South Yarra - West
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in South Yarra - West are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

South Yarra - West's population is around 6,795 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 372 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,423 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,946 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,530 persons per square kilometer, which places South Yarra - West in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 5.8% since the census positions it within 2.8 percentage points of the national average (8.6%). Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting with 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. Examining future trends, an above median population growth is projected, with the area expected to increase by 1,552 persons to 2041 based on the latest numbers, resulting in a total increase of 25.1% over the 17 years.

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

South Yarra - West has received approximately 13 dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that between financial years 2021 to 2025, around 65 dwellings were approved in South Yarra - West. No approvals have been recorded so far in the current financial year 2026. Despite a decrease in population during this period, development activity has been relatively adequate, benefiting buyers while new dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $2,767,000, indicating focus on premium market developments.

This financial year has seen $186.3 million in commercial development approvals, showing strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Yarra - West has significantly lower building activity, 86.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically boosts demand and prices for existing properties. Development activity is also lower than the national average, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent development has been entirely comprised of townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

Future projections estimate South Yarra - West to add 1,703 residents by 2041. If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

South Yarra - 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 56 projects likely influencing the region. Notable projects include The Carter Building, The Muse, Holckner Family Senior Living, Community Precinct - St Kilda Road Stage 2, and Four Three Seven by Cbus Property. Below is a list of most relevant projects.

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

Employment conditions in South Yarra - West demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

South Yarra - West has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 2.7%, lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

In the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 6.5%. As of June 2025, 4,722 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0% and workforce participation similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries include professional & technical (at 2.1 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training. Conversely, construction has lower representation at 4.1% compared to the regional average of 9.7%.

The area functions as an employment hub with 3.1 workers per resident. Over the past year, employment increased by 6.5%, labour force by 7.1%, resulting in a rise in unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5% and unemployment rising by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Yarra - West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.6%% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch data from financial year 2022 shows South Yarra - West had a median taxpayer income of $67,927 and an average income of $115,990. These figures place it in the top percentile nationally, compared to Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. By March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $74,794, and average income is around $127,717, based on Wage Price Index growth. Census 2021 data indicates individual earnings in South Yarra - West are at the 97th percentile nationally, with a weekly earning of $1,454. The dominant earnings bracket is $1,500 to $2,999, representing 33.2% of residents (2,255 people), similar to Melbourne's 32.8%. High weekly earnings exceeding $3,000 are achieved by 37.4% of households, suggesting strong consumer spending power. Housing expenses account for 14.7% of income, with residents ranking in the 82nd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

In South Yarra - West, as per the latest Census, 5.7% of dwellings were houses while 94.4% were other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This is in contrast to Melbourne's metropolitan area where only 2.2% of dwellings are houses and 97.8% are other types. Home ownership in South Yarra - West stood at 28.3%, higher than the Melbourne metro average, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.0% and rented ones at 54.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, above the Melbourne metro average of $1,962, while the median weekly rent was $457 compared to Melbourne's $396. Nationally, South Yarra - West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

South Yarra - West features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 49.1% of all households, including 11.9% couples with children, 31.5% couples without children, and 4.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 50.9%, with lone person households at 44.8% and group households comprising 6.1%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Educational achievement in South Yarra - West places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

South Yarra - West has significantly higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 66.0% of its residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 33.4% in Victoria. The area's highest qualification is bachelor degrees at 39.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 21.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.8%. Vocational pathways account for 16.1% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 6.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in tertiary education, 5.8% in secondary education, and 4.6% pursuing primary education. There are approximately 7 schools operating within South Yarra - West, educating around 5,857 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1145. The educational mix includes 2 primary and 5 K-12 schools. South Yarra - West functions as an education hub, with 86.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 6.9, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

South Yarra - West has 33 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 11 different routes, collectively facilitating 7,374 weekly passenger trips. The transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically residing 122 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,053 daily trips across all routes, equating to approximately 223 weekly trips per individual stop.

South Yarra - West's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows strong health performance in South Yarra - West for both young and elderly residents. Prevalence of common conditions is low. Private health cover stands at approximately 79% (5,361 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 56.0%.

Nationally, it averages 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 8.0%, asthma impacts 7.4%. 72.0% report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 79.8%. Ageing population is higher at 22.3% (1,518 people), against Greater Melbourne's 6.8%. Health metrics for seniors exceed the general population.

South Yarra - 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

South Yarra-West had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 21.2% speaking languages other than English at home and 35.7% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 37.8%. However, Judaism was significantly overrepresented at 3.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.4%.

In ancestry, English (24.9%) was substantially higher than the regional average of 16.1%, Australian (17.2%) was also notably higher than the region's 11.5%, while Other (11.1%) was lower than the regional average of 17.1%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Polish at 1.5% vs 0.7%, French at 1.1% vs 0.7%, and Scottish at 9.4% vs 5.1%.

South Yarra - West's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in South Yarra - West is 38, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Yarra - West has a higher percentage of 25-34 year-olds (23.0%) but fewer 5-14 year-olds (5.4%). This 25-34 concentration is above the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 8.7% to 10.8%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 10.4% to 9.1%. By 2041, South Yarra - West's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 45-54 group is projected to grow by 60%, adding 370 people and reaching 989 from 618. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow modestly at 8%, adding only 18 residents.