St Clair
A 32-year median age sits 8 years below the national figure, yet St Clair is moving towards an older profile, with the senior share up 7.1 percentage points. The suburb covers just 0.94 square kilometres and has 2,634 residents, creating a dense urban setting near Woodville and Cheltenham. Household income ranks at the 70.5th percentile, above the national midpoint, while 48.0% of residents hold a university qualification. Housing is strongly mortgage-led, with 47.6% of households paying off a loan, and overseas-born residents account for 38.5%, 16.9 percentage points above the national level. Its compact footprint contrasts with the broader urban area around nearby Woodville and Cheltenham.
Local council: Charles Sturt
Population
2,634
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,890/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Median House
$1.1M
First quarter 2026
Semi-detached homes account for 48.8% of dwellings, compared with 33.5% separate houses and 17.7% apartments, giving buyers more attached options than a detached-house-dominated suburb. The median mortgage repayment is $1,733 per month, equal to 21.2% of household income, so typical mortgage stress is not flagged. With 40.4% of homes having 2 bedrooms and 39.1% having 3, the local stock is suited to couples, smaller families and professional households.
For Buyers
Semi-detached homes account for 48.8% of dwellings, compared with 33.5% separate houses and 17.7% apartments, giving buyers more attached options than a detached-house-dominated suburb. The median mortgage repayment is $1,733 per month, equal to 21.2% of household income, so typical mortgage stress is not flagged. With 40.4% of homes having 2 bedrooms and 39.1% having 3, the local stock is suited to couples, smaller families and professional households.
For Investors
St Clair offers a tenant base supported by 40.8% renting, a weekly rent of $360 and a 5.2% vacancy rate. That vacancy level is higher than a tightly constrained rental market, so investors should allow for leasing competition and assess each property carefully rather than rely on suburb-wide demand. The suburb's 77.3% labour-force participation rate and 65.7% full-time employment rate support a substantial working renter pool, while 38.5% of residents were born overseas and overseas migration is the primary growth driver. Development activity is modest, with 10 applications recorded over 12 months, so future rental supply is below the threshold that would suggest a major construction wave.
Development Activity
Total DAs
197
Last 12 Months
9
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-30.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in St Clair
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Woodville High School
Demographics
St Clair combines a younger resident base with signs of demographic aging. The median age is 32, which is 8 years below the national figure, but the senior share has increased by 7.1 percentage points while the working-age share has fallen by 2.5 points. University attainment is 48.0%, or 17.9 percentage points higher than nationally, supporting a professional and administrative profile. Overseas-born residents make up 38.5%, 16.9 points above the national level, with English, Italian and Chinese ancestry represented by 643, 213 and 206 people respectively. No religion is recorded for 1,085 residents, compared with 973 identifying with Christianity. Average household size is 2.3, 0.2 below the national figure, helping explain the strong presence of 2 and 3-bedroom dwellings. Compared with nearby Woodville, St Clair presents a particularly compact, apartment and townhouse-oriented demographic setting.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
33.5%
Houses
48.8%
Townhouse
17.7%
Apartment
Tenure
That result is lower than the recent peak, although the one-year history is too short to establish a long-term cycle. Tenure is split between 47.6% mortgage holders, 40.8% renters and only 11.5% outright owners, indicating a relatively mobile, purchase-active market. The dwelling mix is led by semi-detached homes at 48.8%, followed by separate houses at 33.5% and apartments at 17.7%. Two-bedroom properties account for 40.4% of homes and 3-bedroom properties for 39.1%, while 4-bedroom-plus homes represent 18.4%. Mortgage repayments equal 21.2% of household income and rent equals 19.0%, so neither tenure group is flagged for typical housing stress. Compared with a detached-house suburb, St Clair provides more attached housing and smaller-format options.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$360
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,055
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
60
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.2%
Couples with children
38.8%
Couples, no children
17.2%
Single parent
720
Total families
Economy & Employment
St Clair has a highly engaged workforce, with 1,710 people in the labour force, a 77.3% participation rate and unemployment of 3.5%. Healthcare is the largest industry at 18.2%, followed by education at 11.7%, public administration at 10.5%, professional and technical services at 9.4%, and retail at 7.4%. The occupational mix is led by 517 professionals, 225 clerical and administrative workers and 208 managers, which aligns with the suburb's 48.0% university attainment. Socioeconomic measures are uneven: the IEO sits in decile 3, while the IER reaches decile 8 and both IRSD and IRSAD sit in decile 5. The lower IEO ranking compared with the higher IER ranking may reflect a mix of educational disadvantage and relatively strong employment or income conditions. Full-time workers number 1,084, compared with 476 part-time workers, supporting household purchasing capacity.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
1,710
Unemployed
59
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.7%
Part-time
28.8%
Participation
77.3%
Employed
1,651
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.0%
Postgraduate
12.1%
Born Overseas
38.5%
Dwellings
1,089
Transport to Work
St Clair is strongly car-oriented, with 69.9% of commuters driving compared with 9.0% using public transport and 3.3% walking or cycling. A further 12.4% work from home, which can reduce daily travel needs for some households. Local education access includes 1 listed government secondary school, while families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because school boundaries can cross suburb lines. Recorded crime totals 262 incidents, equivalent to 99.5 per 1,000 residents, so safety deserves more attention than it would in a lower-crime setting. The IRSAD sits in decile 5, indicating a middle position, while the IER reaches decile 8 and the IEO is in decile 3. This uneven profile means livability can vary between households: professional earners may benefit from higher income conditions, while transport dependence and crime exposure remain practical considerations.
Drive
69.9%
Public Transport
9.0%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
12.4%
Growth Outlook
St Clair is an established suburb with a slow-growth outlook. The annual trend is -0.11%, sitting below zero, while population change across the wider area is forecast at just 0.5% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, which may continue to support renter demand even as the local trajectory is classified as Aging. The senior share has risen 7.1 percentage points and the working-age share has fallen 2.5 points, creating a gradual shift in household needs. Affordability is labelled Stable, moving from 51.1 in 2011 to 51.8 in 2021, while real income growth is 3.8%. Gentrification is not driving the outlook: the gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying. Compared with a high-growth redevelopment precinct, St Clair is more likely to experience incremental change through established housing turnover and limited development, with 10 applications recorded in 12 months.
Population trend: Charles Sturt council area
St Clair sits in the Charles Sturt council area. These are the council area's residents, not St Clair's.
Residents 2025
130,841
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.4%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
262
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
99.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How St Clair compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St Clair a good suburb to live in?
St Clair can suit buyers and renters who value dense housing, nearby urban services and a younger median age of 32. Household income ranks at the 70.5th percentile and 48.0% of residents have university qualifications. The trade-offs are car dependence at 69.9% and a recorded crime rate of 99.5 per 1,000 residents.
What schools are in St Clair?
St Clair has 1 listed local school, Woodville High School, a government secondary school. Families should confirm the relevant enrolment zone for any address because boundaries can affect access. The suburb's compact 0.94 square kilometre footprint also makes the exact walking, cycling or driving route important when comparing homes.
Is St Clair safe?
Safety is mixed rather than uniformly low-risk. St Clair recorded 262 incidents, equal to 99.5 crimes per 1,000 residents. Prospective residents should inspect the exact street, compare recent local conditions and consider lighting, parking and travel routes, especially because 69.9% of residents drive and only 3.3% walk or cycle.
How is St Clair's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is forecast at 0.5% over 10 years, while the annual trend is -0.11%, below zero. The trajectory is classified as Aging: the senior share has risen 7.1 percentage points and the working-age share has fallen 2.5 points. Overseas migration remains the primary growth driver, which may support household turnover and rental demand.
What languages are spoken in St Clair?
English is the largest ancestry response at 643 people, while Mandarin is spoken by 45 residents, Hindi by 30, Malayalam by 26, Greek by 25 and Urdu by 23. Overseas-born residents account for 38.5% of the population, which is 16.9 percentage points above the national figure and contributes to the suburb's multilingual profile.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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