St Ives vs Belrose

St Ives is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 46 in Belrose. In both, the large majority of households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in St Ives: a median of $3.15 million, against $2.38 million in Belrose, though rent is higher in Belrose. Belrose is closer to the city centre: 21 km, against 23.5 km. On these figures, Belrose tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

St Ives

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (21 vs 10)
  • has more parks and reserves (32 vs 17)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 6)
  • But Belrose has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 2)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • St Ives has cheaper units ($1,100,000 vs $1,490,000)
  • Belrose has cheaper houses ($2,385,000 vs $3,150,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

St Ives

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper rent ($688/wk vs $890/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

St Ives

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (78/100 vs 63/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (27 min vs 32 min)
  • But Belrose sits closer to the CBD (21 km vs 23.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

St Ives

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 2)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (34% vs 21%)
  • carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 34/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

St Ives

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.3% vs -0.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

St Ives and Belrose drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

St Ives Belrose
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

St Ives Belrose
Walkability 78 / 63
St Ives — Walkability: 78/100 Belrose — Walkability: 63/100
Safety 76 / 66
St Ives — Safety: 76/100 Belrose — Safety: 66/100
Low fire risk 10 / 10
St Ives — Low fire risk: 10/100 Belrose — Low fire risk: 10/100

Demographics

St Ives has more residents (18,384 vs 8,726); Belrose rents higher ($890/wk vs $688/wk).

St Ives Belrose
Population 18,384
+53% vs other
 8,726
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.3% -0.6%
Median age 43 46
Median household income $150,176/yr
+10% vs other
 $135,096/yr
Median weekly rent $688/wk $890/wk
+29% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Ives Belrose
0-4 4.8% / 4.2%
St Ives — 0-4: 4.8% Belrose — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 15.8% / 14.2%
St Ives — 5-14: 15.8% Belrose — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 6.4% / 7.0%
St Ives — 15-19: 6.4% Belrose — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 4.8% / 5.3%
St Ives — 20-24: 4.8% Belrose — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 6.0% / 5.3%
St Ives — 25-34: 6.0% Belrose — 25-34: 5.3%
35-44 13.6% / 11.0%
St Ives — 35-44: 13.6% Belrose — 35-44: 11.0%
45-54 14.8% / 15.8%
St Ives — 45-54: 14.8% Belrose — 45-54: 15.8%
55-64 12.0% / 10.9%
St Ives — 55-64: 12.0% Belrose — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 10.1% / 10.2%
St Ives — 65-74: 10.1% Belrose — 65-74: 10.2%
75-84 7.9% / 10.9%
St Ives — 75-84: 7.9% Belrose — 75-84: 10.9%
85+ 3.7% / 5.3%
St Ives — 85+: 3.7% Belrose — 85+: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

St Ives 62.5% couple families
St Ives — Couple Families: 62.5% St Ives — Lone Person: 22.9% St Ives — One Parent Families: 12.5% St Ives — Group Household: 1.4% St Ives — Other Families: 0.7%
Belrose 59.4% couple families
Belrose — Couple Families: 59.4% Belrose — Lone Person: 25.9% Belrose — One Parent Families: 12.4% Belrose — Group Household: 1.3% Belrose — Other Families: 1.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

St Ives 16.9% renting
St Ives — Owned Outright: 42.5% St Ives — Mortgage: 40.6% St Ives — Renting: 16.9%
Belrose 12.1% renting
Belrose — Owned Outright: 45.6% Belrose — Mortgage: 42.3% Belrose — Renting: 12.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

St Ives Belrose
Bachelor Degree 24.5% / 18.1%
St Ives — Bachelor Degree: 24.5% Belrose — Bachelor Degree: 18.1%
Postgraduate Degree 13.2% / 5.8%
St Ives — Postgraduate Degree: 13.2% Belrose — Postgraduate Degree: 5.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 10.2%
St Ives — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Belrose — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Certificate III & IV 4.3% / 9.7%
St Ives — Certificate III & IV: 4.3% Belrose — Certificate III & IV: 9.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 2.2%
St Ives — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Belrose — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

St Ives Belrose
England 5.9% / 7.0%
St Ives — England: 5.9% Belrose — England: 7.0%
China 10.3% / 2.4%
St Ives — China: 10.3% Belrose — China: 2.4%
South Africa 7.1% / 2.7%
St Ives — South Africa: 7.1% Belrose — South Africa: 2.7%
New Zealand 1.8% / 1.7%
St Ives — New Zealand: 1.8% Belrose — New Zealand: 1.7%
Iran 2.0% / 1.1%
St Ives — Iran: 2.0% Belrose — Iran: 1.1%
India 2.0% / 0.8%
St Ives — India: 2.0% Belrose — India: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

St Ives 66.1% houses
St Ives — Houses: 66.1% St Ives — Flats / Apartments: 26.2% St Ives — Townhouses: 7.6%
Belrose 79.3% houses
Belrose — Houses: 79.3% Belrose — Flats / Apartments: 11.2% Belrose — Townhouses: 9.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

St Ives Belrose
Median house price $3,150,000 $2,385,000
Median unit price $1,100,000 $1,490,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 232 sales
 21 days
from 120 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

St Ives Belrose
3 bed $2.63M / $2.16M
St Ives — 3 bed: $2.63M (47 sales) Belrose — 3 bed: $2.16M (37 sales)

47 vs 37 sales

4 bed $3.06M / $2.38M
St Ives — 4 bed: $3.06M (118 sales) Belrose — 4 bed: $2.38M (56 sales)

118 vs 56 sales

5 bed $3.81M / $2.64M
St Ives — 5 bed: $3.81M (88 sales) Belrose — 5 bed: $2.64M (48 sales)

88 vs 48 sales

Zoning mix

St Ives has more land zoned for conservation (45% vs 32%).

St Ives Belrose
Environmental 45% 32%
Residential 40% 19%
Other and special use 0% 40%
Parks and recreation 11% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 4%
same for both
Commercial 0% 3%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

St Ives Belrose
New dwellings approved 908
across Ku-ring-gai
 620
across Northern Beaches
Approvals change year on year +0% +51%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

St Ives Belrose
Houses 3.2%
$1,675/wk on $2.73M
 3.4%
$1,472/wk on $2.25M
Units 5.0%
$875/wk on $916K
 —

Ranking within NSW

St Ives Belrose
House price Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Income Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 90% of NSW
Schools Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 65% of NSW —

Liveability

St Ives is more walkable (78 vs 63); Belrose scores higher overall (67 vs 62).

St Ives Belrose
Grade B
same for both
Score 62/100 67/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Belrose carries more crime risk (34 vs 24).

St Ives Belrose
Bushfire High
90/100
same for both
Crime Low
24/100
 Low
34/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

St Ives Belrose
Inside the suburb 10 6
Rated above peers 2 3
Rated at peers 5 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 7.4 km
 None

Schools in St Ives

  • St Ives High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Ives North Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Brigidine College St Ives Independent · Secondary at peers
  • Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Masada College Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Ives Park Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Belrose

  • John Colet School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Wakehurst Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Covenant Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Belrose Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Yanginanook School Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

St Ives Belrose
Supermarkets 5 4
Cafes & restaurants 22 15
Parks & reserves 32 17
Childcare 21 10
GPs 5 2
Pharmacies 6 2
Banks & Bank@Post 5 1
Fuel stations 4 2
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 12 10

Mobility

St Ives sits further from the CBD (23.5 km vs 21 km).

St Ives Belrose
Walkability score 78/100 63/100
Distance to Sydney 23.5 km
+11% vs other
 21 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 32 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 440.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 518.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 4.2%
postcode 2075
 1.9%
postcode 2085
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 2075
 46
postcode 2085

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

St Ives Belrose
Worked from Home 60.9% / 52.9%
St Ives — Worked from Home: 60.9% Belrose — Worked from Home: 52.9%
Car (driver) 32.6% / 41.4%
St Ives — Car (driver): 32.6% Belrose — Car (driver): 41.4%
Car (passenger) 2.3% / 2.5%
St Ives — Car (passenger): 2.3% Belrose — Car (passenger): 2.5%
Bus 0.7% / 1.8%
St Ives — Bus: 0.7% Belrose — Bus: 1.8%
Train 2.0% / 0.3%
St Ives — Train: 2.0% Belrose — Train: 0.3%
Walked Only 1.3% / 0.7%
St Ives — Walked Only: 1.3% Belrose — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.9%).

Setting

St Ives Belrose
Elevation 165 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 145 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.6 km 8.2 km

NBN connectivity

St Ives Belrose
Connectivity score 76/100 71/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
7,408 premises
 19%
4,360 premises

Climate

St Ives Belrose
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

St Ives Belrose
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.23 pphm
same for both

Council rates

St Ives Belrose
Average residential rate $1,626/yr $1,696/yr
Council Ku-ring-gai Northern Beaches

Federal electorate

St Ives Belrose
Division Bradfield Mackellar
Member Nicolette Boele Sophie Scamps
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

St Ives Belrose
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

St Ives

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals

Belrose

Middle-Ring Parks Premium Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Ives

St Ives vs Turramurra St Ives vs Pymble St Ives vs Gordon St Ives vs North Turramurra St Ives vs St Ives Chase St Ives vs East Killara

Other comparisons with Belrose

Belrose vs Frenchs Forest Belrose vs Terrey Hills Belrose vs Davidson Belrose vs Ingleside Belrose vs Oxford Falls
Full data on St Ives Full data on Belrose
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or