Ballajura
Detached housing defines Ballajura: 94.4% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.2% are apartments, a much lower apartment share than many middle-ring Perth areas. With 18,459 residents on 8.86 sq km, it remains suburban rather than high-density because 63.7% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Compared with nearby Malaga and Landsdale, Ballajura reads as an established residential mortgage area, with 51.0% of households paying a mortgage and household income at the 60.6th percentile.
Population
18,459
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,726/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
42
Median House
$437K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Pricing needs cross-checking because no current median house price is available for Ballajura, but ownership costs point to family-scale affordability: mortgage payments are $1,703 a month and mortgage costs equal 22.8% of income, higher than rent-to-income at 20.3% but not flagged as stress. The stock is highly detached, with 94.4% separate houses, 5.4% semi-detached and 63.7% holding 4 or more bedrooms. Buyers wanting apartments will have little choice, with only 0.2% apartments.
For Buyers
Pricing needs cross-checking because no current median house price is available for Ballajura, but ownership costs point to family-scale affordability: mortgage payments are $1,703 a month and mortgage costs equal 22.8% of income, higher than rent-to-income at 20.3% but not flagged as stress. The stock is highly detached, with 94.4% separate houses, 5.4% semi-detached and 63.7% holding 4 or more bedrooms. Buyers wanting apartments will have little choice, with only 0.2% apartments.
For Investors
Investors see a low-turnover, owner-heavy market rather than a deep rental pool: only 18.4% rent, well below the 51.0% with mortgages and 30.7% owned outright. Median rent is $350 a week, while vacancy is 4.5%, so income reliability depends more on tenant quality than scarcity. Development pressure is modest, with 6 applications in 12 months. Overseas migration adds +227 people a year, partly offset by -180 internal movement, keeping demand steady rather than rapid.
Development Activity
Total DAs
42
Last 12 Months
42
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ballajura iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Ballajura Primary School
K-6 · 674 students
Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Primary School
PP-6 · 393 students
Illawarra Primary School
K-6 · 310 students
Ballajura Community College
7-12 · 929 students
South Ballajura Primary School
K-6 · 355 students
Demographics
Ballajura's 18,459 residents are younger than the national profile, with a 37 median age that is 3.0 years below the national figure, yet the forecast points to aging because the senior share rose 5.6 points. Overseas-born residents are 38.4%, 16.8 points above national, reflected in Vietnamese ancestry at 1,204 and Islam at 1,647 alongside Christianity at 7,982. University attainment is 25.6%, 4.5 points lower than national, while 2.9-person households sit 0.4 above national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.4%
Houses
5.4%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing base is unusually uniform: 94.4% separate houses, 5.4% semi-detached and 0.2% apartments, so density is lower than suburbs with larger townhouse or unit markets. Ownership is stable, with 30.7% owned outright and 51.0% mortgaged compared with 18.4% renting. Bedroom mix reinforces the family profile, as 63.7% have 4 or more bedrooms and 32.5% have 3. Mortgage-to-income is 22.8%, above rent-to-income at 20.3%, because buyers are funding larger detached homes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,703
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$716
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
290
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.3%
Couples, no children
15,727
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest worker base at 17.4% or 898 people, ahead of Education at 10.4%, Construction at 10.2%, Retail at 7.7% and Professional/Tech at 7.3%. Occupations are spread across Professionals 1,251, Clerical/Admin 1,223 and Community/Personal 1,187, so incomes are broader than a single white-collar profile. The SEIFA pattern is uneven: IEO decile 3 and IRSAD decile 4 sit below average, while IER decile 7 is higher and IRSD decile 3 is lower, reflecting solid resources but mixed education and occupation scores.
Unemployment
5.3%
Labour Force
11,700
Unemployed
620
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.1%
Part-time
31.3%
Participation
62.1%
Employed
8,647
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.6%
Postgraduate
4.6%
Born Overseas
38.4%
Dwellings
6,176
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 88.5% drive to work, compared with 4.1% using public transport and 1.1% walking or cycling, so access depends heavily on roads and parking. Families have 5 local schools across Government and Catholic sectors, with ICSEA scores from 939 to 1017. Ballajura Primary School at 1017 and Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Primary School at 1016 lead the primary options, while Ballajura Community College adds a Government secondary pathway with 929 enrolments. IRSAD decile 4 sits below average, suggesting good services but some socio-economic limits.
Drive
88.5%
Public Transport
4.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.14%/yr
(-27 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is not the main story: the trend is -0.14% a year, or -27 people, and the medium path eases from 19,394 in 2026 to 19,259 in 2031. Migration is split, with overseas migration the primary driver at +227 a year compared with -180 internal movement. That pattern matters because new arrivals offset local outflow rather than create fast expansion. The gentrification score is 10 and the stage is Not gentrifying, while the aging trajectory shows seniors up 5.6 points and young share down 2.8.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+227
Net Internal / yr
-180
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -180/yr, Strong overseas inflow +227/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Ballajura compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ballajura a good suburb to live in?
Ballajura suits households wanting detached homes and schools, with 94.4% separate houses, 5 local schools and 63.7% of homes having 4 or more bedrooms. It is more car-dependent than transit-focused areas, with 88.5% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Ballajura?
A current median house price is not available for Ballajura. For context, mortgage payments are $1,703 a month and weekly rent is $350, while 94.4% of dwellings are separate houses, so recent comparable house sales matter more than unit benchmarks.
What schools are in Ballajura?
Ballajura has 5 local schools: Ballajura Primary School, Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Primary School, Illawarra Primary School, Ballajura Community College and South Ballajura Primary School. ICSEA scores range from 939 to 1017.
Is Ballajura safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Ballajura, so safety should be checked at street level before buying or renting. The suburb has 18,459 residents, 5.0% needing assistance and 88.5% commuting by car, so conditions can vary by pocket.
Is Ballajura good for property investment?
Ballajura is more of a steady family-rental market than a high-churn investor suburb. Renting is 18.4%, median rent is $350 a week, vacancy is 4.5% and only 6 development applications were recorded in 12 months.
How is Ballajura's population changing?
Ballajura is forecast to edge lower, with a trend of -0.14% a year or -27 people. The medium path moves from 19,394 in 2026 to 19,259 in 2031, while +227 overseas migration a year offsets -180 internal movement.
What languages are spoken in Ballajura?
Ballajura has a higher migrant profile, with 38.4% born overseas, 16.8 points above the national figure. Common non-English language groups include Arabic 246, Mandarin 134, Canton 109, Macedon 81 and Italian 76.
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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