St Kilda - West

St Kilda - West has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

St Kilda - West's population was 16,054 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure reflects a growth of 2,196 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,858. The increase is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 16,059 in June 2024 and an additional 496 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,802 persons per square kilometer, placing St Kilda - West in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 15.8% since the 2021 census exceeds both the national average (8.9%) and state average, indicating it as a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for this population growth.

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 employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is projected to have a significant population increase of 6,378 persons, reflecting an overall growth rate of 39.8% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in St Kilda - West according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

St Kilda - West has seen approximately 10 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 53 homes. As of FY26, 2 approvals have been recorded. On average, 5.5 new residents arrive per year for each dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25. This indicates that supply is lagging demand, potentially leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $1,528,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, $16.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda - West records markedly lower building activity, 94.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. The area's activity is also below national average, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 10.0% standalone homes and 90.0% townhouses or apartments, creating more affordable entry points and suiting downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

With around 8366 people per dwelling approval, St Kilda - West reflects a highly mature market. Future projections estimate St Kilda - West will add 6,383 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

St Kilda - West has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 37 projects that could influence the local performance of an area. Among these key projects are Fareham, St Kilda Pier Foreshore Upgrade (commenced on 1st January 20XX), 52 St Kilda Road (scheduled for completion in December 20XY), and St Kilda Marina Redevelopment (expected to finish in June 20XZ). The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in St Kilda - West remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

St Kilda - West has an educated workforce, with the technology sector prominent. Its unemployment rate was 5.7% as of September 2025, with estimated employment growth at 4.7%.

There were 11,334 residents in work by September 2025, with an unemployment rate of 5.7%, 1.0% above Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation was higher at 69.2% compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries for employment were professional & technical (1.7 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training. Manufacturing had limited presence with 3.7% employment compared to 7.2% regionally.

The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.7 at the Census, indicating local employment opportunities above the norm. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.7%, labour force grew by 5.0%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In Greater Melbourne, employment rose by 3.0%, labour force grew by 3.3%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Kilda - West's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

The St Kilda - West SA2 has a notably high income level nationally according to AreaSearch analysis of ATO data for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers in this area was $62,390, with an average income of $90,279. These figures compare to the Greater Melbourne averages of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Considering a 12.16% growth in wages since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $69,977 (median) and $101,257 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, individual earnings rank at the 92nd percentile nationally ($1,236 weekly), while household income ranks lower at the 55th percentile. Income analysis shows that 34.4% of locals (5,522 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, which is consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.8% in the same category. High housing costs consume 18.3% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 53rd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

St Kilda-West's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 4.8% houses and 95.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 8.7% houses and 91.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Kilda-West stood at 17.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.9% and rented ones at 59.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,170. Median weekly rent in St Kilda-West was $392, compared to Melbourne metro's $420. Nationally, St Kilda-West's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 41.4 percent of all households, including 10.8 percent couples with children, 25.4 percent couples without children, and 4.2 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 58.6 percent, with lone person households at 51.3 percent and group households comprising 7.3 percent of the total. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.9.

St Kilda - West 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 - West has a notably high level of educational attainment among residents aged 15 and above, with 57.1% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian state average of 33.4%. The area's educational advantage is reflected in its strong representation of bachelor degree holders at 34.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 17.7% and graduate diplomas at 4.7%. Vocational pathways are also prevalent, with 23.4% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (12.0%).

Educational participation is high in the area, with 27.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in tertiary education, 4.5% in primary education, and 4.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

The transport analysis indicates that St Kilda-West has 53 active public transport stops, consisting of both light rail and bus services. These stops are served by 14 different routes, collectively facilitating 9,018 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 133 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,288 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 170 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis shows strong health performance in St Kilda - West with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 67% compared to Greater Melbourne's 73.1% and Australia's national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common, affecting 10.9% and 7.8% respectively.

72.5% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's 73.3%. The area has 14.0% residents aged 65 and over (2,241 people). Seniors' health outcomes are strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

St Kilda - 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

St Kilda-West has notable cultural diversity, with 23.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 40.8% born overseas. The dominant religion is Christianity, comprising 30.4% of the population. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented in St Kilda-West at 2.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 3.7%.

The top three ancestral groups are English (24.6%), Australian (15.0%), and Other (12.5%). There are also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: French is slightly overrepresented at 1.2% versus 1.1% regionally, Polish is at 1.3% compared to 1.5%, and Russian remains unchanged at 0.9%.

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

The median age in St Kilda-West is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, St Kilda-West has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (27.9%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.1%). This 25-34 concentration is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 8.2% to 10.4%, while the 25 to 34 age group has risen from 26.8% to 27.9%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 14.0% to 12.6%, and the 35 to 44 age group has fallen from 18.1% to 17.0%. By 2041, St Kilda-West's population is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. The 45 to 54 age group is projected to grow by 76%, reaching a total of 3,550 people from the current figure of 2,019.