St Ives vs Davidson

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 $2.3 million in Davidson, though rent is higher in Davidson. Davidson is closer to the city centre: 20.8 km, against 23.5 km. On these figures, Davidson tends to suit couples and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • St Ives has more childcare (21 vs 1)
  • Davidson carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 24/100)

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

First-home buyers

Davidson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($2,300,000 vs $3,150,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

St Ives

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (17% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($688/wk vs $1,000/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 31%)

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 55/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (27 min vs 32 min)
  • But Davidson sits closer to the CBD (20.8 km vs 23.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

St Ives

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (34% vs 2%)
  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (78/100 vs 55/100)
  • But Davidson carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 24/100)

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

Investors

Davidson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 3.2%)

Weighs house yield.

Where they sit

St Ives and Davidson 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 Davidson
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 Davidson
Walkability 78 / 55
St Ives — Walkability: 78/100 Davidson — Walkability: 55/100
Safety 76 / 86
St Ives — Safety: 76/100 Davidson — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 10 / 57
St Ives — Low fire risk: 10/100 Davidson — Low fire risk: 57/100

Demographics

St Ives has more residents (18,384 vs 2,725); Davidson rents higher ($1,000/wk vs $688/wk).

St Ives Davidson
Population 18,384
+85% vs other
 2,725
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.3% —
Median age 43 45
Median household income $150,176/yr $169,208/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $688/wk $1,000/wk
+45% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Ives Davidson
0-4 4.8% / 4.3%
St Ives — 0-4: 4.8% Davidson — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 15.8% / 15.6%
St Ives — 5-14: 15.8% Davidson — 5-14: 15.6%
15-19 6.4% / 8.3%
St Ives — 15-19: 6.4% Davidson — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 4.8% / 5.3%
St Ives — 20-24: 4.8% Davidson — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 6.0% / 4.8%
St Ives — 25-34: 6.0% Davidson — 25-34: 4.8%
35-44 13.6% / 11.0%
St Ives — 35-44: 13.6% Davidson — 35-44: 11.0%
45-54 14.8% / 18.5%
St Ives — 45-54: 14.8% Davidson — 45-54: 18.5%
55-64 12.0% / 11.6%
St Ives — 55-64: 12.0% Davidson — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 10.1% / 12.6%
St Ives — 65-74: 10.1% Davidson — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 7.9% / 6.9%
St Ives — 75-84: 7.9% Davidson — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ 3.7% / 1.0%
St Ives — 85+: 3.7% Davidson — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

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%
Davidson 73.3% couple families
Davidson — Couple Families: 73.3% Davidson — Lone Person: 12.8% Davidson — One Parent Families: 12.0% Davidson — Group Household: 1.4% Davidson — Other Families: 0.5%
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%
Davidson 6.7% renting
Davidson — Owned Outright: 45.8% Davidson — Mortgage: 47.5% Davidson — Renting: 6.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

St Ives Davidson
Bachelor Degree 24.5% / 20.4%
St Ives — Bachelor Degree: 24.5% Davidson — Bachelor Degree: 20.4%
Postgraduate Degree 13.2% / 6.6%
St Ives — Postgraduate Degree: 13.2% Davidson — Postgraduate Degree: 6.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 10.7%
St Ives — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Davidson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.7%
Certificate III & IV 4.3% / 8.6%
St Ives — Certificate III & IV: 4.3% Davidson — Certificate III & IV: 8.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 2.6%
St Ives — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Davidson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

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 Davidson
England 5.9% / 10.7%
St Ives — England: 5.9% Davidson — England: 10.7%
China 10.3% / 1.3%
St Ives — China: 10.3% Davidson — China: 1.3%
South Africa 7.1% / 1.7%
St Ives — South Africa: 7.1% Davidson — South Africa: 1.7%
New Zealand 1.8% / 2.2%
St Ives — New Zealand: 1.8% Davidson — New Zealand: 2.2%
India 2.0% / —
St Ives — India: 2.0% Davidson — India: not among its largest
Iran 2.0% / —
St Ives — Iran: 2.0% Davidson — Iran: not among its largest
Scotland — / 1.2%
St Ives — Scotland: not among its largest Davidson — Scotland: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.7%).

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%
Davidson 98.2% houses
Davidson — Houses: 98.2% Davidson — Flats / Apartments: 1.4% Davidson — Townhouses: 0.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

St Ives Davidson
Median house price $3,150,000 $2,300,000
Median unit price $1,100,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 232 sales
 20 days
from 10 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 Davidson
4 bed $3.06M / $2.31M
St Ives — 4 bed: $3.06M (118 sales) Davidson — 4 bed: $2.31M (18 sales)

118 vs 18 sales

5 bed $3.81M / $2.25M
St Ives — 5 bed: $3.81M (88 sales) Davidson — 5 bed: $2.25M (9 sales)

88 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

St Ives Davidson
Environmental 45% 37%
Residential 40% 39%
Parks and recreation 11% 23%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 0%
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 Davidson
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 Davidson
Houses 3.2%
$1,675/wk on $2.73M
 3.8%
$1,750/wk on $2.42M
Units 5.0%
$875/wk on $916K
 —

Ranking within NSW

St Ives Davidson
House price Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Income Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Schools Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 65% of NSW —

Liveability

St Ives is more walkable (78 vs 55); Davidson scores higher overall (76 vs 62).

St Ives Davidson
Grade B A
Score 62/100 76/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

St Ives carries more bushfire risk (90 vs 43); St Ives carries more crime risk (24 vs 14).

St Ives Davidson
Bushfire High
90/100
 Moderate
43/100
Crime Low
24/100
 Low
14/100
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 Davidson
Inside the suburb 10 3
Rated above peers 2 1
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
same for both
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.4% 3.1%

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 Davidson

  • Kambora Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Martin's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • EOC Broken Bay Catholic · Primary · Special school below peers

Amenities in the suburb

St Ives Davidson
Supermarkets 5 0
Cafes & restaurants 22 0
Parks & reserves 32 8
Childcare 21 1
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 6 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 0
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 12 1

Mobility

St Ives sits further from the CBD (23.5 km vs 20.8 km).

St Ives Davidson
Walkability score 78/100 55/100
Distance to Sydney 23.5 km
+11% vs other
 20.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 32 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 440.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 43.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
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 Davidson
Worked from Home 60.9% / 58.6%
St Ives — Worked from Home: 60.9% Davidson — Worked from Home: 58.6%
Car (driver) 32.6% / 36.9%
St Ives — Car (driver): 32.6% Davidson — Car (driver): 36.9%
Car (passenger) 2.3% / 1.9%
St Ives — Car (passenger): 2.3% Davidson — Car (passenger): 1.9%
Bus 0.7% / 2.0%
St Ives — Bus: 0.7% Davidson — Bus: 2.0%
Train 2.0% / 0.3%
St Ives — Train: 2.0% Davidson — Train: 0.3%
Walked Only 1.3% / 0.3%
St Ives — Walked Only: 1.3% Davidson — Walked Only: 0.3%

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

Setting

St Ives Davidson
Elevation 165 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 123 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.6 km 9.3 km

NBN connectivity

St Ives Davidson
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
7,408 premises
 0%
896 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

St Ives Davidson
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

Davidson

Large Blocks Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Ives

St Ives vs Turramurra St Ives vs Pymble St Ives vs Gordon St Ives vs Belrose St Ives vs North Turramurra St Ives vs St Ives Chase

Other comparisons with Davidson

Davidson vs Frenchs Forest Davidson vs Belrose Davidson vs East Killara
Full data on St Ives Full data on Davidson
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.

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