Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in St Leonards

St Leonards is a mixed-use Lower North Shore suburb where a cluster of office towers and apartments sits around the station and the Pacific Highway, while quieter streets of older houses and medium-density developments lead to small local parks. It attracts professionals who value strong public transport and access to neighbouring centres, alongside students and downsizers who use the compact shopping and café strips. Renting is the dominant tenure (69.6%), the population is 7,212 with a median age of 34 and a median household income of $2,475 a week (about $128,700 a year).

Everyday convenience is strong, with retail, medical and business services close at hand, and tree-lined streets and nearby reserves give a generally urban but greener feel. Recent state-led moves have added a metro station and an operational hospital redevelopment, and local planning includes new open space, pedestrian and cycling upgrades and proposals for additional housing. Whether St Leonards suits you depends on whether you want an urban, well-connected suburb with lots of renters and compact amenities nearby.

Buying a unit in St Leonards is stretched against local incomes: the median unit price of $1,237,500 is about 9.6 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census. Renting a unit at $950 a week would take about 38.4% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, which is a sizeable share. Whether that feels expensive will depend on your own income and circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

For units in St Leonards, median unit values fell 5.0% over the past 12 months while unit rents rose 5.6%. In other words, the rent a unit earns increased even as its price declined, so rental income was the stronger performer on the unit side over the year.

Which of those movements matters to you depends on your goals. If you prioritise rental income, the 5.6% rise in rents is the relevant figure; if capital change is your focus, the 5.0% fall in unit values is the number to consider. Whether that balance suits your situation depends on your own circumstances and objectives.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.