St Kilda East
Apartment living, premium prices and a highly educated workforce define St Kilda East more than its modest 0.2% annual growth. The suburb has 12,571 residents at a density of 5,550.1 people per sq km, while 66.3% of dwellings are apartments and vacancy is 15.1%. Household income sits at the 75.6th percentile nationally, and 58.5% hold university qualifications, 28.4 percentage points above the national figure.
Population
12,571
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,020/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
35
Median House
$1.7M
October to December 2025
Apartments account for 66.3% of dwellings, while separate houses are only 19.0%, so inspect owners corporation costs, parking and renovation limits alongside the advertised price. Compared with Caulfield, the suburb's 2.1-person average household and apartment mix suit smaller households.
For Buyers
Apartments account for 66.3% of dwellings, while separate houses are only 19.0%, so inspect owners corporation costs, parking and renovation limits alongside the advertised price. Compared with Caulfield, the suburb's 2.1-person average household and apartment mix suit smaller households.
For Investors
Investment demand is supported by a 49.3% renting share and weekly rent of $396, although the 15.1% vacancy rate gives tenants more choice than a tightly supplied market. Development activity reached 30 applications in 12 months, which may add planning and construction noise without proving a large dwelling pipeline. Compared with nearby Caulfield, St Kilda East offers a clear 66.3% apartment exposure, but investors should price body corporate costs and 32.6% turnover.
Development Activity
Total DAs
46
Last 12 Months
35
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+483.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in St Kilda East
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Beth Rivkah Ladies College
Caulfield Grammar School
Yeshivah College
Ripponlea Primary School
St Mary's School
Demographics
St Kilda East is younger and more university-educated than the national profile: median age is 34, six years below national, and 58.5% have university qualifications, 28.4 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents account for 32.3%, 10.7 points above the national share, with Russian, Greek, Mandarin, Italian and Hindi among the recorded languages. No religion is the largest reported affiliation at 5,218 people, followed by Judaism at 3,317 and Christianity at 2,418. English, Irish and Scottish are the leading named ancestries at 3,367, 1,372 and 1,036. Smaller 2.1-person households, including 47.8% couples without children, help explain the apartment-heavy profile compared with the national average.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
19.0%
Houses
14.5%
Townhouse
66.3%
Apartment
Tenure
St Kilda East's housing market is premium but apartment-dominant. Tenure is split between 20.8% owned outright, 28.8% mortgaged and 49.3% rented. Two-bedroom dwellings make up 48.8%, compared with 19.7% studios or one-bedroom homes. Compared with separate houses at 19.0%, apartments at 66.3% dominate the choice set.
Mortgage / mo
$2,128
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$396
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$1,183
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.1%
Unoccupied
984
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.0%
Couples with children
47.8%
Couples, no children
11.0%
Single parent
2,801
Total families
Economy & Employment
St Kilda East has an affluent, professional employment base: household income is $2,020 per week at the 75.6th percentile nationally, while participation is 73.7% and unemployment is 4.1%. Healthcare leads local industries with 948 workers or 16.2%, closely followed by Professional/Tech at 943 or 16.1%, then Education at 764 or 13.0%. Professionals number 2,889 and managers 1,323, explaining the high education and income profile because knowledge-intensive work supports purchasing power. The SEIFA education and occupation decile is 10, but the economic resources decile is 2, an unusual gap compared with the IRSAD decile of 9. This suggests strong skills alongside uneven financial resources in a suburb where 49.3% rent.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
7,747
Unemployed
319
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.6%
Part-time
32.4%
Participation
73.7%
Employed
7,428
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
58.5%
Postgraduate
17.3%
Born Overseas
32.3%
Dwellings
5,501
Transport to Work
Daily life is shaped by density and proximity to services, with 12,571 residents packed into 2.27 sq km. Public transport is used by 6.2% of commuters, walking or cycling by 6.3%, and working from home by 47.8%, while 37.4% drive. Families can choose among 6 nearby schools spanning government, Catholic and independent sectors, with primary, secondary and Pri/Sec options. Exact enrolment zones should be checked because school catchments can cross suburb boundaries. The crime rate is 57.6 per 1,000 people, led by 493 property and deception offences, so security deserves attention. SEIFA IRSAD is decile 9, above the national midpoint, but the 15.1% vacancy rate and 66.3% apartment share create a more transient feel than low-density suburbs.
Drive
37.4%
Public Transport
6.2%
Walk / Cycle
6.3%
Work from Home
47.8%
Population Forecast
+0.2%/yr
(+34 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is restrained rather than expansionary: the annual trend is 0.2%, and population change across the wider area is 0.6% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, yet the trajectory is Mixed, so demand is more likely to come through turnover and selective renewal than rapid population pressure. Rent growth of 18.2% contrasts with affordability improving from 37.4% in 2011 to 31.7% in 2021, while the gentrification score is 10 and the stage is Not gentrifying. The COVID dip reached -9.3% and recovery was 7.2%, with the market still not recovered. Compared with faster-growing outer suburbs, St Kilda East's established pattern favours incremental change.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+510
Net Internal / yr
-309
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -309/yr, Strong overseas inflow +510/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
724
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
57.6
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How St Kilda East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St Kilda East a good suburb to live in?
St Kilda East suits residents who value apartment access, professional employment and nearby schools. It has 12,571 residents, a median age of 34 and 66.3% apartments. The 57.6 per 1,000 crime rate and 15.1% vacancy rate are practical factors to weigh against its 75.6th-percentile household income.
What schools are in St Kilda East?
Local options include 6 schools across government, Catholic and independent sectors, with primary, secondary and Pri/Sec campuses represented. Examples include Ripponlea Primary School, St Mary's School, St Mary's College Melbourne, Beth Rivkah Ladies College, Caulfield Grammar School and Yeshivah College. Check the exact address because enrolment zones can differ.
Is St Kilda East safe?
Safety is mixed rather than something to judge from a single label. Recorded crime was 724 incidents, or 57.6 per 1,000 people, including 493 property and deception offences and 106 crimes against the person. Secure parking, entrances and parcels are sensible considerations, particularly in an apartment-heavy suburb with 66.3% apartments.
How is St Kilda East's population changing?
Population change is slow: the annual trend is 0.2%, while change across the wider area is 0.6% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the trajectory is Mixed and the gentrification stage is Not gentrifying with a score of 10. That points to incremental demand rather than rapid expansion.
What languages are spoken in St Kilda East?
English is not the only language profile to consider: Russian is recorded for 88 residents, Greek for 82, Mandarin for 62, Italian for 59 and Hindi for 56. Overseas-born residents represent 32.3%, which is 10.7 percentage points above the national share. Local services and schools may therefore serve households with varied language backgrounds.
What development is occurring in St Kilda East?
Development activity is present but not necessarily a major new-housing pipeline. There were 30 applications in 12 months, with recent examples involving a front-fence and pergola change, a planning permit, and restoration and extension of a church building. These examples suggest varied site impacts, so buyers should check each site's scale, approvals and construction timing.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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