South Yarra, VIC: suburb profile

The population of South Yarra VIC is 25,028 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in South Yarra is $1,395 per week ($72,540 per year). Median rent in South Yarra is $415 per week ($1,798 per month). South Yarra has a median age of 33 years, younger than the national median of 38. South Yarra has a population density of 7,055 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in South Yarra is England. The most common religion is No religion (51.4% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Yarra is $2,100.

There were 3,836 recorded offences in South Yarra in 2025-25, a rate of 153 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (1,746 offences).

Population
25,028
Census 2021
Median income
$1,395/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$415/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
33years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

South Yarra vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in South Yarra is $1,395 a week, 82% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 9th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $415 a week, $99 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 20.1% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 33, 10 years younger than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureSouth YarraTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,395/wk$767/wk +82%$766/wk
Household income$2,063/wk$1,687/wk +22%$1,637/wk
Rent$415/wk$316/wk +31%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,100/mo$1,723/mo +22%$1,733/mo
Median age3343 −10 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.1%19.1% +1.0 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in South Yarra, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

South Yarra Population

25,028 residents at the 2021 Census.

South Yarra Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,395/wk
$72,540 per year
Ranked 180 of 14,663
Median Rent
$415/wk
$1,798 per month
Ranked 1,663 of 14,663
Median Age
33years
5 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,100/mo
Avg household size: 1.7 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

South Yarra Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,063/wk
Median rent $415/wk
Rent to income 20.1%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in South Yarra against your income

About $8,940 a month
Median rent $415/wk
Left after rent $1,648/wk
Rent share 20.1%

South Yarra Schools

61
schools nearby
22
government
1109
avg ICSEA score
21,380
total students
Christ Church Grammar School Independent
Primary · Prep-6 · 287 students
1213
ICSEA
Melbourne High School Government
Secondary · 9-12 · 1,402 students
1195
ICSEA
MacRobertson Girls High School Government
Secondary · 9-12 · 1,195 students
1186
ICSEA
Melbourne Girls Grammar Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,046 students
1181
ICSEA
St Michael's Grammar School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,143 students
1180
ICSEA
Melbourne Grammar School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,905 students
1177
ICSEA
St Catherine's School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 685 students
1175
ICSEA
Wesley College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 3,181 students
1172
ICSEA
Loreto Mandeville Hall Catholic
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,220 students
1167
ICSEA
Hawthorn West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 454 students
1165
ICSEA
The King David School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 592 students
1165
ICSEA
Armadale Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 254 students
1156
ICSEA
South Yarra Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 435 students
1152
ICSEA
Richmond Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 316 students
1150
ICSEA
Abbotsford Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 168 students
1143
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 61 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near South Yarra, with a map

South Yarra Map

South Yarra, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in South Yarra

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.5% (11,881) Female 52.5% (13,149)

Population Density

7,055
people per km²
25,028 people · 3.5 km²

Households

1.7
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$3,106
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
4.4%
China
4.4%
New Zealand
3.1%
India
2.1%
Malaysia
1.5%
Ireland
1.3%
United States of America
1.2%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
5.3%
Spanish
2.0%
Cantonese
1.6%
Greek
1.5%
Russian
1.1%
French
1.1%
Italian
0.9%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
31.3%
Australian
20.6%
Irish
13.1%
Scottish
10.6%
Chinese
10.3%
Italian
5.3%
German
4.0%
Greek
3.0%
Indian
2.8%
Polish
1.7%
Dutch
1.5%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
51.4%
Catholic
15.0%
Not stated
8.5%
Anglican
6.9%
Buddhism
2.8%
Eastern Orthodox
2.8%
Judaism
2.0%
Hinduism
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.5%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
25.6% 5,959
Separated
2.3% 527
Divorced
7.3% 1,700
Widowed
2.6% 614
Never married
62.2% 14,465

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: no children
56.5%
Couple: children under 15
24.2%
Couple: no children under 15
8.6%
One parent: no children under 15
5.8%
One parent: children under 15
5.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
49.3%
2 persons
37.0%
3 persons
8.2%
4 persons
4.1%
5 persons
1.0%
6+ persons
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in South Yarra

Housing Tenure

Of the 13,082 occupied private dwellings in South Yarra at the 2021 Census, 61.8% were rented, 17.8% owned outright and 17.7% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.8% 237 dwellings
Owned outright
17.8% 2,334 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
17.7% 2,313 dwellings
Rented
61.8% 8,081 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.9% 121 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
36.5%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
36.4%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
27.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
31.1%
2 bedrooms
47.5%
3 bedrooms
17.1%
4 bedrooms
3.4%
5 bedrooms
0.8%
6+ bedrooms
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
7.9%
$300-$449/mo
0.9%
$450-$599/mo
1.0%
$600-$799/mo
1.6%
$800-$999/mo
3.1%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
16.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
17.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
25.9%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
11.4%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
14.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
27.9%
1 vehicle
53.5%
2 vehicles
15.0%
3 vehicles
2.5%
4+ vehicles
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in South Yarra

Employment

Employed full-time
54.7% 11,429 people
Employed part-time
19.2% 4,008 people
Unemployed
3.3% 688 people
Not in labour force
22.8% 4,758 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
51.3%
Managers
19.5%
Clerical & Administrative
10.1%
Community & Personal Service
5.8%
Sales Workers
5.5%
Technicians & Trade Workers
5.2%
Labourers
1.9%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.3%
$1-$149/wk
0.6%
$150-$299/wk
1.3%
$300-$399/wk
2.5%
$400-$499/wk
3.5%
$500-$649/wk
2.9%
$650-$799/wk
3.5%
$800-$999/wk
4.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.0%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.3%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
14.8%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
5.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.6%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.9%
$4,000+/wk
21.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
7.0%
$1-$149/wk
2.0%
$150-$299/wk
3.3%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
1.7%
$500-$649/wk
2.0%
$650-$799/wk
5.0%
$800-$999/wk
6.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.3%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
10.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
10.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
16.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.3%
$3,500+/wk
11.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
41.2%
Did not go to work
17.8%
Walked only
15.7%
Train
11.0%
Tram/Light Rail
5.2%
Bicycle
3.8%
Car (passenger)
2.2%
Other
0.9%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.8%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.7%
Bus
0.6%
Truck
0.1%
Ferry
0.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
90.8%
Year 11 or equivalent
4.7%
Year 10 or equivalent
3.6%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.0%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
51.2%
Postgraduate Degree
23.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
11.8%
Certificate III/IV
7.1%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.6%
Certificate I/II
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
30.2%
Society & Culture
17.5%
Health
11.5%
Creative Arts
10.1%
Engineering
7.3%
Natural & Physical Sciences
5.0%
Architecture & Building
4.9%
Information Technology
4.8%
Education
4.7%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.1%
Agriculture & Environment
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Vocational Education
28.1%
Primary: Government
20.2%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
19.1%
Pre-school
11.1%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
8.7%
Secondary: Government
8.2%
Secondary: Catholic
2.4%
Primary: Catholic
2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
90.3%
Has need for assistance
2.7%
Need for assistance not stated
7.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
2,448
Asthma
974
Arthritis
388
Heart disease
349
Diabetes
289
Cancer
237
Lung condition
172
Kidney disease
141
Stroke
123
Dementia
29

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
9.6% 2,067
Did not provide
90.4% 19,538

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
15.2% 3,283
Not a volunteer
84.8% 18,337

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 17
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 19
Previously served
1.1% 235
Never served
98.8% 21,445

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
71.3%
1 child
9.0%
2 children
12.3%
3 children
5.5%
4 children
1.5%
5+ children
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
86
1951: 1960
194
1961: 1970
355
1971: 1980
424
1981: 1990
723
1991: 2000
1,002
2001: 2010
1,569
2011: 2015
1,644
2016
566
2017
640
2018
680
2019
920
2020
378
2021
114

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

32.9%
moved in the last year
66.4%
moved in the last 5 years
4.0%
unemployment rate (Census)
72.9%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
15,546
Moved from VIC
5,210
Moved: same area (SA2)
1,019
Moved from overseas
501
Moved from NSW
323
Moved from QLD
208
Moved from WA
102
Moved from SA
81
Moved from ACT
50
Moved from TAS
39
Moved from NT
22

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
29.4%
5: 14 hours
34.7%
15: 29 hours
8.3%
30+ hours
4.3%
Did not do domestic work
23.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
91.7%
Step family: no other children
7.0%
Blended family: no other children
0.8%
Intact family: other children present
0.3%
Other couple: children only
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

South Yarra Crime Statistics

3,836 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
1,746
Break & Enter
455
Assault
443
Property Damage
327
Drug Offences
247
Justice Procedures
196
Fraud
189
Public Order
95
Weapons
93
Robbery
23
Other
21
Traffic
1

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near South Yarra

The closest suburb to South Yarra is Cremorne (Vic.), 1.0 km away.

Cremorne (Vic.)
1.0 km away · income $1,574/wk · rent $550/wk
Prahran
1.7 km away · income $1,378/wk · rent $421/wk
Windsor (Vic.)
1.8 km away · income $1,278/wk · rent $411/wk
Richmond (Vic.)
2.1 km away · income $1,356/wk · rent $441/wk
Melbourne
2.3 km away · income $864/wk · rent $381/wk
Toorak
2.4 km away · income $1,427/wk · rent $486/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About South Yarra

What is the population of South Yarra VIC?

The population of South Yarra VIC is 25,028 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 7,055 people per km². South Yarra is ranked #77 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in South Yarra?

The median personal income in South Yarra VIC is $1,395 per week, or $72,540 per year. The median household income is $2,063 per week. Family income is $3,106 per week. South Yarra is ranked #180 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in South Yarra?

Median rent in South Yarra VIC is $415 per week ($1,798 per month). Rent represents 20.1% of household income, which is considered affordable. South Yarra ranks #1,663 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in South Yarra?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Yarra VIC is $2,100. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in South Yarra?

The median age in South Yarra VIC is 33 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is South Yarra a good suburb to live in?

South Yarra is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 25,028. The median income is $1,395/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.1% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 22314. All dollar figures in AUD.