South Yarra VIC 3141
South Yarra is a suburb in Victoria, 6 km from Melbourne CBD, around 13 minutes by car. Population is 25,028; the median age is 33 and the median household income is $107,276 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $415 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,100. South Yarra is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 8 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is South Yarra a good suburb?
South Yarra scores a A (77/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, transit, and community, weaker on prices and safety.
Above the state average
8 schools · 3 above peer schools · Top 23% in VIC
Walkable and central
Walkability 99/100 · 5.6 km · 13 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.79M · Less affordable than 98% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 87/100 · Flood 59/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 33 · 25,028 residents
Liveability Rating
77 / 100 · Ranked #86 in VICEach bar is South Yarra's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in South Yarra?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
77 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataSouth Yarra's unit market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $542,000, about 7% below where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$542,000
20% above its 6 neighbours (median $452,000)
Based on 1271 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 27 days — median across 545 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 542 sales $388K
- 2 bed 603 sales $640K
- 3 bed 100 sales $1.47M
- 4 bed 7 sales $2.91M
Houses
$1,790,000
35% above its 6 neighbours (median $1,330,000)
Based on 216 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 113 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 19 sales $535K
- 2 bed 57 sales $1.36M
- 3 bed 81 sales $2.04M
- 4 bed 41 sales $3M
- 5 bed 7 sales $4.3M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in South Yarra are currently listed at around $1.94 million on average. Based on 58 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.94M
58 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$555K
349 units listed in the last 6 months.
407 of the suburb's 13,082 dwellings (3.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in South Yarra rent for around $910 a week on average, based on 53 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$910/wk
7% below its 3 neighbours (median $980/wk)
53 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$630/wk
6% below its 4 neighbours (median $672/wk)
433 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
486 rentals advertised against an estimated 8,307 rented homes (5.9%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025105 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3141.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$910/week ($47,000 a year) on a $1.94 million median
$630/week ($33,000 a year) on a $555,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
447 active Airbnb listings: 395 whole homes and 52 rooms. Whole homes are about 2.4% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is South Yarra safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in South Yarra sits in the high band, with 2,988 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 15% on the prior year.
2,988 offences
14.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025112 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Eight schools serve South Yarra, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Christ Church Grammar School and Melbourne High School lead the pack.
- • 3,673 students across 6 schools (avg 612)
- • Sectors: 5 Independent, 3 Government
- • ICSEA 1079-1213, median 1166 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Melbourne High School (1,402 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 2.4 kmMelbourne C.Q.U CampusCentral Queensland University · 59 courses
- 2.4 kmRMIT University - 124 Latrobe Street, MelbourneRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology · 438 courses
- 2.4 kmVictoria University City Campus (City Tower)Victoria University · 133 courses
3.9% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
South Yarra is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 99/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 7 supermarkets, 17 parks and 82 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside South Yarra.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 408.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 330.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 262.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.9 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 2 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in South Yarra.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 23%
- Premises covered
- 20,401
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Stonnington: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 60 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
South Yarra is home to about 25,000 residents, with a median age of 33, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $107,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
25,028
Median Age
33
Median Household Income
$107,276/yr
Census Median Rent
$415/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,100/mo
Avg Household Size
1.7
Median Personal Income
$72,540/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
27.1%
Total Dwellings
13,082
Owner-Occupier Rate
36.5%
Houses
7.4%
Rental Stress
20.1%
Mortgage Stress
23.5%
Work From Home
53.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
533 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 19 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 8,081 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 55.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 68.8%
- Employment Rate
- 70%
- Completed Year 12
- 75.9%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
3,298 residents (13.2%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 24,338 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
40% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (6,490 of 16,281), an area that takes in all or part of this suburb, so many of them work close to home.
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 14,919 people work here; 16,281 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.9 per resident). At least 8% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,647 a year through Stonnington based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 55%
- Parks and recreation 19%
- Commercial 14%
- Infrastructure and transport 10%
- Other and special use 1%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- General Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC285, Jul 2026 66.4 ha
- Neighbourhood Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC285, Jul 2026 55.0 ha
- Residential Growth Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC285, Jul 2026 3.8 ha
- Activity Centre Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC285, Jul 2026 0.8 ha
and 4 smaller changes
Land in this suburb moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Stonnington
In the year to August 2026, 818 new dwellings were approved across Stonnington. That mix is 97 houses and 721 units. Approvals are up 66.7% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 2,339 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 1,181 homes
- Projects firmly planned 982 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 139 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 37 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 7.9 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
From the Melbourne CBD monitoring station, 4.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Essendon Airport, 14.5 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 18 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.1 km
- 3.0 km to a named beach
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.0% of addresses
- 6 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 534 mm
- 85 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.7°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.5°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
14 facilities within 5 km- 1.1 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 1.2 kmFossil Fuel Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.2 km
- 2.2 km
- 2.6 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 3141, 318 of 13,335 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.1% (413 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3141, 463 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 16,627 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 25 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3141 in 2025-26. The most was 213, in 2011-12.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
54 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $542,000 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Sarah Witty Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sarah Witty | 74.0% | 26.0% | +0.9 |
| 2022 | Adam Bandt | 77.9% | 22.1% | -10.1 |
| 2019 | Adam Bandt | 67.1% | 32.9% | -0.1 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Rachel Westaway Liberal — elected at the Feb 2025 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sam Hibbins GRN | 62.0% | 61.1% | 38.9% |
| 2018 | Sam Hibbins GRN | 57.5% | 57.5% | 42.5% |
| 2014 | Sam Hibbins GRN | 50.4% | 50.0% | 50.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in South Yarra?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 25,028 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Melbourne VIC 3000
Richmond VIC 3121
Toorak VIC 3142
Prahran VIC 3181
Cremorne VIC 3121
Burnley VIC 3121
Compare South Yarra to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about South Yarra
Is South Yarra a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in South Yarra is high (87/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect South Yarra?
South Yarra has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (59/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is South Yarra a good place to live?
South Yarra has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (77/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of South Yarra?
South Yarra, VIC had a population of 25,028 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for South Yarra, VIC?
The postcode for South Yarra, VIC is 3141.
How far is South Yarra from Melbourne?
South Yarra is 6 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 13 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in South Yarra?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in South Yarra was $107,276 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in South Yarra?
The median advertised rent in South Yarra is $910 a week for houses (53 listings) and $630 a week for units (433 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in South Yarra?
The median age of residents in South Yarra was 33 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in South Yarra?
There are 8 schools inside the South Yarra boundary: 3 above and 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is South Yarra walkable?
South Yarra scores 99/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in South Yarra?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to South Yarra (Melbourne CBD) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.9 µg/m³. That puts South Yarra below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in South Yarra?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to South Yarra, Essendon Airport (14.5 km away), summer days average 26.7°C, winter nights 6.5°C, 534 mm of rain a year over 85 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in South Yarra?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does South Yarra belong to?
South Yarra sits within the Stonnington local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in South Yarra?
The average residential rates bill through Stonnington is $1,647 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near South Yarra?
Across Stonnington, 818 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 66.7% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is South Yarra in?
South Yarra sits within the federal Division of Melbourne, currently held by Sarah Witty (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.