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, the estimated population of St Leonards (NSW) statistical area as of November 2025 is around 7,987. This reflects an increase of 775 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,212. The change was inferred from the resident population of 7,983 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 895 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 9,983 persons per square kilometer, placing St Leonards (NSW) in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 10.7% growth since the 2021 Census exceeded both the SA4 region at 5.7% and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, a significant population increase is forecast for St Leonards (NSW), with an expected growth of 2,602 persons by 2041, reflecting a 32.6% increase over the 17 years.

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

St Leonards recorded approximately 81 residential properties granted approval per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 406 homes were approved, with an additional 10 approved in FY26 so far. On average, 1.8 people moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. However, this figure increased to 10.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, reflecting St Leonards' growing popularity and potential supply constraints.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $964,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year alone, $25.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating steady commercial investment activity in the area. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Leonards has 75.0% more development activity per person, providing buyers with ample choice. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. The current level of development activity is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. Recent construction comprises 7.0% standalone homes and 93.0% medium to high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

With around 250 people per dwelling approval, St Leonards exhibits a developing market with future projections estimating an addition of 2,607 residents by 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, but heightened competition among buyers can be expected as the population grows.

St Leonards 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 impacting the area. Key projects include The Landmark Quarter St Leonards, Park Avenue Residences St Leonards, St Leonards Telstra Exchange Mixed-Use Tower, and Waterstone, St Leonards. Below is a list of most relevant projects.

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

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

St Leonards has an educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate is 3.8%.

Over the past year, there has been relative employment stability. As of September 2025, 5,816 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.4% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is high at 77.7%, compared to 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%. There are 2.4 workers for every resident, indicating that St Leonards functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 0.7% while employment decreased by 0.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.0 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1%. As of 25-Nov-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Leonards's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.8% over five years and 15.3% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 ATO data released on 29 June 2023 for financial year 2022-23, the suburb of St Leonards had a median income among taxpayers of $83,715. The average income level stood at $122,619 in this period. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high, with median and average incomes being $60,817 and $83,003 respectively across Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from financial year 2022-23 to September 2025, current estimates for St Leonards would be approximately $91,132 (median) and $133,483 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in St Leonards rank highly nationally, between the 90th and 98th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 33.8% of the population, equating to 2,699 individuals, fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to the regional average of 30.9%. A substantial proportion of residents, 43.8%, earn more than $3,000 weekly, suggesting strong purchasing power in the community. High housing costs consume 21.2% of income, but despite this, disposable income ranks at the 83rd percentile nationally. 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 structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 2.8% houses and 97.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 41.1% houses and 58.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Leonards was at 12.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.8% and rented dwellings 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 $2,600 versus the Australian average of $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 notably higher educational attainment than broader averages. Among residents aged 15+, 71.9% possess university qualifications, surpassing Australia's national average of 30.4% and New South Wales' rate of 32.2%. This high level of educational achievement positions the area favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent (44.3%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (23.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%).

Vocational pathways make up 15.2% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 6.3%. Additionally, 23.5% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, including 8.5% in tertiary education, 4.8% in primary education, and 2.4% pursuing secondary education.

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 Leonards shows that there are currently 22 operational transport stops. These consist of a mix of train and bus services. The area is served by 43 different routes, which together facilitate approximately 11,647 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport system is rated as excellent, with residents typically situated about 132 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are around 1,663 trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly 529 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 demonstrates excellent health outcomes across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 75% of St Leonard's total population of 6,005 people have private health cover, compared to 79.5% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues (5.9%) and asthma (5.8%), with 82.2% of residents reporting no medical ailments.

This compares to 78.0% across Greater Sydney. St Leonards has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 8.5% (678 people), compared to 15.7% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and 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 one of the highest levels of cultural diversity in Australia, with nearly half its population speaking a language other than English at home (49.9%) and over half being born overseas (61.4%). Christianity is the predominant religion in St Leonards, making up 30.8% of its residents. However, Buddhism stands out as particularly prevalent, comprising 5.9% of the population compared to the regional average of 4.2%.

In terms of ancestry or country of birth of parents, Chinese individuals make up the largest group at 21.7%, followed by those identifying as 'Other' at 17.9%, and English at 14.9%. Notably, Korean (2.5% vs regional 1.8%), Russian (0.8% vs 0.6%), and Spanish (0.8% vs 0.5%) ethnic groups are overrepresented in St Leonards compared to Greater Sydney.

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

St Leonards has a median age of 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, St Leonards has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (32.3%) 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 the present, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has grown from 7.2% to 9.0%, while the proportion of those aged 75-84 has increased from 1.9% to 3.2%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 33.3% to 32.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in St Leonards, with the strongest projected growth occurring among the 45-54 age cohort, which is expected to grow by 54%, adding 454 residents and reaching a total of 1,301.