St Kilda East

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

St Kilda East's population is approximately 17,366 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 1,553 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,813. The growth is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data of 17,332 in June 2024 and validated new addresses added post-census. This results in a population density of 7,205 persons per square kilometer, placing St Kilda East within the top 10% nationally. The area's 9.8% growth since the census is close to the national average of 9.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 80.8% of overall population gains in 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 by this data, AreaSearch employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, St Kilda East is forecasted to increase its population by 4,162 persons, reflecting a total gain of 23.8% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in St Kilda East is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

St Kilda East has received approximately 30 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 154 homes. In FY26 so far, two approvals have been recorded. The population has declined in recent years, but development activity has been adequate relative to this decline. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $457,000, which is higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development.

This financial year, $6.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda East has significantly lower building activity, which is 84.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. The area also records activity under the national average, indicating its established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. New building activity shows 12.0% standalone homes and 88.0% medium to high-density housing, providing accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers. St Kilda East has a population density of around 4826 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area.

Future projections estimate that St Kilda East will add 4,128 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

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

A total of 31 infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting a specific area. Notable among these are the Coles Carlisle Street Precinct Development, Small Parks Program - Balaclava/St Kilda East, 191-193 Carlisle Street Mixed Development, and 97 Alma Road by Neometro. The following list provides details on those projects most likely to be relevant.

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Employment performance in St Kilda East has been broadly consistent with national averages

St Kilda East has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector notably represented. Its unemployment rate was 5.2% in September 2025, compared to Greater Melbourne's 4.7%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.0%.

As of that date, 12,086 residents were employed. Workforce participation was high at 82.1%, significantly above Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. A substantial proportion, 47.8%, worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

The area shows strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. Manufacturing has limited presence, with only 3.7% of residents employed in this sector compared to the regional average of 7.2%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by the difference between working population and resident population counts. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 5.0%, while labour force grew by 4.9%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.0%, labour force expand by 3.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Kilda East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years.

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 the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, St Kilda East SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $64,226 with the average level standing at $93,441. These figures are among the highest in Australia and compare to levels of $57,688 and $75,164 across Greater Melbourne respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% from financial year ended June 2023 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $69,525 (median) and $101,150 (average). Census data from 2021 shows individual earnings stood out at the 91st percentile nationally with a weekly income of $1,210, though household income ranked lower at the 64th percentile. In terms of income distribution, 34.2% of the population, which translates to 5,939 individuals, fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, aligning with the broader area where this cohort likewise represents 32.8%. High housing costs consume 17.2% of income, yet strong earnings still place disposable income at the 63rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

St Kilda East's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 14.5% houses and 85.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda East stood at 18.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.4% and rented ones at 52.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in St Kilda East was $384, slightly above Melbourne metro's figure of $390. Nationally, St Kilda East's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 47.0% of all households, consisting of 15.5% couples with children, 24.6% couples without children, and 5.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 53.0%, with lone person households at 42.7% and group households comprising 10.3%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in St Kilda East places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

St Kilda East's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 55.4% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 35.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 22.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 11.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.5% currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.9% in tertiary, 6.3% in primary, and 4.4% in secondary education.

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

St Kilda East has 52 active public transport stops serving a mix of light rail and bus routes. These stops are covered by 11 individual routes, collectively facilitating 10,144 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 169 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 60%, followed by train at 15% and walking at 7%. The average vehicle ownership is 0.6 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 47.8% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,449 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 195 weekly trips per individual stop.

St Kilda East's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

St Kilda East shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups (AreaSearch, 2021). The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 68% of the total population (11,722 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues impacted 11.4% of residents, while asthma affected 7.7%, with 72.9% declaring themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne.

The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 10.9% of residents aged 65 and over (1,887 people), 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 East 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 East had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 22.8% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 34.3% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in St Kilda East, making up 25.6%. However, Judaism was significantly overrepresented at 12.5%, compared to the Greater Melbourne average of 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (22.4%), Australian (17.9%), and Other (14.8%). Notably, Polish (2.6% vs regional 0.8%), Russian (1.5% vs 0.4%), and Hungarian (0.8% vs 0.3%) ethnic groups were also overrepresented.

St Kilda East hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

St Kilda East has a median age of 34 years, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and Australia's national median age of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda East has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (28.3%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.1%). The concentration of residents aged 25-34 is significantly higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has increased from 10.4% to 11.7%, while the proportions of those aged 5-14 have decreased from 7.5% to 6.1% and those aged 45-54 have dropped from 12.7% to 11.6%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for St Kilda East, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 age group, which is expected to grow by 52%, adding 1,039 residents to reach a total of 3,052. In contrast, the 15-24 age group is forecast to have minimal growth of just 2%, with an increase of only 47 people.