St Kilda - Central

Population growth drivers in St Kilda - Central are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

St Kilda - Central's population is approximately 14,423 as of February 2026. This figure indicates a rise of 2,566 individuals (21.6%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 11,857. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,725 in June 2024 and an additional 437 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 9,365 persons per square kilometer, placing St Kilda - Central within the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate exceeds both national (9.9%) and state averages, marking it as a notable growth leader. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 88.9% of overall population gains in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made through 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. Based on projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase is forecasted in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. The area is expected to expand by 5,210 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 31.3% over the 17-year period.

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

St Kilda - Central averaged approximately 101 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 505 homes. As of FY26, no approvals have been recorded yet. On average, 0.1 new residents were added annually for each dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25. This pace suggests that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer options and room for population growth beyond current projections.

The average construction value of these properties was $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 predominantly residential character. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda - Central has about two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 81st percentile nationally. Recent building activity consists solely of attached dwellings, offering affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

With around 247 people per dwelling approval, St Kilda - Central exhibits a developing market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to gain 4,512 residents by 2041. If current development rates persist, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Thirty projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly. Key projects include 97 Alma Road by Neometro, Ink (71 Inkerman Street), 14 Alma Road Mixed-Use Development, and St Kilda Pier Foreshore Upgrade. The following list details those most likely to be 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 significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 6.9%, with an estimated employment growth of 4.7% over the past year as of September 2025. There are 9,933 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 2.2% above Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%.

Workforce participation is high at 83.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. According to Census responses, 44.7% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area has a particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, manufacturing has limited presence with 3.9% employment compared to 7.2% regionally. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work based on the count of Census working population to local population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 4.7% while labour force increased by 5.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points in St Kilda - Central. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.0%, the labour force grow by 3.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insights into potential future demand within St Kilda - Central. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to St Kilda - Central's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not take into account localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023. St Kilda - Central SA2's median income among taxpayers was $62,772, with an average of $87,283. This was one of the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $67,951 (median) and $94,484 (average). Census data showed individual earnings were at the 92nd percentile nationally ($1,220 weekly), but household income ranked lower at the 52nd percentile. The earnings profile revealed that 36.2% of residents (5,221 people) fell into the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, reflecting patterns seen regionally where 32.8% occupied this range. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 80.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 48th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed 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

St Kilda - Central's dwelling structure in its latest Census evaluation showed 5.6% houses and 94.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda - Central was at 13.0%, with the rest mortgaged (24.1%) or rented (62.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,998, below Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent was $381 compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, St Kilda - Central's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,998 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were higher at $381 than 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 constitute 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 account for 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 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in St Kilda - Central is notably higher than national averages. As of 2016, 53.7% of residents aged 15 and above held university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% statewide in Victoria. This high level of educational attainment positions the area favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees were the most common at 34.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%).

Vocational credentials were also prevalent, with 26.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas accounted for 12.5% and certificates for 13.7%. Moreover, a significant proportion of the population was actively engaged in formal education, with 24.7% pursuing it. This included 9.7% in tertiary education, 3.7% in primary education, and 2.6% in secondary education as of 2016.

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

St Kilda - Central has 51 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 13 individual routes, collectively facilitating 9,599 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 122 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most residents commute outward using various modes: car (57%), train (10%), walking (9%). Vehicle ownership averages 0.4 per dwelling, below the regional average. In 2021 Census data, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions, 44.7% of residents worked from home.

Service frequency averaged 1,371 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 188 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. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 63% of the total population (9,129 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues impacting 12.3% of residents and asthma impacting 7.7%. A total of 71.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 12.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,724 people), which is lower than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

St Kilda - Central 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

St Kilda-Central has a high level of cultural diversity, with 23.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. Additionally, 41.3% of the population was born overseas during this period. Christianity is the predominant religion in St Kilda-Central, accounting for 28.6% of its population.

However, Judaism is notably overrepresented in St Kilda-Central compared to Greater Melbourne, with 2.6% of the population identifying as Jewish versus 1.0%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups in St Kilda-Central are English at 23.7%, Australian at 15.3%, and Other at 12.7%. There are also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: French is overrepresented at 1.5% compared to 0.5% regionally, Polish at 1.6% versus 0.8%, and Russian at 1.1% versus 0.4%.

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

St Kilda-Central has a median age of 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda-Central has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (31.3%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 65-74 has increased from 6.1% to 7.7%, while those aged 15-24 have risen from 8.4% to 9.7%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 33.0% to 31.3%, and those aged 45-54 have dropped from 12.3% to 11.1%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest significant changes in St Kilda-Central's age profile, with the strongest growth expected in the 45-54 cohort, which is projected to increase by 70%, adding 1,125 residents to reach a total of 2,728.