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 was approximately 6,784 as of November 2025. This figure indicates an increase of 361 people, a rise of 5.6%, since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 6,423. This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,946 as of June 2024 and the addition of 5 validated new addresses post-Census. The population density ratio stands at 4,522 persons per square kilometer, placing it within the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch, highlighting the high demand for land in the area. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth for Australian statistical areas. By 2041, South Yarra - West is expected to increase by 1,552 persons, representing a total rise of 25.3% over the 17-year period, based on the latest population numbers.

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 seen approximately 13 dwellings receiving development approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling 65 homes. As of FY26, 77 approvals have been recorded. Despite population decline during this period, development activity has been relatively adequate, benefiting buyers while developers focus on premium market segments with high-end developments averaging $2,623,000 in construction cost value. This financial year alone, $186.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, South Yarra - West has notably lower building activity (86.0% below regional average per person), which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This trend is also reflected nationally, suggesting market maturity and potential development constraints. Recent development in the area has been entirely comprised of townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. Future projections indicate South Yarra - West adding 1,714 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

South Yarra - West has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

AreaSearch has identified 49 projects that could impact the area, with major ones including The Muse, Holckner Family Senior Living and Community Precinct - St Kilda Road Stage 2, Prahran Aquatic Centre Refurbishments, and 322-332 St Kilda Road Mixed-Use Development Opportunity.

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

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

South Yarra - West has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 2.7% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 6.5% over the past year. As of June 2025, there were 4,722 residents in work and workforce participation was similar to Greater Melbourne's at 64.1%. Key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Professional & technical services have particularly high representation, 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%. The area functions as an employment hub with a ratio of 3.1 workers per resident, attracting workers from surrounding areas. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 6.5% and labour force increased by 7.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. 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.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows South Yarra - West had a median income among taxpayers of $67,927 and an average level of $115,990. Nationally, this places it in the top percentile. In Greater Melbourne, these figures are lower at $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. By September 2025, current estimates suggest median income will be approximately $76,187 and average income $130,094 based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022. Census 2021 shows individual earnings in South Yarra - West are at the 97th percentile nationally ($1,454 weekly). The dominant income bracket is $1,500 to $2,999, with 33.2% of residents (2,252 people) falling within this range, comparable to the metropolitan region's 32.8%. High weekly earnings exceeding $3,000 are achieved by 37.4% of households, indicating strong consumer spending power. Housing costs account for 14.7% of income. With strong earnings, residents rank 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

South Yarra - West's dwelling structure in the latest Census showed 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 was 28.3%, compared to mortgaged dwellings at 17.0% and rented ones at 54.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's $1,962. Median weekly rent in South Yarra - West was $457, compared to Melbourne metro's $396. Nationally, South Yarra - West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,100 versus the Australian 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% that are couples with children, 31.5% that are couples without children, and 4.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 50.9%, composed of 44.8% lone person households and 6.1% group households. The median household size is 1.8 people, aligning with Greater Melbourne's 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 benchmarks. 66.0% of its residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 39.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (21.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 16.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 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. There are 7 schools operating within South Yarra - West, educating approximately 5,857 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1145). It includes 2 primary schools 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. These are a mix of lightrail and bus services. There are 11 individual routes operating in total, providing 7,374 weekly passenger trips combined.

Residents' access to transport is rated excellent, with an average distance of 122 meters to the nearest stop. The service frequency across all routes averages 1,053 trips per day, which equates 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. Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 79% of the total population (5,352 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 (1,515 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 was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 21.2% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 35.7% born overseas. The dominant religion in South Yarra-West is Christianity, comprising 37.8% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented in South Yarra-West, making up 3.2% of the population compared to just 0.4% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are English (24.9%), Australian (17.2%), and Other (11.1%). However, English and Australian ancestry are substantially higher than regional averages, while Other is notably lower. There are also notable divergences in certain ethnic groups: Polish is overrepresented at 1.5%, French at 1.1%, and Scottish at 9.4%.

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 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%. From the 2021 Census to present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 8.7% to 10.8%, while the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 10.4% to 9.1%. By 2041, South Yarra - West's age composition is expected to change notably. The 45-54 group is projected to grow by 60%, adding 371 people to reach 989 from 617. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow more modestly at 8%, with an increase of just 19 residents.