Armadale
Armadale's profile is defined less by boomtown growth than by affordability pressure easing and a large rental base: 42.7% rent, vacancy is 10.5%, and household income sits at the 13.4th percentile nationally. Compared with nearby Kelmscott and Seville Grove, it has a stronger civic and school hub role, with 10 local schools and a 67.5% separate-house base. The trade-off is lower socio-economic ranking, with IRSAD decile 1, so value is tied to access and services rather than prestige.
Population
13,415
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,020/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$336K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers get mostly ground-level housing rather than apartments: 67.5% of dwellings are separate houses, 30.7% are semi-detached and only 1.6% are apartments. The suburb suits practical budgets because median mortgage payments are $1,300 a month and rent-to-income at 26.5% is lower than mortgage-to-income at 29.4%. A 3-bedroom stock profile dominates at 62.1%, so buyers needing 4+ bedrooms, only 20.0%, face a narrower search.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get mostly ground-level housing rather than apartments: 67.5% of dwellings are separate houses, 30.7% are semi-detached and only 1.6% are apartments. The suburb suits practical budgets because median mortgage payments are $1,300 a month and rent-to-income at 26.5% is lower than mortgage-to-income at 29.4%. A 3-bedroom stock profile dominates at 62.1%, so buyers needing 4+ bedrooms, only 20.0%, face a narrower search.
For Investors
Investors see demand depth but also leasing risk. Renting at 42.7% is higher than outright ownership at 25.0%, which supports a tenant pool, while the median weekly rent is $270. The caution is vacancy at 10.5%, because empty-stock risk can dilute yield even where entry costs are modest. With 0 developments recorded over 12 months, near-term supply pressure is not from new projects but from existing vacancies.
Schools in Armadale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
John Calvin Christian College
7-12 · 366 students
Pioneer Village School
PP-6 · 169 students
Armadale Primary School
K-6 · 440 students
Dale Christian College WA
PP-12 · 657 students
Kingsley Primary School
K-6 · 254 students
Demographics
Armadale is slightly younger than the national age profile, with a median age of 39, or 1.0 year below the benchmark, but its household size of 2.2 is also 0.3 below national. Overseas-born residents account for 30.7%, 9.1 percentage points above national, while university attainment is 14.0%, 16.1 points below. English ancestry leads with 5,557 people, followed by Scottish 1,142 and Irish 949, while Christianity records 5,181 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
67.5%
Houses
30.7%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing mix is family-scaled but not high-density. Separate houses account for 67.5%, higher than semi-detached homes at 30.7% and far above apartments at 1.6%. Tenure is more rental-heavy than many ownership suburbs: 42.7% rent, 32.3% are paying a mortgage and 25.0% own outright. The 3-bedroom share of 62.1% matters because it anchors the buyer pool, while 0 to 1 bedroom homes are only 3.8%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$270
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$558
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.5%
Unoccupied
645
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.2%
Couples, no children
9,053
Total families
Economy & Employment
Work is concentrated in service and trade-linked roles, which explains the lower income ranking. Healthcare is 21.1% of jobs, above construction at 9.3%, education at 8.9%, retail at 8.2% and manufacturing at 7.7%. Occupations lean practical, led by machinery and drivers 732, labourers 723 and community or personal service 709. SEIFA is consistently low nationally: IEO decile 1, IER decile 2, IRSD decile 1 and IRSAD decile 1, showing resources sit only slightly higher than education and occupation.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
6,585
Unemployed
205
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.2%
Part-time
23.3%
Participation
46.1%
Employed
4,362
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.0%
Postgraduate
2.7%
Born Overseas
30.7%
Dwellings
5,480
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented, with 85.0% driving to work compared with 5.2% using public transport and 2.6% walking or cycling. School choice is a stronger point: 10 schools span ICSEA 879 to 1042, led by Independent John Calvin Christian College at 1042, Pioneer Village School at 1027 and Government Armadale Primary School at 1002. IRSAD decile 1 is lower than Perth's advantaged corridors, so amenity value depends on proximity to schools and services.
Drive
85.0%
Public Transport
5.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.46%/yr
(+46 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is slow and ageing rather than speculative. The forecast trend is 0.46% a year, about 46 people annually, with the medium path moving from 9,982 in 2026 to 10,209 in 2031. Migration is split: overseas migration adds an average 200 people a year, but internal migration is lower at -86, so replacement demand matters more than local churn. The gentrification score is 10 and the stage is Not gentrifying, below the shift signal of 34 labelled Early signs.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+200
Net Internal / yr
-86
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-6% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Armadale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Armadale a good suburb to live in?
Yes, Armadale can suit budget-conscious households that value schools and services over prestige. It has 10 local schools and 67.5% separate houses, but IRSAD decile 1 is lower than more advantaged Perth suburbs, so street selection matters.
What is the median house price in Armadale?
A current median house price is not available for Armadale, so recent sales should be compared before bidding. Housing choice is still measurable: 67.5% separate houses, 30.7% semi-detached homes and median mortgage payments of $1,300 a month.
What schools are in Armadale?
Armadale has 10 schools, with ICSEA scores from 879 to 1042. The highest listed are John Calvin Christian College at 1042, Pioneer Village School at 1027 and Armadale Primary School at 1002, giving more sector choice than a one-school suburb.
Is Armadale safe?
No suburb-wide crime rate is available, so safety should be checked by street, transport stop and time of day. For context, 85.0% drive to work compared with 5.2% using public transport, so many households experience the area by car.
Is Armadale good for property investment?
Armadale has an investor case through rental depth: 42.7% rent, higher than the 25.0% owned outright share, and median rent is $270 a week. The offset is vacancy at 10.5%, so leasing risk is above what a tight market would suggest.
How is Armadale's population changing?
Population growth is modest: the trend is 0.46% a year, or 46 people annually. The medium projection rises from 9,982 in 2026 to 10,209 in 2031, while internal migration at -86 a year is lower than overseas migration at 200.
What languages are spoken in Armadale?
Armadale is more overseas-born than the national benchmark, at 30.7%, or 9.1 percentage points above national. Smaller language groups include Malayalam 45, Mandarin 36, Punjabi 32, Australian Indigenous languages 24 and Arabic 22.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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