South Yarra, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
South Yarra is an affluent inner suburb just south-east of the Melbourne CBD, on the south bank of the Yarra River from which it takes its name. The area is the traditional country of the Yalukit-willam, a clan of the Boonwurrung people, who knew it as Terneet. Punt Road divides the suburb between the City of Melbourne and the City of Stonnington. It is best known for shopping and dining: the southern end of Chapel Street and Toorak Road are among Melbourne's most fashionable strips. Green space is close at hand too, with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Fawkner Park along its northern and western edges.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
South Yarra is more socio-economically advantaged than about 97% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1124, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
South Yarra at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 25,028
- Median age
- 33
- Median weekly household income
- $2,063
- SEIFA score
- 1124
- Coordinates
- -37.8382, 144.9915
South Yarra demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile South Yarra using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 51%, 62% of homes are rented, and 40% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,760 | 7% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,929 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 12,727 | 51% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,538 | 18% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,076 | 12% |
Share of the 25,030 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,334 | 18% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,313 | 18% |
| Rented | 8,081 | 62% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 964 | 7% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,678 | 13% |
| Flats & apartments | 10,404 | 80% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 13,084 occupied private dwellings in South Yarra.
- Median weekly rent
- $415
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,100
- Average household size
- 1.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,106
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,395
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 9,413 (40%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 6,148 (26%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 123 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 18,962 (83%)
- Labour-force participation
- 72.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 4%
- Employed full-time
- 11,431
- Employed part-time
- 4,006
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in South Yarra
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in South Yarra is January (average daytime high around 27°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.9°C). The area receives roughly 724 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°C | 14.9°C | 62 mm |
| Feb | 25.8°C | 14.1°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 24°C | 13.3°C | 47 mm |
| Apr | 20°C | 10.5°C | 62 mm |
| May | 16°C | 8.4°C | 63 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 6.5°C | 63 mm |
| Jul | 12.9°C | 6.1°C | 50 mm |
| Aug | 13.7°C | 6.2°C | 59 mm |
| Sep | 16.3°C | 7.3°C | 65 mm |
| Oct | 19.6°C | 8.8°C | 76 mm |
| Nov | 21.6°C | 10.8°C | 79 mm |
| Dec | 24.5°C | 12.6°C | 66 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about South Yarra
Where is South Yarra?
South Yarra is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of South Yarra?
At the 2021 Census, South Yarra had a population of about 25,028.
Is South Yarra an advantaged area?
South Yarra has an ABS SEIFA score of 1124, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 97 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 97% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in South Yarra?
South Yarra has average daytime highs of about 19.6°C and overnight lows of about 10°C, with roughly 724 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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