Safety
Strong
St Ives has a comparatively settled residential character. Check current crime data and the immediate route around any property rather than relying on a suburb-wide label.
North Shore · Upper North Shore
Buying in St Ives
St Ives suits buyers who value space, schools, parks and a strong local village more than having a railway station at the end of the street.
Guide reviewed 2 August 2026
St Ives in three numbers
- Population
- 18,384 people
- Private dwellings
- 6,771
- Household size
- 2.9 people
ABS 2021 Census.
ABS 2021 Census.
Average recorded by the ABS in 2021.
St Ives property market
Six numbers to check now
These figures change. The latest readings are in the HtAG and Microburbs reports available below.
Get the current St Ives reports| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Days on market | Is demand strengthening or are listings taking longer to sell? |
| Stock on market | How much choice do buyers have relative to the size of the suburb? |
| Auction clearance | How much competition is converting into a sale where auction volumes are meaningful? |
| Vendor discounting | Are buyers meeting asking prices or negotiating vendors down? |
| Vacancy rate | Is rental supply tight enough to support investor demand and rents? |
| Growth trend and confidence | Is price movement strengthening or slowing, and is the sample large enough to trust? |
Living in St Ives
Lifestyle summary
Convenience
More car-dependent
Local shops and bus routes cover daily needs, but most households will still plan around a car.
Family
Very strong
Larger homes, schools and green space make St Ives a practical family option. The school run and usable garden still need address-level testing.
Education
Strong
Several public and independent schools are accessible from the area. Public-school eligibility depends on the exact address.
Food and culture
Quiet
The offer is more local village than late-night destination. Chatswood and other larger centres broaden the choice.
Tranquillity
High
Leafy residential streets provide calm, with a clear trade-off near rail, highway and bus corridors.
Community
Strong
Schools, sport and long-term households support a settled community, although the experience differs between apartment and house pockets.
Lifestyle categories informed by the public Microburbs St Ives profile, reviewed 2 August 2026. Summaries are Ben Drayton’s interpretation and should be read alongside the official sources listed below.
Buying property in St Ives
What separates one property from another
Transport is a route and timetable decision
St Ives does not sit on the rail line. Bus access, peak frequency, road congestion and the route to schools or work should be tested against the household's actual week.
A property near a useful route can behave differently from one that appears close on a map but requires another connection.
Bushland needs parcel-level due diligence
Bushfire-prone land, vegetation, access and construction standards can affect insurance, renovation and ongoing ownership.
The overlay is a starting point. Read the property certificate and relevant reports before it changes the recommendation.
Large blocks still need useful land
Slope, drainage, rock, trees and the position of the dwelling determine whether the title area becomes usable garden or expensive constraint.
Inspect how living spaces connect to level outdoor area and what would be required to change that relationship.
Public-school catchments
Schools to check for a St Ives address
Depending on the street and year group, a St Ives property may fall within one of these intake areas.
- St Ives Public School
- St Ives North Public School
- St Ives High School
- Ku-ring-gai High School
Catchments change and may divide a suburb street by street. Confirm the exact address in the NSW Public School Finder before relying on a school for a purchase decision. Selective entry and independent-school admission are separate processes.
Current third-party research
Request the latest St Ives suburb reports
We can provide the latest available third-party St Ives reports from HtAG and Microburbs.
The reports add current market indicators, demographic analysis, supply and demand measures, market-cycle information and forecast ranges that are not reproduced on this page.
Get the St Ives reports
Frequently asked
Is St Ives one uniform property market?
No. bus access, school routes, bushland exposure, slope and the usefulness of larger blocks create different buyer pools within the suburb. Comparable sales should match the property type and immediate position, not the suburb name alone.
What should I check before buying in St Ives?
Check bushfire status, access, insurance implications, slope, drainage, trees and the household's actual transport route. Then read the contract, building condition and campaign evidence for the individual property.
How should I compare two properties in St Ives?
Start with the role each property needs to play. Then compare pocket and street, land, natural light, layout, constraints and recent genuinely comparable sales in that order.