St Kilda vs St Kilda West

St Kilda is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 40 in St Kilda West. In both, most homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. In St Kilda, most households rent. In St Kilda West, about half of households rent. Units cost more in St Kilda West: a median of $551,000, against $500,000 in St Kilda. On these figures, St Kilda tends to suit young adults.

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 Kilda

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (11 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (14 vs 5)
  • But St Kilda West is already more of a family suburb (29% vs 17%)

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

First-home buyers

St Kilda

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,360,000 vs $2,250,000)
  • has cheaper units ($500,000 vs $551,250)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

St Kilda

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 86/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

St Kilda

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (9 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 86/100)
  • But St Kilda West carries lower crime risk (75/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

St Kilda

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.5% vs 4.8%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

St Kilda and St Kilda West 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 Kilda St Kilda West
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 Kilda St Kilda West
Walkability 96 / 86
St Kilda — Walkability: 96/100 St Kilda West — Walkability: 86/100
Safety 6 / 25
St Kilda — Safety: 6/100 St Kilda West — Safety: 25/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
St Kilda — Low fire risk: 100/100 St Kilda West — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 57 / 52
St Kilda — Low flood risk: 57/100 St Kilda West — Low flood risk: 52/100

Demographics

St Kilda has more residents (19,490 vs 2,951); St Kilda West has higher household incomes ($103,116 vs $92,508).

St Kilda St Kilda West
Population 19,490
+85% vs other
 2,951
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.7% -6.7%
Median age 36 40
Median household income $92,508/yr $103,116/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $381/wk $385/wk
+1% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Kilda St Kilda West
0-4 2.8% / 3.8%
St Kilda — 0-4: 2.8% St Kilda West — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 3.9% / 8.8%
St Kilda — 5-14: 3.9% St Kilda West — 5-14: 8.8%
15-19 2.1% / 3.6%
St Kilda — 15-19: 2.1% St Kilda West — 15-19: 3.6%
20-24 6.1% / 5.7%
St Kilda — 20-24: 6.1% St Kilda West — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 30.4% / 18.3%
St Kilda — 25-34: 30.4% St Kilda West — 25-34: 18.3%
35-44 19.3% / 17.2%
St Kilda — 35-44: 19.3% St Kilda West — 35-44: 17.2%
45-54 13.4% / 15.6%
St Kilda — 45-54: 13.4% St Kilda West — 45-54: 15.6%
55-64 11.4% / 13.2%
St Kilda — 55-64: 11.4% St Kilda West — 55-64: 13.2%
65-74 6.9% / 9.2%
St Kilda — 65-74: 6.9% St Kilda West — 65-74: 9.2%
75-84 2.9% / 3.7%
St Kilda — 75-84: 2.9% St Kilda West — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 0.8% / 0.9%
St Kilda — 85+: 0.8% St Kilda West — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

St Kilda 70.4% lone person
St Kilda — Lone Person: 70.4% St Kilda — Couple Families: 11.6% St Kilda — Group Household: 10.9% St Kilda — One Parent Families: 5.7% St Kilda — Other Families: 1.4%
St Kilda West 63.0% lone person
St Kilda West — Lone Person: 63.0% St Kilda West — Couple Families: 23.3% St Kilda West — Group Household: 7.2% St Kilda West — One Parent Families: 6.0% St Kilda West — Other Families: 0.7%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

St Kilda 62.0% renting
St Kilda — Owned Outright: 14.6% St Kilda — Mortgage: 23.4% St Kilda — Renting: 62.0%
St Kilda West 52.4% renting
St Kilda West — Owned Outright: 23.4% St Kilda West — Mortgage: 24.2% St Kilda West — Renting: 52.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

St Kilda St Kilda West
Bachelor Degree 27.5% / 27.2%
St Kilda — Bachelor Degree: 27.5% St Kilda West — Bachelor Degree: 27.2%
Postgraduate Degree 12.4% / 14.5%
St Kilda — Postgraduate Degree: 12.4% St Kilda West — Postgraduate Degree: 14.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 8.4%
St Kilda — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% St Kilda West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Certificate III & IV 9.0% / 5.8%
St Kilda — Certificate III & IV: 9.0% St Kilda West — Certificate III & IV: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 4.4%
St Kilda — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% St Kilda West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.5%).

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 Kilda St Kilda West
England 5.5% / 5.3%
St Kilda — England: 5.5% St Kilda West — England: 5.3%
India 2.4% / 4.7%
St Kilda — India: 2.4% St Kilda West — India: 4.7%
New Zealand 3.2% / 3.3%
St Kilda — New Zealand: 3.2% St Kilda West — New Zealand: 3.3%
Ireland 2.5% / 1.2%
St Kilda — Ireland: 2.5% St Kilda West — Ireland: 1.2%
China 1.1% / —
St Kilda — China: 1.1% St Kilda West — China: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.8%
St Kilda — South Africa: not among its largest St Kilda West — South Africa: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

St Kilda 83.6% flats / apartments
St Kilda — Flats / Apartments: 83.6% St Kilda — Townhouses: 10.9% St Kilda — Houses: 5.5%
St Kilda West 71.6% flats / apartments
St Kilda West — Flats / Apartments: 71.6% St Kilda West — Townhouses: 20.1% St Kilda West — Houses: 8.4%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

St Kilda St Kilda West
Median house price $1,360,000 $2,250,000
Median unit price $500,000 $551,250
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 19 sales
 28 days
from 11 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 Kilda St Kilda West
3 bed $1.3M / $2M
St Kilda — 3 bed: $1.3M (12 sales) St Kilda West — 3 bed: $2M (11 sales)

12 vs 11 sales

4 bed $1.88M / $3.44M
St Kilda — 4 bed: $1.88M (5 sales) St Kilda West — 4 bed: $3.44M (8 sales)

5 vs 8 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

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

St Kilda St Kilda West
1 bed $400K / $430K
St Kilda — 1 bed: $400K (227 sales) St Kilda West — 1 bed: $430K (47 sales)

227 vs 47 sales

2 bed $590K / $708K
St Kilda — 2 bed: $590K (254 sales) St Kilda West — 2 bed: $708K (38 sales)

254 vs 38 sales

3 bed $790K / $1.33M
St Kilda — 3 bed: $790K (18 sales) St Kilda West — 3 bed: $1.33M (5 sales)

18 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

St Kilda St Kilda West
Residential 56% 63%
Parks and recreation 19% 21%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 14%
Commercial 8% 0%
Other and special use 5% 0%
Planning zones cover 100% of St Kilda and 99% of St Kilda West. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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 Kilda St Kilda West
New dwellings approved 891
across Port Phillip
same for both
Approvals change year on year +4175%
same for both

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 Kilda St Kilda West
Houses 3.2%
$830/wk on $1.36M
 —
Units 5.5%
$600/wk on $570K
 4.8%
$595/wk on $645K

Ranking within VIC

St Kilda St Kilda West
House price Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Schools Higher than 20% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 11% of VIC Higher than 6% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 91% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 20% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 52% of VIC

Liveability

St Kilda West scores higher overall (79 vs 60); St Kilda is more walkable (96 vs 86).

St Kilda St Kilda West
Grade B A
Score 60/100 79/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

St Kilda carries more crime risk (94 vs 75).

St Kilda St Kilda West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
94/100
 High
75/100
Flood Moderate
43/100
 Moderate
48/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
54/100
 Low
12/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

St Kilda St Kilda West
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 3 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 4.4 km
 3
Melbourne C.Q.U Campus, 3.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.0% 2.4%

Schools in St Kilda

  • St Kilda Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Cheder Levi Yitzchok Inc Independent · Combined below peers
  • St Kilda Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Michael's Grammar School Independent · Combined below peers

Schools in St Kilda West

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

St Kilda St Kilda West
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 78 3
Parks & reserves 14 5
Childcare 11 0
GPs 9 0
Pharmacies 6 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 0 1

Mobility

St Kilda St Kilda West
Walkability score 96/100 86/100
Distance to Melbourne 7.2 km 7.4 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 16 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 82/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 700.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 57.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3182
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 4
postcode 3182
same for both

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 Kilda St Kilda West
Worked from Home 47.1% / 53.2%
St Kilda — Worked from Home: 47.1% St Kilda West — Worked from Home: 53.2%
Car (driver) 30.7% / 29.9%
St Kilda — Car (driver): 30.7% St Kilda West — Car (driver): 29.9%
Tram / Light Rail 7.4% / 6.6%
St Kilda — Tram / Light Rail: 7.4% St Kilda West — Tram / Light Rail: 6.6%
Walked Only 5.9% / 3.3%
St Kilda — Walked Only: 5.9% St Kilda West — Walked Only: 3.3%
Bicycle 2.5% / 3.8%
St Kilda — Bicycle: 2.5% St Kilda West — Bicycle: 3.8%
Train 3.3% / 1.2%
St Kilda — Train: 3.3% St Kilda West — Train: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.2%).

Setting

St Kilda St Kilda West
Elevation 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 845 m
852 m to a named beach
 374 m
393 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

St Kilda St Kilda West
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
16,356 premises
 0%
1,887 premises

Climate

St Kilda St Kilda West
Annual rainfall 644 mm 534 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.0°C 26.7°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C 6.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

St Kilda St Kilda West
PM2.5 7.6 µg/m³ 7.9 µg/m³
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

St Kilda St Kilda West
Average residential rate $1,765/yr
same for both
Council Port Phillip
same for both

Federal electorate

St Kilda St Kilda West
Division Macnamara
same for both
Member Josh Burns
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

St Kilda St Kilda West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

St Kilda

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

St Kilda West

Apartments Beach Beachfront Cafe Culture Coastal Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Kilda

St Kilda vs Melbourne St Kilda vs Elwood St Kilda vs St Kilda East St Kilda vs Windsor St Kilda vs Albert Park St Kilda vs Balaclava

Other comparisons with St Kilda West

St Kilda West vs Albert Park St Kilda West vs Middle Park
Full data on St Kilda Full data on St Kilda West
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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