Booragoon
Booragoon pairs a relatively accessible $570,000 median house price with household incomes in the 74.6th percentile nationally, a combination that explains why 47.1% of homes are owned outright rather than mortgaged. The suburb scores decile 9 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO, the top advantage tiers, yet stays affordable by Perth standards. University qualifications reach 53.3%, which is 23.2 points above the national figure, and 40.5% of residents were born overseas, 18.9 points above national. The median age of 43 runs 3 years above national, pointing to an established, owner-occupier base across a low-density 3.06 km2 footprint.
Population
5,684
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,991/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$570K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $570,000 median house price is modest for a decile 9 advantage suburb, which is why owner-occupiers dominate: 47.1% own outright and another 33.5% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 19.4%. The stock favours families, with separate houses at 68.3% and apartments only 3.8%, and four-plus bedroom homes making up 52.4% of dwellings against three-bedroom at 28.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.0%, below the 30% stress threshold, so buyers here are not stretched the way they are in pricier Perth pockets. The high outright-ownership share signals long-held, debt-free housing rather than a churn of recent purchasers.
For Buyers
The $570,000 median house price is modest for a decile 9 advantage suburb, which is why owner-occupiers dominate: 47.1% own outright and another 33.5% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 19.4%. The stock favours families, with separate houses at 68.3% and apartments only 3.8%, and four-plus bedroom homes making up 52.4% of dwellings against three-bedroom at 28.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.0%, below the 30% stress threshold, so buyers here are not stretched the way they are in pricier Perth pockets. The high outright-ownership share signals long-held, debt-free housing rather than a churn of recent purchasers.
For Investors
With only 19.4% of residents renting, the tenant pool is shallow compared to the national average, and weekly rent of $410 against the $570,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.7%, healthier than premium suburbs but capped by the owner-occupier character. The 9.5% vacancy rate is elevated, which softens the case for buy-to-let. Demand support comes mainly from migration: net overseas inflow averages 336 a year, well above the net internal figure of 98, and rent grew 16.7% over the period. Rent-to-income sits at a comfortable 20.6%, below the stress line, so tenants can absorb increases. The investment thesis rests on steady capital growth and migration-driven demand rather than yield volume.
Schools in Booragoon iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Booragoon Primary School
K-6 · 435 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, and the mix is shifting older, with the senior share up 2.6 points while the working-age share fell 2.5 points. Overseas-born residents reach 40.5%, which is 18.9 points above national, the most distinctive demographic marker. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,049), with Chinese (890) a strong second ahead of Scottish (590) and Irish (514). The top non-English languages are Mandarin (129 speakers), Cantonese (83) and Korean (29). University qualifications at 53.3% run 23.2 points above national. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, and couples with children (2,087 families) outnumber couples without children (1,061), a family-oriented profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
68.3%
Houses
27.9%
Townhouse
3.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward ownership: 47.1% own outright, 33.5% carry a mortgage and only 19.4% rent, well below the national renter share. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free wealth rather than recent buyer churn. The stock is 68.3% separate houses and 27.9% semi-detached, leaving apartments at just 3.8%, a low-density family fabric. Four-plus bedroom homes dominate at 52.4%, with three-bedroom at 28.8% and two-bedroom at 16.5%. The $570,000 median is affordable for a decile 9 suburb, and affordability improved from 48.5% in 2011 to 44.0% in 2021. Mortgage-to-income at 29.0% and rent-to-income at 20.6% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, an unusually comfortable position.
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$847
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.5%
Unoccupied
224
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.2%
Couples, no children
4,574
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service sectors: Healthcare leads at 15.9% (322 workers), Education follows at 14.2% (287) and Professional/Tech at 13.6% (274), with Mining at 7.9% and Construction at 7.2%, the mining share reflecting Perth's resources economy. By occupation, Professionals (932) and Managers (406) form the bulk, consistent with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment reads 5.8% and the full-time employment rate is 59.2%. The four SEIFA indexes are tightly grouped at decile 9 for IRSAD, IRSD and IEO and decile 8 for IER, the slightly lower economic-resources score reflecting the older, retired cohort where 1,630 residents sit outside the labour force.
Unemployment
2.4%
Labour Force
9,945
Unemployed
234
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.2%
Part-time
35.0%
Participation
59.6%
Employed
2,620
Occupations
Top Industries
University
53.3%
Postgraduate
13.9%
Born Overseas
40.5%
Dwellings
2,127
Transport to Work
Booragoon scores decile 9 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier, and decile 9 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so very few residents face deprivation, with only 5.6% (309 people) needing daily assistance despite the older median age of 43. Transport is car-dependent: 84.4% drive while just 7.0% use public transport and 2.7% walk or cycle, above the national reliance on cars and consistent with the low 1,857 residents per km2 density. Volunteering runs at 20.5%, a sign of civic engagement, and residential turnover is low at 19.5%, meaning 80.5% of residents stayed put, which reflects a settled community. No schools are recorded inside the 3.06 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
84.4%
Public Transport
7.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.09%/yr
(+194 people/yr)
EstablishedBooragoon is an established suburb growing steadily rather than rapidly, with annual population growth of 1.09% and a 10-year change of 11.6%. The primary driver is overseas migration, averaging 336 net arrivals a year against 98 from internal movement, so international inflow does the heavy lifting. The trajectory is described as growing across all ages, and rent rose 16.7% over the period while real incomes grew 4.5%. The gentrification stage reads active with a score of 44, supported by signals including a 20% population rise since 2011 and accelerating change. Affordability improving from 48.5% to 44.0% between 2011 and 2021 suggests incomes are keeping pace with prices rather than buyers being squeezed out.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+336
Net Internal / yr
+98
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +20% since 2011, Net internal migration +98/yr, Strong overseas inflow +336/yr, Accelerating: 2% → 18%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Booragoon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Booragoon a good suburb to live in?
Booragoon scores decile 9 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO, the top advantage tiers nationally, with household income in the 74.6th percentile. University qualifications reach 53.3%, 23.2 points above national, and only 5.6% of residents need daily assistance. The main trade-off is a car-dependent layout where 84.4% drive.
What is the median house price in Booragoon?
The median house price is $570,000, affordable for a decile 9 advantage suburb. Weekly rent averages $410 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,500, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.0%, below the 30% stress threshold, so most buyers here are not financially stretched.
What schools are in Booragoon?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.06 km2 Booragoon boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 53.3%, which is 23.2 points above the national figure.
Is Booragoon safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Booragoon in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, near the highest tier, and only 5.6% of its 5,684 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Booragoon good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $410 against the $570,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.7%, healthier than premium suburbs. But only 19.4% of residents rent and the vacancy rate is 9.5%, so the tenant pool is shallow. Net overseas migration of 336 a year supports demand and rent grew 16.7% over the period.
How is Booragoon's population changing?
Population growth runs at 1.09% annually with an 11.6% rise over 10 years, steady rather than rapid. Overseas migration is the main driver at 336 net arrivals a year, far above the 98 from internal movement. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 2.6 points and the working-age share down 2.5 points.
What languages are spoken in Booragoon?
About 40.5% of residents were born overseas, 18.9 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Mandarin (129 speakers), Cantonese (83), Korean (29) and Persian (29) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a notable Chinese and broader migrant presence.
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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