St Kilda
With 19,490 residents across 3.18 square kilometres, St Kilda has an exceptionally urban profile, with density of 6,131.8 people per square kilometre and 79.2% of dwellings classified as apartments. Compared with nearby Elwood and Balaclava, its combination of apartment living, a 61.2% renter share and an average household size of 1.7 creates a more transient inner-city market. The population is younger than the national profile, with a median age of 36, or 4 years below the national comparison, while university participation at 53.7% is 23.6 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents account for 40.1%, supporting international demand, although a 200.4 crimes-per-1,000 rate is a significant livability consideration.
Population
19,490
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,779/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
28
Median House
$1.8M
October to December 2025
St Kilda suits buyers prioritising access, apartment choice and inner-city amenity over land. Housing is strongly apartment-led, with 79.2% of dwellings being apartments and only 5.5% separate houses, while 38.9% contain 0 or 1 bedroom and 46.9% contain 2 bedrooms. That stock suits singles and couples because the average household size is 1.7, but it limits family-sized options. Mortgage repayments are listed at $2,000 monthly and mortgage stress is 26.0% of income, below the 30% stress benchmark often used by lenders. Compared with the 61.2% renting share, the 14.4% outright ownership rate points to a competitive environment for established owner-occupiers.
For Buyers
St Kilda suits buyers prioritising access, apartment choice and inner-city amenity over land. Housing is strongly apartment-led, with 79.2% of dwellings being apartments and only 5.5% separate houses, while 38.9% contain 0 or 1 bedroom and 46.9% contain 2 bedrooms. That stock suits singles and couples because the average household size is 1.7, but it limits family-sized options. Mortgage repayments are listed at $2,000 monthly and mortgage stress is 26.0% of income, below the 30% stress benchmark often used by lenders. Compared with the 61.2% renting share, the 14.4% outright ownership rate points to a competitive environment for established owner-occupiers.
For Investors
St Kilda has a large tenant base, with 61.2% of households renting and weekly rent at $381. This supports a broad leasing pool because 85.8% of dwellings have 0, 1 or 2 bedrooms, matching the suburb's average household size of 1.7. The 21.6% vacancy rate is high compared with a tightly supplied market, so investors should allow for sharper competition between apartments and assess building quality, owners corporation costs and exact micro-location. Rent growth of 18.0% is a more encouraging signal than the vacancy figure is a risk, but the two measures need to be considered together. Twenty-seven development applications in 12 months may add competition, particularly in apartment stock. Overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver, which can support tenant demand, although price entry remains high compared with the $381 weekly rent.
Development Activity
Total DAs
38
Last 12 Months
28
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+366.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in St Kilda
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Cheder Levi Yitzchok Inc
St Michael's Grammar School
St Kilda Park Primary School
St Kilda Primary School
Demographics
St Kilda has a median age of 36, which is 4 years below the national comparison, and 53.7% of residents hold university qualifications, 23.6 percentage points above national. The overseas-born share is 40.1%, or 18.5 points above national, with Italian, French, Mandarin, Greek and Russian among the recorded languages. English ancestry is the largest listed group at 6,335 people, followed by Other at 3,156, Irish at 3,109 and Scottish at 2,086. No religion is recorded for 10,731 residents, compared with 4,978 identifying with Christianity. A 41.4% turnover rate and 58.6% staying rate indicate more movement than in a settled, family-heavy suburb. Compared with nearby Elwood and Balaclava, St Kilda's defining demographic feature is the combination of international diversity, small households and high residential turnover.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
5.5%
Houses
10.9%
Townhouse
79.2%
Apartment
Tenure
St Kilda's housing market has delivered substantial long-term growth but also recent volatility. Compared with detached-home suburbs, St Kilda is unusually apartment-dependent: 79.2% of dwellings are apartments, 10.9% are semi-detached and 5.5% are separate houses. Tenure is renter-heavy at 61.2%, while 14.4% are owned outright and 23.2% are being purchased with a mortgage. The 0.8% other-tenure share is small, so affordability and resale conditions are especially exposed to apartment demand.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $381.
$560
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $950 · units $630
HH Size
1.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,214
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
21.6%
Unoccupied
2,852
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.1%
Couples with children
64.5%
Couples, no children
10.9%
Single parent
4,075
Total families
Economy & Employment
St Kilda's employment base is led by Professional/Tech at 16.8% or 1,670 workers, followed by Healthcare at 14.0% or 1,395, Education at 10.1% or 1,005, Hospitality at 7.1% or 704 and Construction at 6.9% or 690. The occupation mix is similarly professional, with 4,504 Professionals and 2,161 Managers, ahead of Clerical/Admin at 1,436, Community/Personal at 1,303 and Trades at 1,204. Participation is 72.4% and unemployment is 4.8%, while household income sits at the 62.7th percentile. SEIFA results are uneven: IEO is in decile 10, IER in decile 2, IRSD in decile 8 and IRSAD in decile 9. This gap means strong education and occupation measures coexist with weaker income and economic-resource outcomes for some households, rather than producing uniformly high prosperity.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
13,172
Unemployed
632
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.5%
Part-time
28.4%
Participation
72.4%
Employed
12,540
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
53.7%
Postgraduate
16.7%
Born Overseas
40.1%
Dwellings
10,348
Transport to Work
St Kilda provides practical access for compact urban living, with 47.9% working from home, 31.2% travelling as car drivers, 10.4% using public transport and 8.5% walking or cycling. Walking and cycling remain below car driving, despite the suburb's density of 6,131.8 people per square kilometre. Four nearby schools span 2 government primary schools and 2 independent Pri/Sec schools, giving families a mix of sectors and age ranges, but enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. Safety requires closer scrutiny: 3,905 recorded offences equate to 200.4 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences at 2,251, substantially higher than crimes against the person at 668. The IRSAD result is strong at decile 9, while the 21.6% vacancy rate can affect street feel and building turnover. Compared with car-oriented suburbs, St Kilda supports more flexible daily travel, but street and building selection matter.
Drive
31.2%
Public Transport
10.4%
Walk / Cycle
8.5%
Work from Home
47.9%
Population Forecast
+1.31%/yr
(+183 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth across the wider area is forecast at 1.31% annually, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. The longer-run population change measure is 17.7% over 10 years, a stronger signal than the mixed trajectory attached to short-term demographic shifts. Gentrification remains at the early-signs stage, with a score of 30, while the shift measure also records a score of 24 and describes affordability as improving from 35.1% in 2011 to 31.2% in 2021. The area experienced an 11.6% COVID dip but recovered with a 12.9% rebound, supporting the view that demand is resilient rather than permanently impaired. Rent growth of 18.0% and a 27-application development pipeline may reinforce change, although the 0.4 percentage-point fall in the young share and 2.3-point rise in the senior share make the trajectory more mixed than a simple rejuvenation story.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+565
Net Internal / yr
-153
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +30% since 2011, Net internal outflow -153/yr, Strong overseas inflow +565/yr, COVID recovered (-12% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
3,905
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
200.4
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 compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St Kilda a good suburb to live in?
St Kilda suits residents who value inner-city access, apartments and walkable daily services. Its 79.2% apartment share and 47.9% work-from-home rate support an urban routine, while the 200.4 crimes-per-1,000 rate warrants more street-by-street checking than a simple suburb-wide label.
What schools are in St Kilda?
Four schools are listed locally: 2 government primary schools, St Kilda Park Primary School and St Kilda Primary School, plus 2 independent Pri/Sec schools, Cheder Levi Yitzchok Inc and St Michael's Grammar School. Enrolment zones should be checked for each address.
Is St Kilda safe?
Safety varies by street and building. St Kilda recorded 3,905 offences, equal to 200.4 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences numbered 2,251, higher than the 668 crimes against the person, so buyers and renters should inspect evening conditions and security.
Is St Kilda good for property investment?
St Kilda has a 61.2% renter share, $381 weekly rent and 18.0% rent growth, supporting tenant demand. However, the 21.6% vacancy rate is high compared with a tightly supplied market, and 27 development applications in 12 months could increase apartment competition.
How is St Kilda's population changing?
The wider area's forecast trend is 1.31% annually, driven primarily by overseas migration, with population change of 17.7% over 10 years. The trajectory is Mixed and gentrification is at the Early signs stage with a score of 30, rather than showing a uniformly young profile.
What languages are spoken in St Kilda?
St Kilda has an overseas-born share of 40.1%, which is 18.5 percentage points above national. The leading listed languages include Italian at 143 speakers, French at 121, Mandarin at 119, Greek at 94 and Russian at 90, alongside English as the dominant broader language.
Is St Kilda undergoing much development?
Twenty-seven development applications were recorded over 12 months, indicating ongoing planning activity. One listed application involves 2 dwellings, while other applications do not specify dwelling numbers. Buyers should compare proposed projects with vacancy of 21.6% and apartment supply of 79.2%.
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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