St Kilda - Central
Statistical Area - sa2

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

St Kilda - Central's population is approximately 14,357 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 2,500 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 11,857. The change can be inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,725 in June 2024 and an additional 404 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 9,322 persons per square kilometer, placing St Kilda - Central in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. The area's growth rate of 21.1% since the 2021 Census exceeds both the national average (8.9%) and state averages, positioning it as a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 88.9% of overall population gains during recent periods in St Kilda - Central.

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 the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to calculate population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041 based on these aggregations. Projected demographic shifts indicate a significant population increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. St Kilda - Central is expected to expand by 5,210 persons to 2041, with an overall increase of 31.9% over the 17-year period based on the latest population numbers.

Recent residential development output has been above average within St Kilda - Central when compared nationally

St Kilda - Central has averaged approximately 101 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 505 homes. As of FY26, 0 approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 0.1 new residents was associated with each dwelling constructed. This suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $912,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In FY26, $3.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda - Central has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 81st percentile nationally based on areas assessed. Recent building activity consists entirely of attached dwellings, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

With approximately 247 people associated with each dwelling approval, St Kilda - Central demonstrates a developing market. Population forecasts indicate that the area will gain around 4,578 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

St Kilda - Central 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 identified a total of 30 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Neometro's 97 Alma Road, Ink (71 Inkerman Street), 333 StK, and the 14 Alma Road Mixed-Use Development. The following list details 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.

The employment landscape in St Kilda - Central shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

St Kilda - Central has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector prominent. Its unemployment rate was 6.9% in June 2025, compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 6.3%. As of June 2025, 10,057 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 8.9%, above Greater Melbourne's rate. Workforce participation was 74.2% compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Leading employment industries among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

The area showed strong specialization in professional & technical with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level, while manufacturing had limited presence at 3.9% compared to 7.2% regionally. Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 6.3% and labour force grew by 7.1%, raising unemployment by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.5%, labour force grow by 4.0%, and unemployment increase by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to St Kilda - Central's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows St Kilda - Central had a median income among taxpayers of $61,667 and an average of $88,025. This is amongst the highest in Australia compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $54,892 and average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest approximately $69,166 for the median income and $98,729 for the average as of September 2025. Census data indicates individual earnings are at the 92nd percentile nationally ($1,220 weekly), but household income ranks lower at the 53rd percentile. The earnings profile shows that 36.2% of residents (5,197 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to regional levels where 32.8% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 80.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 49th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

St Kilda - Central features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in St Kilda - Central, as per the latest Census, consisted of 5.6% houses and 94.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 8.7% houses and 91.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda - Central was at 13.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.1% and rented ones at 62.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,998, lower than Melbourne metro's $2,170 but higher than the national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in St Kilda - Central was $381, compared to Melbourne metro's $420 and the national figure of $375.

St Kilda - Central features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 39.4% of all households, including 8.4% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 4.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 60.6%, with lone person households at 52.3% and group households comprising 8.4%. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.9.

St Kilda - Central demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

St Kilda - Central has higher educational attainment than Australia and Victoria overall. 53.7% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are most common at 34.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 26.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (13.7%).

A significant 24.7% of the population is actively pursuing formal education: 9.7% in tertiary, 3.7% in primary, and 2.6% in secondary. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,711 students, with an ICSEA score of 1113 indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. There is one primary school and two K-12 schools, with a capacity of 12.0 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 9.6, suggesting St Kilda - Central serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

The analysis of public transportation in St Kilda - Central shows that there are currently 52 operational transport stops. These stops offer a combination of light rail and bus services. There are 13 distinct routes serving these stops, collectively facilitating 6,225 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to public transportation is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 122 meters away from the nearest stop. On average, there are 889 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 119 weekly trips per individual stop.

St Kilda - Central's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout St Kilda - Central. The prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups is very low. Approximately 64% of the total population (9,159 people) has private health cover, compared to 73.1% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 12.3% and 7.7% of residents respectively. 71.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.3% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 11.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,593 people), which is lower than the 14.3% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

St Kilda - Central 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 Kilda-Central has a high level of cultural diversity, with 23.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 41.3% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in St Kilda-Central, making up 28.6% of the population. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 2.6% versus 0.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.7%), Australian (15.3%), and Other (12.7%). Notably, Polish (1.6%) and French (1.5%) populations in St Kilda-Central are higher than the regional average of 1.5% and 1.1%, respectively. Additionally, Russians make up 1.1% of St Kilda-Central's population compared to the region's 0.9%.

St Kilda - Central's population is younger than the national pattern

St Kilda - Central's median age is 35 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and the national average of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 32.2%, compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 5-14 cohort stands at 3.7%. This concentration in the 25-34 age bracket is notably higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 8.4% to 9.6%, while the 65-74 cohort increased from 6.1% to 7.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 12.3% to 11.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for St Kilda - Central, with the 45-54 age cohort projected to rise substantially by 1,142 people (72%), from 1,585 to 2,728.