St Albans - South
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in St Albans - South reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

St Albans - South's population is around 17,865 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 411 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,454 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,764 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 129 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,853 persons per square kilometer. St Albans - South's growth rate of 2.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.2%. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 92.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, with adjustments made employing 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. By 2041, an above median population growth is projected for statistical areas across the nation, with St Albans - South expected to increase by 2,804 persons based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 15.1% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in St Albans - South, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

St Albans - South has averaged approximately 47 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 238 homes approved over the past five years between FY-21 and FY-25, and four approvals so far in FY-26. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. New homes are being built at an average construction cost of $320,000, which is below regional norms, offering more affordable housing options.

Commercial approvals totaling $112.6 million have been registered this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Comparatively, St Albans - South has 11.0% less new development per person than Greater Melbourne and ranks among the 19th percentile nationally when assessed for buyer choices. This suggests limited options for buyers, supporting demand for existing properties. New development consists of 22.0% detached dwellings and 78.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 80.0% houses. This skew towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers, likely due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. With around 931 people per dwelling approval, St Albans - South reflects a highly mature market.

Future projections indicate that the area will add approximately 2,703 residents by 2041. Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers may encounter growing competition as population increases.

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

The performance of a region can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 29 such projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable among these are Sunshine Health, Wellbeing and Education Precinct, Sunshine Energy Park, St Albans Activity Centre Precinct Structure Plan, and St Albans Village Convenience Retail Centre. The following list provides details of the most relevant ones.

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

AreaSearch assessment indicates St Albans - South faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

St Albans - South has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 8.7% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 5.2%.

As of June 2025, 8,268 residents are employed, but the unemployment rate is higher than Greater Melbourne's at 4.1%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation lags significantly at 48.6% compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade. Manufacturing employment levels are particularly high at 1.9 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services have limited presence with only 4.8% of employment compared to the regional average of 10.1%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the Census working population versus resident population count. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 5.2%, but the labour force grew by 5.7%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's employment growth of 3.5% and unemployment rate increase of 0.5 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Albans - South's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.8%% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

St Albans - South's median income among taxpayers was $41,595 in the financial year ending June 2022, according to data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $47,281 during this period. This compares to figures for Greater Melbourne of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% between financial years 2022 and 2025, current estimates would be approximately $45,800 (median) and $52,061 (average) as of March 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in St Albans - South all fall between the 3rd and 16th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 28.8% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (5,145 residents), consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 32.8% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 16th percentile nationally.

St Albans - South is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

St Albans - South dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 80.0% houses and 20.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Albans - South was at 37.1%, similar to Melbourne metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.3% and rented at 35.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,500, below Melbourne metro's average of $1,700. Median weekly rent in St Albans - South was $323, compared to Melbourne metro's $346. Nationally, St Albans - South's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,500 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

St Albans - South features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 72.6% of all households, including 31.8% couples with children, 20.5% couples without children, and 17.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 27.4%, with lone person households at 21.9% and group households making up 5.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Educational outcomes in St Albans - South fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The qualification rate in St Albans South is 22.8%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 16.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 26.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (16.0%). Educational participation is high at 33.5%, including primary (9.1%), secondary (8.0%), and tertiary education (7.3%).

St Albans South has a network of six schools educating approximately 3,488 students. These schools demonstrate typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities, having an ICSEA score of 971. The educational mix includes four primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds residential needs, with 19.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.3, indicating that St Albans South serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

The analysis of public transport in St Albans - South has identified 58 active transport stops, serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 10 individual routes, collectively facilitating 8,043 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located 253 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 1,149 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 138 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in St Albans - South is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

St Albans - South shows better-than-average health outcomes, with lower prevalence of common conditions among its general population compared to national averages but higher rates among older and at-risk groups. Private health cover is low, with approximately 46% (~8,217 people) having coverage, compared to Greater Melbourne's 48.1%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

Diabetes (6.6%) and arthritis (6.3%) are the most common conditions in the area. About 74.0% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 73.5%. The area has a larger senior population, with 20.3% aged 65 and over (3,623 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 17.9%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to presenting challenges.

St Albans - South 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 Albans - South is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country, with 64.8% of its population born overseas and 79.0% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in St Albans - South, as of the latest census data (2016), was Christianity, which makes up 43.1% of people in St Albans - South. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Buddhism, comprising 20.5% of the population, substantially higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 12.5%.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in St Albans - South were Vietnamese, comprising 29.2% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 15.7%, Other, comprising 18.2% of the population, and Chinese, comprising 9.1% of the population. Additionally, there were notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Croatian was notably overrepresented at 2.3% of St Albans - South (vs 2.2% regionally), Maltese at 3.7% (vs 4.6%) and Serbian at 1.2% (vs 1.0%).

St Albans - South's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in St Albans - South is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median age of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Albans - South has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (10.3%) but fewer residents aged 35-44 (12.0%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of the population aged 65-74 has increased from 9.7% to 10.3%, while the proportion of those aged 45-54 has decreased from 11.8% to 10.6%. By 2041, St Albans - South's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 55-64 age group is projected to grow by 30%, increasing from 2,018 to 2,615 people. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 51% of the projected growth. Conversely, the number of residents aged 5-14 is expected to decrease by 87%.