St Leonards (NSW)

St Leonards lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, the estimated population of St Leonards (NSW) is around 8,974. This reflects an increase of 1,762 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,212. The change was inferred from the resident population of 8,917 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 595 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 11,217 persons per square kilometer, placing St Leonards in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. The suburb's growth rate of 24.4% since the 2021 Census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.4%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 71.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the suburb is expected to grow by 2,568 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 17.7% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions St Leonards among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

St Leonards recorded approximately 103 residential properties granted approval annually, with around 515 homes approved between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, and an additional 50 approved in FY-26. On average, each dwelling constructed over these five years accommodated 1.4 new residents. The average construction value of new properties was $689,000.

In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $375.7 million. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Leonards has 121.0% more development activity per person. Recent construction comprised 6.0% standalone homes and 94.0% medium and high-density housing. As of around FY-26, there were approximately 102 people per dwelling approval in St Leonards. Future projections estimate an addition of 1,586 residents by 2041 based on current development patterns.

Future projections show St Leonards adding 1,586 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

The performance of a region can be significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 53 such projects that are expected to impact this area. Notable among these are The Landmark Quarter St Leonards, Park Avenue Residences St Leonards, St Leonards Telstra Exchange Mixed-Use Tower, and Waterstone, St Leonards. The following list provides details on those projects deemed 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.

The labour market in St Leonards demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

St Leonards has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector particularly well-represented. Its unemployment rate is 3.9%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 5745 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.3% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in St Leonards stands at 77.7%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (2.1 times the regional average), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance sectors. Construction employs only 3.8% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%.

The area hosts more jobs than residents, with a worker-to-resident ratio of 2.4:1, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from nearby regions. Between June 2024 and June 2025, St Leonards' labour force decreased by 0.5%, while employment fell by 1.7%, leading to a 1.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Leonards' employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years, though these estimates are illustrative and do not account for local population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, St Leonards had a median income among taxpayers of $83,728. The average income stood at $122,666. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to the national levels of $56,994 and $80,856 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year ended June 2022, current estimates for median income would be approximately $94,286 as of September 2025, with average income estimated at $138,134 during the same period. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in St Leonards, between the 90th and 98th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows that 33.8% of the population (3,033 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, mirroring the region where 30.9% occupy this bracket. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 43.8% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consume 21.2% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 83rd percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

St Leonards' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 2.8% houses and 97.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasted with Sydney metro's figures of 41.1% houses and 58.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Leonards stood at 12.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.8% and rented ones at 69.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, below Sydney metro's average of $3,033. Median weekly rent in St Leonards was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $560. Nationally, St Leonards' mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 54.0% of all households, including 16.0% couples with children, 32.5% couples without children, and 4.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 46.0%, with lone person households at 39.1% and group households comprising 6.8%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

St Leonards has a significantly higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 71.9% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This gives the area a strong position for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 44.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (23.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%).

Vocational pathways account for 15.2% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 6.3%. A substantial 23.5% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.5% in tertiary education, 4.8% in primary education, and 2.4% in secondary education. Educational provision includes Royal North Shore Hospital School and International Chinese School, serving a total of 102 students. The area demonstrates exceptional educational performance, with an ICSEA score of 1194, placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix consists of one primary school and one K-12 school. Local school capacity is limited at 1.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 12.0, leading many families to travel to nearby areas for schooling. 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

St Leonards has 12 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 43 different routes, collectively facilitating 9,265 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 135 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 1,323 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 772 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

St Leonards' health outcomes show exceptional results across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover stands at approximately 75% of the total population (6,749 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 78.2%, and significantly above the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 5.9% and 5.8% of residents respectively.

A total of 82.2% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 78.0% in Greater Sydney. The area has 8.4% of residents aged 65 and over (753 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 15.7%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong and largely align with the general population's health profile.

St Leonards is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

St Leonards has a high level of cultural diversity, with 49.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 61.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in St Leonards, making up 30.8% of its population. Buddhism is notably overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 5.9% versus 4.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (21.7%), Other (17.9%), and English (14.9%). Korean (2.5%) and Russian (0.8%) are also overrepresented in St Leonards compared to regional averages of 1.8% and 0.6%, respectively, while Spanish is slightly overrepresented at 0.8% versus the regional average of 0.5%.

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

St Leonard's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Leonard's has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (32.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population of those aged 15 to 24 has increased from 7.2% to 9.0%, while the population of those aged 75 to 84 has grown from 1.9% to 3.2%. Conversely, the population of those aged 0 to 4 has declined from 5.5% to 4.6%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in St Leonard's. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 37%, adding 350 residents to reach a total of 1,293. In contrast, the 0-4 age group shows minimal growth of just 3% (11 people).