St Kilda West

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

As per AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates and new addresses validated since Feb 2026, the suburb of St Kilda West has an estimated population of around 3,254. This figure represents a rise of 303 people (10.3%) from the 2021 Census count of 2,951. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This population density translates to 6,139 persons per square kilometer, placing St Kilda West within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. The suburb's growth rate exceeded the national average (9.9%) between 2021 and Feb 2026, positioning it as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during this period.

AreaSearch is employing ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, to forecast future demographic trends. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the suburb of St Kilda West is projected to experience a significant population increase, with an anticipated rise of 1,399 persons, reflecting a total increase of 46.9% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in St Kilda West is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

St Kilda West has had no residential development approvals in the past five years. This indicates that the area is largely built out with little vacant land available for new developments. Established areas like St Kilda West typically see steady demand for existing properties due to limited new-build alternatives.

Comparing construction activity in St Kilda West to Greater Melbourne shows significantly reduced levels, suggesting constrained supply which can support stronger demand and values for established homes. This level is also below the national average, reflecting the area's maturity and potentially indicating planning constraints.

St Kilda West 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 eight projects that may affect this region. Notable projects include Fareham, 52 St Kilda Road, St Kilda Marina Redevelopment, and St Kilda Pier Foreshore Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in St Kilda West exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

St Kilda West has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 4.3% as of September 2025, which is below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.2%.

Workforce participation in St Kilda West is high at 82.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. According to Census responses, 51.4% of residents work from home. The dominant employment sectors are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Professional & technical services have a particularly notable concentration in the area, with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average.

However, retail trade is under-represented, with only 6.0% of St Kilda West's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.8%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 5.2%, while the labour force grew by 5.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.0%, the labour force grow by 3.3%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Kilda West's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The suburb of St Kilda West had a median taxpayer income of $66,327 and an average income of $95,976 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is notably higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164 during the same period. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25%, estimated incomes would be approximately $71,799 (median) and $103,894 (average). As per the 2021 Census, individual earnings in St Kilda West stood at the 94th percentile nationally ($1,314 weekly), while household income ranked at the 64th percentile. In terms of income distribution, the highest proportion of residents (32.0%, or 1,041 people) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, aligning with broader trends across the broader area showing 32.8% in the same category. A substantial number of residents (31.4%) earned more than $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power. High housing costs consumed 16.8% of income, yet strong earnings placed disposable income at the 63rd percentile, with the area's SEIFA income ranking placing it in the 9th decile.

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

St Kilda West's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 8.4% houses and 91.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda West stood at 22.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.3% and rented ones at 52.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in St Kilda West was $385, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, St Kilda West's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,300 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were also higher at $385 versus the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 46.7% of all households, including 17.8% couples with children, 23.2% couples without children, and 4.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 53.3%, with lone person households at 48.0% and group households comprising 5.5%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

In St Kilda West, residents aged 15 years and above have a notably higher educational attainment compared to broader benchmarks. Specifically, 58.3% of residents hold university qualifications, surpassing the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. This significant educational advantage is evident in various qualification categories: Bachelor degrees lead at 34.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.5%). Vocational pathways account for 20.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and above, with advanced diplomas making up 10.6% and certificates 9.9%.

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.1% pursuing tertiary education, 6.8% primary education, and 6.2% secondary education.

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

St Kilda West has ten active public transport stops, offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by three routes, collectively facilitating 4085 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 117 meters from the nearest stop. Most commutes are outward-bound due to the area's residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode at 62%, with cycling at 7% and walking at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.6 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 51.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 583 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 408 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

St Kilda West demonstrates excellent health outcomes according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 65% of the total population (2,102 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 9.6 and 8.0% of residents respectively. 72.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 14.8% of residents aged 65 and over (481 people). Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

St Kilda West had a higher cultural diversity compared to most other local areas, with 17.6% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 31.3% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in St Kilda West, comprising 30.7% of the population. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented at 2.0%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (27.1%), Australian (17.8%), and Irish (11.5%), all substantially higher than their respective regional averages of 20.1%, 9.6%, and 6.5%. Significant differences were also found in French (1.0% vs 0.5%), Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.3%), and Scottish (9.4% vs 5.6%) ancestry representation.

St Kilda West's population is slightly older than the national pattern

St Kilda West has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national median age of 38. The 55-64 age group is notably over-represented in St Kilda West at 13.5%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average. Conversely, the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 8.6%. Between 2021 and present, the population of 15 to 24-year-olds has increased from 9.3% to 11.4%. During this period, the 45 to 54 cohort decreased from 15.6% to 14.3%, and the 35 to 44 age group dropped from 17.2% to 16.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that St Kilda West's age profile will significantly change. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to grow by 394 people, increasing from 465 to 860, an 85% expansion.