Darlington
With 41.4% of homes owned outright and a household income at the 90.4th percentile nationally, Darlington reads as an established wealth suburb that has settled rather than arrived. The median age of 44 sits 4 years above the national figure, and just 6.2% of dwellings are rented, the lowest tenure mix you will find in most suburbs. University qualifications reach 45.8%, which is 15.7 percentage points above national, and the suburb holds IRSD and IER deciles of 10, the top disadvantage-advantage tier. Despite its hills-fringe character, Darlington covers 12.06 km2 at a low density of 309 residents per km2.
Population
3,725
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,388/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$531K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $531,000 is anchored to a stock that is 98.5% separate houses, so buyers are almost always purchasing detached homes on larger blocks, not competing with apartment supply. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 58% of all dwellings, compared to a national mix skewed toward three-bedroom stock, meaning buyers expect room to spare. Outright ownership at 41.4% is high, pointing to long-term residents who paid down debt rather than a suburb cycling through new buyers. The 83% resident retention rate over five years reinforces that this is not a transient market.
For Buyers
The median house price of $531,000 is anchored to a stock that is 98.5% separate houses, so buyers are almost always purchasing detached homes on larger blocks, not competing with apartment supply. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 58% of all dwellings, compared to a national mix skewed toward three-bedroom stock, meaning buyers expect room to spare. Outright ownership at 41.4% is high, pointing to long-term residents who paid down debt rather than a suburb cycling through new buyers. The 83% resident retention rate over five years reinforces that this is not a transient market.
For Investors
The rental market in Darlington is thin by design: only 6.2% of dwellings are rented, far below state and national averages, and the vacancy rate of 6.5% is elevated for such a small pool. Weekly rent of $420 against a $531,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, modest for a suburb at the 90.4th income percentile. There is no recorded development activity in the past 12 months, consistent with an established, infill-constrained area with 12.06 km2 of low-density detached housing. The low renter share means landlords face a limited tenant audience and competition for any available stock is sporadic rather than structural. Investors seeking yield growth depend on broader Perth Hills market momentum rather than local supply-demand dynamics.
Schools in Darlington iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Darlington Primary School
K-6 · 375 students
Treetops Montessori School
PP-12 · 153 students
Demographics
The median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure, and the household profile reflects this maturity: 27.3% of families are couples without children, and average household size of 2.7 sits only 0.2 above the national average despite the 58% share of four-plus bedroom homes. Overseas-born residents make up 29.4%, which is 7.8 percentage points above the national share, led by English, Scottish and Irish ancestry. University qualifications at 45.8% are 15.7 points above national, matching the professional and managerial occupation concentration. Volunteering is notably high at 28.9% of residents, roughly double the rate in lower-income suburbs, a pattern consistent with a community that has time and resources to contribute. The 83% five-year retention rate signals stability and attachment to the area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.5%
Houses
1.0%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Darlington is almost entirely a suburb of detached houses: 98.5% of dwellings are separate houses, with semi-detached at just 1% and no recorded apartments. Tenure leans strongly toward ownership, with 41.4% owning outright and 52.4% carrying a mortgage, leaving only 6.2% renting, a split that is unusual even by Perth suburban standards. The bedroom profile is skewed large: 58% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, and three-bedroom homes account for 34.5%. Monthly mortgages average $2,100, and with mortgage-to-income at 20.3%, most households are well within comfortable repayment ranges. Rent-to-income sits at 17.6%, below the 30% stress threshold. Both metrics are lower than state medians because household income in Darlington ranks at the 90.4th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$938
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.5%
Unoccupied
91
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.3%
Couples, no children
3,177
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education leads local employment at 16.4% of workers, followed by Healthcare at 15.1% and Professional/Technical services at 12.3%, creating a workforce concentrated in knowledge and service sectors rather than trades. Mining accounts for 9.4%, above what you would expect for a residential hills suburb, reflecting Perth's resource economy pulling workers out of Darlington to fly-in fly-out or commute-based roles. By occupation, Professionals dominate at 628 workers, with Managers at 319 and Clerical/Admin at 204. The unemployment rate of 4.3% and full-time employment rate of 58.2% are consistent with an older workforce where some residents have reached retirement age. SEIFA decile 10 on both IRSD and IER confirms that economic resources and relative advantage are at the national ceiling.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.2%
Part-time
37.5%
Participation
62.2%
Employed
1,760
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.8%
Postgraduate
11.5%
Born Overseas
29.4%
Dwellings
1,299
Transport to Work
Car dependency defines transport in Darlington: 88.9% of residents drive to work, compared to national averages of around 73%, and only 3.6% use public transport, which is well below state and national norms. This is expected given the 12.06 km2 low-density footprint and hills fringe location. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families travel to neighboring suburbs, a practical consideration for households with school-age children. Crime data is not available for Darlington, but the IRSD decile 10 score, the highest possible tier nationally, is a consistent correlate of low disadvantage and low crime environments. The rent-to-income ratio of 17.6% and mortgage-to-income of 20.3% both sit well below stress thresholds, suggesting financial pressure on residents is low.
Drive
88.9%
Public Transport
3.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Darlington compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Darlington a good suburb to live in?
Darlington ranks in decile 10 on both IRSD and IER, the top national advantage tier. Household income sits at the 90.4th percentile and university qualifications reach 45.8%, which is 15.7 points above national. The trade-offs are high car dependency, with 88.9% driving to work, and no recorded schools inside the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Darlington?
The median house price is $531,000, based on a 2025 estimate. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent is $420 for the small 6.2% rental stock.
What schools are in Darlington?
No schools are recorded inside the Darlington suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighboring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with 45.8% holding university qualifications, which is 15.7 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Darlington safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Darlington in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier nationally, and only 3.6% of its 3,725 residents need daily assistance. Both signals are consistent with a low-disadvantage, low-crime environment.
Is Darlington good for property investment?
The rental market is shallow: only 6.2% of dwellings are rented and the vacancy rate is 6.5%, leaving limited tenant demand. Weekly rent of $420 against a $531,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.2%. No development applications were recorded in 12 months, so supply is not expanding. Returns depend on capital appreciation in the Perth Hills market rather than yield.
How is Darlington's population changing?
Darlington's population stands at 3,725 across 12.06 km2, giving a low density of 309 residents per km2. The 83% five-year retention rate and median age of 44, which is 4 years above national, suggest the suburb is aging in place with limited new household turnover rather than rapid growth.
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.
Explore Darlington on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map