Overview
River Valley covers 1.48 square kilometres of the Central Region, wedged between the Orchard shopping belt to the north, Tanglin to the west and the Singapore River and Clarke Quay to the south-east. Its streets are mostly residential, which is unusual this close to the centre. SingStat counted 13,350 residents in June 2026.
Who lives here
River Valley's population is younger than the national one. Children under 15 were 14.8% of residents in June 2026 and people 65 or older were 13.8%, compared with 13.3% and 19.5% for Singapore. Among planning areas with more than 10,000 residents, only Tengah, Punggol and Sembawang had a smaller share of older people.
Homes
The housing is almost entirely private. Condominiums and other apartments housed 12,530 of the 13,350 residents, or 94%, the highest condominium share of any planning area with more than 10,000 people. Landed homes accounted for 750 residents and other dwellings for 70. There are no HDB flats inside the boundary on SingStat's count, so there is no HDB resale median to quote.
Residents by type of dwelling, June 2026 (SingStat). Shares are our arithmetic; “–” means nil or negligible.
| Type of dwelling | Residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| HDB 1- and 2-room flats | – | – |
| HDB 3-room flats | – | – |
| HDB 4-room flats | – | – |
| HDB 5-room and executive flats | – | – |
| Condominiums and other apartments | 12,530 | 93.9% |
| Landed properties | 750 | 5.6% |
| Others | 70 | 0.5% |
| All residents | 13,350 | 100% |
Getting around
The Thomson-East Coast Line gives River Valley its own stations.
| Station | Code | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Great World | TE15 | Thomson-East Coast Line |
| Orchard Boulevard | TE13 | Thomson-East Coast Line |
| Orchard | NS22TE14 | North-South Line, Thomson-East Coast Line |
Great World station serves the middle of the area. Orchard Boulevard sits on the northern edge, and two of Orchard station's exits fall inside River Valley. Through the Thomson-East Coast Line, residents reach Marina Bay and the east coast in one direction and Caldecott and Woodlands in the other, and Orchard gives a transfer to the North-South Line.
Schools
One MOE school is inside the boundary on our mapping: River Valley Primary School. MOE's own register files it under a broad "Central" group rather than a planning area; we place it in River Valley because its postal address falls inside URA's 2025 boundary. Secondary pupils travel to schools in other areas.
Food
NEA's register has no hawker centre inside River Valley. The closest on the register are Zion Riverside Food Centre in neighbouring Tanglin and the city-centre centres in Outram, such as Hong Lim and Chinatown Complex.
Parks and the river
NParks lists one park point inside the boundary, Kim Seng Park, on the river. The Singapore River promenade and Fort Canning Park, in the Singapore River and Museum planning areas, are a short walk away.
Healthcare and childcare
There is no polyclinic in River Valley, and MOH's June 2024 CHAS list has a single clinic inside the boundary. Neighbouring Orchard has 21 CHAS clinics, and Bukit Merah has two polyclinics, Bukit Merah and Outram. ECDA's June 2024 list places 13 pre-schools in River Valley, and its 2026 list adds three kindergartens.
Community facilities
The People's Association list from June 2024 shows no community club inside River Valley, and NLB lists no library. library@orchard is in neighbouring Orchard.
How River Valley compares
River Valley packs 13,350 residents into 1.48 square kilometres, about 9,000 people per square kilometre (our arithmetic). That is denser than Novena or Bukit Timah, and close to Pasir Ris, even though River Valley has no HDB flats at all. Together with Newton and Tanglin, it forms a belt of central planning areas where more than 80% of residents live in condominiums and other apartments.
New launches in River Valley
One Leonie Residences
A residential project at 1 Leonie Hill: 25 homes, freehold.
Nearby planning areas
Next to River Valley on URA's map: Tanglin, Singapore River, Museum, Orchard.
Every planning area has a page on our neighbourhoods index.
Sources
- URA, Master Plan 2025 Planning Area Boundary (No Sea), data.gov.sg (updated 27 February 2026)
- LTA, MRT Station Exit (GEOJSON), data.gov.sg (updated 18 October 2026)
- LTA, Train Station Chinese Names (station codes and lines), data.gov.sg; LTA rail system map
- MOE, General information of schools (2026), data.gov.sg (updated 17 April 2026)
- NParks, Parks, data.gov.sg (updated 14 November 2026)
- MOH, CHAS Clinics, data.gov.sg (list dated June 2024)
- SingStat, Resident Population by Planning Area/Subzone, Age Group and Type of Dwelling, June 2026 (released 25 September 2026), singstat.gov.sg
- SLA, OneMap search (venue addresses and locations)
- ECDA, Pre-Schools Location (list dated June 2024) and Kindergartens (updated April 2026), data.gov.sg
Facts checked on 15 November 2026. See our editorial policy.
Last updated