Brentwood
With 50.8% of residents holding university qualifications, Brentwood sits 20.7 percentage points above the national average, making it one of the more educated pockets in Perth's southern corridor. At 0.89 square kilometres and a density of 2,420 people per km2, it functions as a compact, walkable suburb with a population of 2,153. The median age of 38 runs 2 years below the national figure, reflecting a working-age skew. Household income places at the 59.8th percentile nationally, which is solidly middle ground rather than aspirational, and that combination of high education without premium income signals a suburb of knowledge workers who have not yet been fully repriced by the market.
Local council: Melville
Population
2,153
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,707/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 28.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers here carry manageable debt loads compared to many Perth coastal suburbs. Separate houses make up 68.9% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 30.4% and apartments at just 0.7%. Three-bedroom homes account for 52.6% of stock, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 28.4%, so families have genuine choice. Ownership is split roughly equally: 27.7% own outright, 30.7% carry mortgages, and 41.6% rent, higher than average nationally.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 28.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers here carry manageable debt loads compared to many Perth coastal suburbs. Separate houses make up 68.9% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 30.4% and apartments at just 0.7%. Three-bedroom homes account for 52.6% of stock, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 28.4%, so families have genuine choice. Ownership is split roughly equally: 27.7% own outright, 30.7% carry mortgages, and 41.6% rent, higher than average nationally.
For Investors
A renter share of 41.6% is above the national average and gives landlords a reliably deep tenant pool. Weekly rent averages $350, and rent-to-income at 20.5% is well below the 30% stress threshold, indicating tenants can sustain rent without financial pressure. The 5.8% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants attention, pointing to some supply-demand slack in the rental market compared to tighter Perth suburbs. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, so new supply is not a near-term pressure. The suburb's high university-educated workforce at 50.8% and dominant healthcare and professional industries support stable, white-collar tenancy, lower turnover risk relative to lower-skilled suburbs.
Schools in Brentwood
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
BRENTWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL
Demographics
Brentwood's overseas-born share of 35.5% sits 13.9 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting genuine multicultural composition. English ancestry leads at 720 residents, followed by Chinese at 345 and Scottish at 172. The main non-English language speakers are Mandarin (68) and Cantonese (29), consistent with a Chinese-heritage community of meaningful size. The median age of 38 is 2 years younger than the national median, and couples with children make up 736 of 1,662 recorded families, compared to 336 couples without children, suggesting a family-formation rather than empty-nester profile. The volunteering rate of 22.3% is relatively high, indicating community participation above the baseline for a metropolitan suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
68.9%
Houses
30.4%
Townhouse
0.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Brentwood's tenure structure leans toward renting: 41.6% of residents rent, 30.7% hold mortgages, and 27.7% own outright. The 27.7% outright-owner share is lower than many established Perth suburbs, consistent with an identity signal of affordability rather than long-held wealth. The stock is dominated by three-bedroom separate houses at 52.6%, with four-plus bedroom homes adding another 28.4%, so larger family configurations are well represented. Semi-detached dwellings at 30.4% offer an entry point between house and apartment, while apartments at 0.7% are almost non-existent.
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$785
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.8%
Unoccupied
53
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
47.6%
Couples with children
29.8%
Couples, no children
19.4%
Single parent
561
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 19.2% of workers (147 residents), followed by Professional and Technical services at 13.2% (101) and Education at 12.6% (96). Public administration employs 7.1% and Mining 6.3%, the latter reflecting WA's broader resource economy feeding into even suburban professional workforces. By occupation, Professionals account for 366 workers and Managers 146, together representing the clear majority of employed residents. The full-time employment rate of 60.4% and unemployment of 7.1% are above the national average for unemployment, partly explained by the suburb's high student and part-time workforce given the 50.8% university qualification rate. Household income at the 59.8th percentile nationally positions Brentwood as solidly middle-income, not affluent, despite its knowledge-sector employment base.
Unemployment
6.8%
Labour Force
1,113
Unemployed
76
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.8%
Part-time
37.9%
Participation
64.5%
Employed
1,037
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
50.8%
Postgraduate
15.0%
Born Overseas
35.5%
Dwellings
854
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 79.4% of residents drive to work, compared to 11.4% using public transport. Walking and cycling account for just 2.1%, consistent with a suburban layout more than 10 kilometres from the Perth CBD. No schools are recorded inside Brentwood's boundary, so families rely on institutions in adjacent suburbs. Crime statistics are not available for this suburb in the current dataset, limiting direct safety comparison. The rent-to-income ratio of 20.5% and mortgage-to-income of 28.4% both sit below stress thresholds, indicating residents are not financially stretched by housing costs. Households needing daily assistance total 125 people, representing 6.0% of the population, slightly above the national average, which may reflect the subset of an aging component within the family-aged residential mix.
Drive
71.4%
Public Transport
10.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
10.1%
Growth Outlook
No forecast or historical trend data is available in the brief for Brentwood, so growth projections cannot be stated with precision. The suburb's current population of 2,153 in a 0.89 km2 footprint is already densely settled at 2,420 per km2, leaving limited room for large-scale infill. A residential turnover rate of 21.3% indicates roughly 1 in 5 households moved in the past 5 years, lower than volatile suburban fringes but active enough to maintain market liquidity. The 35.5% overseas-born share, which is 13.9 points above national, suggests migration inflow has historically driven population replenishment. Without formal growth forecasts, buyers should assess Perth's broader southern corridor pipeline when projecting long-term capital appreciation.
Population trend: Melville council area
Brentwood sits in the Melville council area. These are the council area's residents, not Brentwood's.
Residents 2025
115,945
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.8%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Brentwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brentwood a good suburb to live in?
Brentwood suits working-age households and families. University qualifications reach 50.8%, which is 20.7 percentage points above the national average. Rent-to-income sits at 20.5% and mortgage-to-income at 28.4%, both below stress thresholds. The main limitations are no recorded schools inside the boundary and a 5.8% vacancy rate indicating some rental market softness.
What is the median house price in Brentwood?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 28.4%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $350, which is affordable relative to the household income at the 59.8th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Brentwood?
No schools are recorded inside Brentwood's 0.89 km2 boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Despite this, Brentwood's resident population is highly educated, with 50.8% holding university qualifications, which is 20.7 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Brentwood safe?
Detailed crime statistics for Brentwood are not available in the current dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb's housing stress metrics are low, with rent-to-income at 20.5% and mortgage-to-income at 28.4%, both below national stress thresholds, and 6.0% of residents (125 people) need daily assistance. Prospective residents should consult WA Police crime mapping for suburb-level data.
Is Brentwood good for property investment?
The 41.6% renter share is above national average, providing a broad tenant pool. Weekly rent of $350 and rent-to-income of 20.5% suggest tenants are not financially stretched. However, the 5.8% vacancy rate is elevated and indicates some supply slack.
How is Brentwood's population changing?
No formal population forecast is available for Brentwood in the brief. The current population of 2,153 occupies 0.89 km2 at a density of 2,420 people per km2, leaving limited scope for major infill growth. A residential turnover rate of 21.3% indicates moderate household movement. The 35.5% overseas-born share, which is 13.9 points above the national figure, suggests migration has been a historic driver of population renewal.
What languages are spoken in Brentwood?
About 35.5% of Brentwood residents were born overseas, which is 13.9 percentage points above the national average. Mandarin is the most common non-English language (68 speakers), followed by Cantonese (29) and Japanese (11), reflecting a notable Chinese-heritage community alongside the English and Scottish ancestry groups that lead ancestry counts.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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