South Yarra - West

Population growth drivers in South Yarra - West are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

South Yarra - West's population was approximately 6,784 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 361 people, a 5.6% rise from the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 6,423. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,946 in June 2024 and five additional validated addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4,522 persons per square kilometer, placing it within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, it utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends project an above median population growth, with the area expected to increase by 1,552 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 25.3% 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 annually over the past five financial years, totalling 65 homes. As of FY26, 86 approvals have been recorded. Despite a decrease in population during this period, development activity has been relatively adequate, benefiting buyers while developers focus on premium market segments with average construction costs of $2,623,000 per dwelling. This year, $186.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Yarra - West has significantly lower building activity (86.0% below the regional average per person), which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Activity is also lower than national averages, suggesting market maturity and potential development constraints. Recent developments have been exclusively townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, South Yarra - West is projected to add 1,714 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Future projections show South Yarra - West adding 1,714 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

South Yarra - West has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 49 projects likely to affect the region. Notable ones include Holckner Family Senior Living and Community Precinct - St Kilda Road Stage 2, The Muse, 322-332 St Kilda Road Mixed-Use Development Opportunity, and The Albertine. Below is a list of those 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.

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 was 2.7% as of September 2025, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%.

The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 4.5% over the past year. As of September 2025, there were 4,585 residents in work and the unemployment rate was 2.0% below Greater Melbourne's rate. Workforce participation was broadly similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Professional & technical services have particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 2.1 times the regional average. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.1% compared to the regional average of 9.7%. There were 3.1 workers for every resident in the area as per the Census, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 4.5% while labour force grew by 4.8%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment to 3.7%. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0%, labour force growth of 3.3%, with unemployment rising slightly to 4.7%. Providing broader context, state-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. This compares to the national rate of 4.3%, with Victoria's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.14%. Looking ahead, 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 South Yarra - West's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, although these estimates are illustrative and do not account for localised population projections.

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 ATO data released for financial year 2022, South Yarra - West SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $67,927 and an average income of $115,990. Nationally, these figures rank in the top percentile. In Greater Melbourne, the median was $54,892 and the average was $73,761. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $76,187 (median) and $130,094 (average), based on a 12.16% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data shows individual earnings were at the 97th percentile nationally ($1,454 weekly). In South Yarra - West SA2, 33.2% of residents earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (2,252 people), similar to Greater Melbourne's 32.8%. High weekly earnings exceeded $3,000 for 37.4% of households, indicating strong consumer spending power. Housing expenses accounted for 14.7% of income. Residents ranked in the 81st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed 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

South Yarra - West's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 5.7% houses and 94.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 2.2% houses and 97.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Yarra - West stood at 28.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.0% and rented ones at 54.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,962. Median weekly rent in the area was $457, compared to Melbourne metro's $396. Nationally, South Yarra - West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,100 against Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were 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 make up 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 matches 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 a higher educational attainment than broader Australian benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 66.0% have university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. The area's educational advantage is significant with bachelor degrees being the most prevalent (39.6%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (21.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 16.1%, including advanced diplomas (9.4%) and certificates (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.

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 stops are served by 11 different routes that collectively facilitate 7,374 weekly passenger trips. The area's public transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically situated 122 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,053 daily trips across all routes, which translates 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 of health metrics shows strong performance throughout South Yarra-West, with both young and old age cohorts experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 79% of the total population (5352 people), compared to 56.0% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.0 and 7.4% of residents respectively, while 72.0% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 79.8% across Greater Melbourne.

The area has 22.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1515 people), which is higher than the 6.8% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 21.2% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 35.7% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in South Yarra-West, comprising 37.8% of the population. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented, making up 3.2% compared to 0.4% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English at 24.9%, Australian at 17.2%, and Other at 11.1%. Notably, Polish (1.5%), French (1.1%), and Scottish (9.4%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages.

South Yarra - West's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in South Yarra - West is 38, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's 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 concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the percentage of 15 to 24 year-olds has increased from 8.7% to 10.8%, while the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 10.4% to 9.1%. By 2041, South Yarra - West's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 45 to 54 age group is projected to grow by 60%, adding 371 people and reaching a total of 989 from the current 617. The 0 to 4 age group is expected to grow more modestly, with an increase of 8% adding just 19 residents.