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

The population of St Kilda West, as estimated by AreaSearch using ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and validated addresses since Nov 2021, was around 3,200 people. This represents an increase of 249 individuals (8.4%) from the 2021 Census figure of 2,951 persons. The estimated resident population of 3,201 reflects this growth. St Kilda West's population density is high at 6,037 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch. Over the past decade, ending in Nov 2025, St Kilda West has shown a compound annual growth rate of 1.1%, outpacing its SA3 area. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during this period.

For future projections until 2041, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data from 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered areas and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections adjusted to SA2 levels for uncovered areas. By 2041, St Kilda West is expected to increase by 1,434 persons, reflecting a total growth of 50.3% over the 17-year period.

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

Development activity data is being compiled for this area.

Relative to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda West records markedly lower building activity. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties. This is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints.

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

Area infrastructure changes greatly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified nine projects potentially impacting the area. Key projects are Fareham, 52 St Kilda Road, St Kilda Marina Redevelopment, and St Kilda Pier Foreshore Upgrade. Below is a list of most relevant projects.

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.

The employment environment in St Kilda West shows above-average strength when compared nationally

St Kilda West has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominent. Its unemployment rate was 4.3% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 7.0%. The area's unemployment rate is 0.3% lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%, and its workforce participation is higher at 71.9% compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Major employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area specializes particularly in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share nearly twice the regional level.

Conversely, retail trade shows lower representation at 6.0% versus the regional average of 9.8%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 7.0%, while labour force grew by 7.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.6 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% during the same period. National employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that St Kilda West's employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to its current employment mix.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of postcode level ATO data released on 28 June 2022 for financial year 2022, St Kilda West had a median income among taxpayers of $66,327. The average income stood at $95,976. Nationally, this is exceptionally high compared to the median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761 across Greater Melbourne. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% from financial year 2022 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $74,392 for median income and $107,647 for average income. From the Census conducted on 10 August 2021, individual earnings stood out at the 94th percentile nationally with weekly earnings of $1,314. However, household income ranked lower at the 64th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 32.0% of the population (1,024 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 32.8% similarly occupy this range. A significant 31.4% earn above $3,000 weekly, indicating pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 63rd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in St Kilda West, as per the latest Census, consisted of 8.4% houses and 91.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Melbourne metro's 8.7% houses and 91.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda West was higher than Melbourne metro at 22.7%, with the rest being mortgaged (24.3%) or rented (52.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,300, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,170. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $385, compared to Melbourne metro's $420. Nationally, St Kilda West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

St Kilda West features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 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 account for 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 aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

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

St Kilda West has a notably high level of educational attainment among residents aged 15 and above. 58.3% hold university qualifications, which is significantly higher than the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.5%). Vocational pathways account for 20.5% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 10.6% and certificates 9.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.1% in tertiary education, 6.8% in primary education, and 6.2% pursuing secondary education. However, educational facilities appear to be located outside the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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 West shows that there are currently ten active transport stops operating. These comprise a mix of light rail and bus services. The three individual routes collectively provide 2,006 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 117 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 286 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 200 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 shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 65% (2,067 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 73.1%. Nationally, it stands at 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 9.6% and 8.0%, respectively. 72.9% report no medical ailments, close to Greater Melbourne's 73.3%. The area has 14.1% (451 people) aged 65 and over, with seniors performing well in health metrics compared to the general population.

St Kilda West 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 West had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 17.6% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 31.3% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in St Kilda West, accounting for 30.7% of people. However, Judaism was significantly overrepresented, comprising 2.0% of the population compared to 3.7% across Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups were English (27.1%), Australian (17.8%), and Irish (11.5%). Notably, French (1.0%) and Hungarian (0.4%) were overrepresented in St Kilda West compared to regional figures of 1.1% and 0.4%, respectively, while Scottish was also notably higher at 9.4%.

St Kilda West's median age exceeds the national pattern

St Kilda West has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented in St Kilda West at 19.7%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average, while those aged 5-14 are under-represented at 8.5%. This concentration of young adults is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and now, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 9.3% to 11.4%, while those aged 25-34 increased from 18.3% to 19.7%. Conversely, the 35-44 cohort has declined from 17.2% to 16.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that St Kilda West's age profile will evolve significantly, with the 45-54 age cohort projected to grow by 398 people (an increase of 85%) from 467 to 866.