginally higher at 1.0%.

St Kilda's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

St Kilda's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (30.1%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.5%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the current time, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 8.2% to 9.8%, while the proportion of residents aged 45-54 has decreased from 13.4% to 12.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests St Kilda's age profile will change significantly. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 71%, adding 2,004 residents and reaching a total of 4,815 residents.