Suburb / Locality · Area profile
St Kilda West
1 km²
High concentrations of university-educated professionals set St Kilda West apart from most similar areas. It is a wealthy, urban pocket where many residents live alone in apartments and work from home. The community is notably diverse and mobile, with a large proportion of people born overseas and many moving into the area recently. This creates a sophisticated, fast-paced environment with very few children and a high typical income.
St Kilda West's schools draw a community as advantaged as its high household incomes suggest.
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The typical resident is 40, making the area a little older than the state and national figures. It is an adult-heavy community with children under 15 making up only 12.5%, which is well below the national average of 18.2%.
Overseas birth is common here, with 29.4% of people born abroad, a figure slightly above the national average. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
While 16.6% of residents use a language other than English at home, this is far below the Victorian average of 27.6%. Very few people, just 0.5%, speak little or no English.
A majority of residents report no religion at 55.4%, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 28.1%.
This is one of the most qualified areas in the region, with 52.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, far above the national figure of 26.3%. This high level of education is reflected in the 80% of residents who completed Year 12.
Wealth is high here, with typical personal weekly incomes at $1,314, far above the national figure of $805. About 30.1% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is well above the state average.
Residents are generally healthy, as those needing help with daily activities are much lower than in most areas. However, 10% of people report a mental health condition, which is a little above the national average.
Volunteering is common, with 19.6% of people helping out, well above the state figure of 13.3%. Conversely, far fewer people provide unpaid childcare or housework compared to most other areas.
There are 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the area. For this group, the typical personal income is $850, which is well above the national figure of $540.
Living alone is very common here, with 48% of people in single-person homes, far above the national average of 25.6%. Consequently, there are only 1.9 people per home, well below the national figure of 2.5.
The area is dominated by flats or apartments, which make up 71.3% of homes. Renting is very common at 51.2%, and typical weekly rents are about the same as the national figure at $385.
Working from home is a major trend, with 46.2% of people doing so, far above the national average. This is consistent with the high number of homes with no motor vehicle, which is far above the state figure.
The population is highly mobile, with 50.1% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are also much more common than in most similar areas.
Employment is strong, with 71.9% of adults working or looking for work, well above the national average. Most residents work as professionals or managers in technical or health fields.
Described as a walker's paradise, 100% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, parks, and health services. Every home is also within a 10-minute walk of public transport.