Donnybrook
With 41.2% of dwellings owned outright and a median age of 46 that is 6 years above the national figure, Donnybrook sits firmly in the affordable, owner-occupier category of regional WA. The median house price of $378,000 places it well below state capital benchmarks, and household income at the 29.3rd percentile nationally reflects a working-class and retiree mix. Vacancy sits at 9.3%, notably higher than typical regional markets, which signals softer rental demand. The workforce leans toward Labourers, Machinery Operators, and Healthcare, consistent with the surrounding agricultural and resource economy of the South West region.
Population
3,035
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,279/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$378K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $378,000 for the median house, Donnybrook is priced well below Perth metro levels. Mortgage repayments average $1,486 per month, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.8% stays below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments manageable compared to higher-income urban markets. The housing stock is almost entirely detached houses at 95.3%, and 46.3% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, reflecting the family and landholding character of the area. Only 3.3% are semi-detached and 0.4% apartments, so buyers seeking a standalone home have near-universal choice. With 41.2% of residents owning outright versus 39.5% with a mortgage, the suburb skews toward longer-held, debt-free ownership rather than recent entrants chasing appreciation.
For Buyers
At $378,000 for the median house, Donnybrook is priced well below Perth metro levels. Mortgage repayments average $1,486 per month, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.8% stays below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments manageable compared to higher-income urban markets. The housing stock is almost entirely detached houses at 95.3%, and 46.3% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, reflecting the family and landholding character of the area. Only 3.3% are semi-detached and 0.4% apartments, so buyers seeking a standalone home have near-universal choice. With 41.2% of residents owning outright versus 39.5% with a mortgage, the suburb skews toward longer-held, debt-free ownership rather than recent entrants chasing appreciation.
For Investors
The rental market in Donnybrook shows signs of softness. The vacancy rate of 9.3% is elevated above healthy benchmarks, and weekly rent of $300 against a $378,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.1%, reasonable for regional WA but tempered by vacancy risk. The renter share is relatively low at 19.3%, meaning the tenant pool is thinner than in urban areas. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, indicating limited new supply but also limited demand-driven growth signals. The 5.0% unemployment rate and participation rate of 49.4% suggest a constrained local labour market. Investors would need to weigh the accessible entry price against slow-moving demand, particularly because the population of 3,035 and a turnover rate of 23.6% provide a narrow but stable tenant cohort.
Schools in Donnybrook iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's School
PP-6 · 113 students
Donnybrook District High School
K-10 · 468 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national average, pointing to an aging resident base. The overseas-born share sits at 19.1%, which is 2.5 percentage points below the national figure. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with English (1,507 residents) accounting for roughly half the population, followed by Scottish (346) and Irish (313). University qualifications reach 17.3%, which is 12.8 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a trade and manual-labour workforce profile. Average household size of 2.4 is marginally below national at 2.5. Couples with children make up 890 families versus 796 couples without children, indicating a family-oriented composition despite the older median age. Volunteering is active at 21.4% of residents, above typical urban rates.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.3%
Houses
3.3%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupiers dominate tenure: 41.2% own outright and 39.5% carry a mortgage, leaving only 19.3% renting. This high outright-ownership rate reflects an older demographic that has paid down debt over time rather than a market driven by recent buyers. Separate houses account for 95.3% of all dwellings, the highest tier of detached housing dominance. Bedroom composition skews large: 46.3% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 42.8% have 3 bedrooms, so single-bedroom or apartment options are essentially absent. The rent-to-income ratio is 23.5%, below the 30% stress threshold, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.8% also stays within safe bounds, making housing costs sustainable compared to higher-income capital city markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,486
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$627
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.3%
Unoccupied
117
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.7%
Couples, no children
2,232
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 14.9% (109 workers), reflecting the service needs of an older regional population. Mining follows at 12.3% (90 workers), driven by proximity to South West WA resources activity, and Education accounts for 9.7% (71 workers). By occupation, Labourers top the list at 207 workers, followed by Machinery and Drivers at 163 and Professionals at 152. The SEIFA decile profile shows a split: the IRSD and IRSAD deciles both sit at 4, placing Donnybrook in the lower-middle tier for relative disadvantage nationally. However, the IER decile of 7 reflects moderate economic resources, and the IEO decile of 3 confirms lower education and occupation status compared to the national average. The unemployment rate of 5.0% is modest and the full-time employment rate of 61.5% is healthy for a regional centre.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.5%
Part-time
33.5%
Participation
49.4%
Employed
1,164
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.3%
Postgraduate
2.3%
Born Overseas
19.1%
Dwellings
1,138
Transport to Work
Donnybrook is car-dependent, with 84.4% of residents driving to work, well above the national average, and only 1.1% using public transport. Walking and cycling accounts for 5.3%, moderate for a regional town with its scale. The IRSAD decile of 4 places it in the lower half nationally for combined advantage and disadvantage, while the IER decile of 7 indicates reasonable household economic resources relative to the population size. The need-for-assistance rate of 7.3% is elevated compared to the national average, reflecting the older demographic. Housing stress is low on both metrics: rent-to-income at 23.5% and mortgage-to-income at 26.8% are both below the 30% threshold. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in the broader Donnybrook-Balingup LGA.
Drive
84.4%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
5.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Donnybrook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Donnybrook a good suburb to live in?
Donnybrook suits owner-occupiers and retirees well. With 41.2% of dwellings owned outright and mortgage-to-income at 26.8%, housing costs are manageable. The IRSAD decile of 4 places it in the lower-middle tier nationally, but low housing stress and a 21.4% volunteering rate suggest a stable, community-oriented area.
What is the median house price in Donnybrook?
The median house price is $378,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $300 and monthly mortgage repayments run approximately $1,486. The rent-to-income ratio is 23.5% and mortgage-to-income is 26.8%, both below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Donnybrook?
No schools are recorded inside the Donnybrook suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on educational facilities in the broader Donnybrook-Balingup local government area. The local university qualification rate is 17.3%, which is 12.8 percentage points below the national average.
Is Donnybrook safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Donnybrook in this dataset. The suburb scores decile 4 on IRSD, placing it in the lower-middle range nationally for relative disadvantage. The 5.0% unemployment rate is modest, and housing stress indicators are low, consistent with a stable regional community of 3,035 residents.
Is Donnybrook good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $300 against a $378,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.1%, reasonable for regional WA. However, the 9.3% vacancy rate is elevated and the renter share of only 19.3% means a limited tenant pool. Zero development applications in the past 12 months suggest stable but slow-growth conditions.
How is Donnybrook's population changing?
Donnybrook has a population of 3,035 with a high residential retention rate: 76.4% of residents stayed in the same address over the reference period. The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national average, pointing to an aging trajectory. The 23.6% annual turnover rate is below average for comparable regional suburbs.
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 Donnybrook on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map