Dawesville
Net internal migration of +395 per year, not overseas arrivals (+84), is what powers Dawesville's 3.07% annual growth, a pattern that tells you most newcomers are West Australians relocating rather than international migrants. The median house price of $453,000 sits well below WA's metropolitan levels, and at 65.6% four-bedroom-plus stock on a 93.9% detached-house base, this is family-format housing pulling in domestic buyers. The catch is a 22.4% vacancy rate, far above any healthy benchmark, alongside an aging trajectory where the senior share rose 9.4 points while the working-age share fell 5.0 points. Affordability improved from 57.1% in 2011 to 54.9% in 2021, reinforcing the value proposition driving the inflow.
Population
7,143
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,469/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$453K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $453,000 the median house price is affordable compared with WA metropolitan medians, and the format favours families: 93.9% of dwellings are separate houses and 65.6% have four or more bedrooms, with another 26.8% at three bedrooms. Apartments are negligible at 1.8%, so buyers seeking a unit have almost no options here. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.0%, just under the 30% stress threshold, which means a typical household carries the loan without tipping into stress. Ownership is high: 38.7% own outright and 46.0% hold a mortgage, leaving only 15.2% renting, so this is an owner-occupier market where most buyers intend to stay rather than flip.
For Buyers
At $453,000 the median house price is affordable compared with WA metropolitan medians, and the format favours families: 93.9% of dwellings are separate houses and 65.6% have four or more bedrooms, with another 26.8% at three bedrooms. Apartments are negligible at 1.8%, so buyers seeking a unit have almost no options here. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.0%, just under the 30% stress threshold, which means a typical household carries the loan without tipping into stress. Ownership is high: 38.7% own outright and 46.0% hold a mortgage, leaving only 15.2% renting, so this is an owner-occupier market where most buyers intend to stay rather than flip.
For Investors
The numbers here warn rather than invite. Weekly rent of $350 against a $453,000 median produces a gross yield near 4.0%, healthier than capital-city yields, but the 22.4% vacancy rate is the dominant signal: it is far above a balanced market and points to structural oversupply, partly because only 15.2% of the suburb rents, leaving a shallow tenant pool. With no development activity recorded in the past 12 months, new supply is not the pressure, yet vacancies stay elevated. Rent grew 16.7% over the period, so the income side is moving, but net internal migration of +395 per year is buyer-driven rather than renter-driven. Investors face a thin rental demand base and long potential void periods despite the above-average yield.
Schools in Dawesville iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Damien's Catholic Primary School
PP-6 · 416 students
Ocean Road Primary School
K-6 · 624 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3 years above the national median, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 9.4 points while the young share fell 3.5 points, so the suburb is skewing older over time. Overseas-born residents at 27.4% sit 5.8 points above the national figure, but ancestry is overwhelmingly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (3,683), then Scottish (767) and Irish (723), with Afrikaans (27) the only notable non-English language. University qualifications at 19.1% are 11.0 points below national, reflecting a trades and services workforce rather than a knowledge-economy one. Average household size of 2.6 is close to national, and couples with children (2,250) outnumber couples without (1,873), consistent with the family-sized housing stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.9%
Houses
2.1%
Townhouse
1.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily owner-occupied: 38.7% own outright and 46.0% carry a mortgage, leaving just 15.2% renting, which is low by national standards. The stock is 93.9% separate houses with only 1.8% apartments and 2.1% semi-detached, and 65.6% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms against 26.8% with three. The median house price is $453,000, affordable relative to WA metropolitan levels. The 22.4% vacancy rate is the standout anomaly, well above a balanced market and inconsistent with the low renter share. The IER decile of 8 confirms strong economic resources, sitting above the IRSAD decile of 4, a gap that reflects high outright ownership lifting household assets even where income and education sit mid-range.
Mortgage / mo
$1,842
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$643
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
22.4%
Unoccupied
734
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.7%
Couples, no children
5,728
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 15.7% (287 workers), with Mining a close second at 15.3% (279), then Education at 12.4% (227), Construction at 11.6% (211) and Manufacturing at 7.7% (140). The Mining concentration is well above what a coastal residential suburb would normally show and signals a fly-in workforce commuting to resource sites. Occupations spread across Professionals (400), Community and Personal services (368) and Machinery Operators and Drivers (330), a blue-and-pink-collar mix rather than a managerial one. The unemployment rate of 7.1% is above the national average, and participation at 50.2% is low, consistent with the aging profile and a large not-in-labour-force group. The IEO decile of 3 reflects the below-national 19.1% university rate.
Unemployment
2.5%
Labour Force
4,883
Unemployed
122
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.8%
Part-time
34.1%
Participation
50.2%
Employed
2,658
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.1%
Postgraduate
3.2%
Born Overseas
27.4%
Dwellings
2,552
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near total: 85.7% drive to work, public transport covers just 5.8%, and walking or cycling is negligible at 0.9%, so a household without a vehicle would struggle in this coastal, low-density layout of 559 people per square kilometre. That car reliance is the defining daily constraint, typical of an outer estuarine suburb without rail. On the affordability side, rent-to-income at 23.8% and mortgage-to-income at 29.0% both sit below stress thresholds, so residents are not financially stretched by housing. The IER decile of 8 indicates above-average economic resources, and the volunteering rate of 14.8% points to community participation. No school data is recorded for the suburb in this dataset, so families should verify local catchments separately.
Drive
85.7%
Public Transport
5.8%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+3.07%/yr
(+333 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth runs at 3.07% per year, about 333 persons, classifying Dawesville as high growth, with a 10-year change of 53.1%. ERP rose from 9,623 in 2023 to 10,844 in 2025, and the medium forecast projects 12,395 by 2031. The primary driver is net internal migration at +395 per year, far outweighing net overseas migration of +84, so growth is fuelled by West Australians moving in rather than international arrivals. The gentrification score of 40 marks an active stage, with internal migration accelerating from 26% to 48%. The contradiction worth flagging: real income fell 1.4% over the decade even as population surged, so growth here is volume-driven affordability migration, not rising local prosperity.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+84
Net Internal / yr
+395
Gentrification Signal
Active
Net internal migration +395/yr, Accelerating: 26% → 48%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Dawesville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dawesville a good suburb to live in?
Dawesville suits families and owner-occupiers who want space and affordability: 93.9% of homes are separate houses, 65.6% have four or more bedrooms, and the median price is $453,000, below WA metro levels. Mortgage-to-income at 29.0% sits just under the stress threshold. The trade-offs are heavy car dependence at 85.7% and a 22.4% vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Dawesville?
The median house price is around $453,000, estimated from 2025 rent data. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842 and weekly rent is $350, giving a gross yield near 4.0%, above typical capital-city yields. This price is affordable compared with WA metropolitan medians, which is a key driver of internal migration into the suburb.
What schools are in Dawesville?
No schools are recorded for Dawesville in this dataset, with 0 listed in the suburb's profile. Families should check neighbouring catchments in the broader Mandurah area, postcode 6211. With couples-with-children households (2,250) outnumbering childless couples (1,873), school access from nearby suburbs is an important consideration for buyers.
Is Dawesville safe?
Crime data is not available for Dawesville in this dataset, so a crime rate cannot be quoted from the 0 records on file. The suburb's low density of 559 people per square kilometre and 93.9% detached-house form are typical of quieter residential areas. Buyers should consult WA Police statistics for the Mandurah region directly to assess safety.
Is Dawesville good for property investment?
The gross yield near 4.0% ($350/week on $453,000) is above capital-city levels, but the 22.4% vacancy rate signals oversupply and a thin tenant pool, since only 15.2% of the suburb rents. Rent grew 16.7% over the period, yet growth is buyer-driven via +395 net internal migration per year, not renter demand. Void risk is the main concern.
How is Dawesville's population changing?
Population grows at 3.07% per year, about 333 persons, a 53.1% rise over 10 years, reaching 10,844 in 2025 and a forecast 12,395 by 2031. Net internal migration of +395 per year drives it, far above overseas migration of +84. The suburb is aging, with the senior share up 9.4 points and the working-age share down 5.0 points.
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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