Ellenbrook
Perth's largest master-planned community sits 25km northeast of the CBD, home to 24,668 residents with a median age of 32 (eight years below the national median of 40). The headline event is structural: the Morley-Ellenbrook line opened in December 2024, ending three decades of bus-only commuting and reshaping property fundamentals overnight. Population grew 27.1% in the last decade, and forecasts continue at 2.39% annually through 2031. Healthcare employs 17.5% of workers, double the national share, reflecting nearby St John of God Midland and aged-care expansion. The SEIFA profile is split: economic resources sit in decile 7 nationally, but education and occupation rank in decile 2, a classic young mortgage-belt signature.
Population
24,668
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,846/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
68
Median House
$452K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Ellenbrook is built for young families needing space at a Perth-fringe price point. Detached houses make up 89.4% of dwellings, and 57.1% have four or more bedrooms, well above the Perth metro average. Median mortgage repayments of $1,833/month consume 22.9% of household income, below the 30% stress threshold and lower than coastal Perth suburbs where the ratio frequently exceeds 28%. The 2024 train line shifted the buyer pool: previously isolated by 25km of arterial bus commute, Ellenbrook now sits 35 minutes from Perth CBD by rail. Owner-occupier share is 74.9% (15.5% outright, 59.4% mortgage), confirming the mortgage-belt identity. The trade-off is a school landscape skewed toward government ICSEA 954-980 rather than the 1050+ found in established western suburbs.
For Buyers
Ellenbrook is built for young families needing space at a Perth-fringe price point. Detached houses make up 89.4% of dwellings, and 57.1% have four or more bedrooms, well above the Perth metro average. Median mortgage repayments of $1,833/month consume 22.9% of household income, below the 30% stress threshold and lower than coastal Perth suburbs where the ratio frequently exceeds 28%. The 2024 train line shifted the buyer pool: previously isolated by 25km of arterial bus commute, Ellenbrook now sits 35 minutes from Perth CBD by rail. Owner-occupier share is 74.9% (15.5% outright, 59.4% mortgage), confirming the mortgage-belt identity. The trade-off is a school landscape skewed toward government ICSEA 954-980 rather than the 1050+ found in established western suburbs.
For Investors
Rents sit at $350/week with vacancy at 5.9%, materially higher than Perth metro's sub-1% benchmark and a clear signal of oversupply at the entry-rental tier. Rent growth ran negative 2.8% over the comparison period, lagging Perth's broader 14% surge. Only 25.2% of households rent versus the national 30.6%, narrowing the tenant pool. Development pipeline is thin at 6 applications in 12 months, mostly small subdivisions and ancillary dwellings rather than the apartment stock that would compress rents further. Migration is balanced (+180 internal, +216 overseas annually), which supports demand without overwhelming supply. The investor case rests on capital growth from the train-line revaluation rather than yield: gross yields land near 5.2% on typical mortgage-implied valuations, higher than Perth's affluent corridors.
Development Activity
Total DAs
68
Last 12 Months
68
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ellenbrook iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Ellenbrook Christian College
PP-12 · 677 students
Holy Cross College
PP-12 · 1311 students
St Helena's Catholic Primary School
PP-6 · 420 students
Anne Hamersley Primary School
K-6 · 813 students
Aveley Secondary College
7-12 · 1582 students
Demographics
Median age of 32 runs eight years below the national figure of 40, with the gap widening, the working-share dropped 1.0 points and senior-share gained 4.3 points over the decade, an aging trajectory typical of master-planned communities a decade past launch. Born-overseas share is 33.5%, 11.9 percentage points above the national average, but the mix is distinct: English ancestry leads at 9,134 residents, with Punjabi (301 speakers), Arabic (148), and Afrikaans (119) as the top non-English languages, a South African and Indian-origin profile rather than the East Asian pattern seen in Melbourne corridor suburbs. University attainment sits at 20.7%, 9.4 percentage points below the national 30.1%, reinforcing the trades-and-services workforce composition.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.4%
Houses
9.0%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing stock is overwhelmingly detached (89.4%) and large (57.1% four-plus bedrooms, 32.5% three-bedroom), with apartments at just 1.6%, the inverse of inner-Perth densities. Tenure splits 15.5% owned outright, 59.4% mortgaged, and 25.2% rented; the high mortgage share confirms a cohort that bought during the 2010s house-and-land boom and is still mid-amortization. Mortgage-to-income improved from 47.4% in 2011 to 42.9% in 2021, a counterintuitive trend driven by household income growth outpacing repayment growth as the area matured. With WA published price data unreliable at the suburb level, mortgage repayments of $1,833/month imply a typical loan around $400-450k at current rates, lower than greater Perth's median and substantially below Sydney or Melbourne equivalents.
Mortgage / mo
$1,833
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$840
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.9%
Unoccupied
509
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.0%
Couples, no children
20,413
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 17.5% (1,247 workers), nearly double the national share, anchored by St John of God Midland and surrounding aged-care providers. Education follows at 9.5%, Construction at 8.9%, Mining at 8.3% (a WA signature reflecting FIFO commuters), and Retail at 8.3%. Top occupations split between Community/Personal Services (1,697), Clerical/Admin (1,660), and Professionals (1,446), a service-economy mix rather than a knowledge-economy one. Full-time employment rate is 66.6% with unemployment at 6.3%, modestly above the national 5.2%. The SEIFA paradox is clear here: IER (economic resources) sits in decile 7, but IEO (education and occupation) drops to decile 2, meaning households earn reasonable incomes through trades and services rather than degree-credentialed roles.
Unemployment
5.3%
Labour Force
12,601
Unemployed
664
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.6%
Part-time
27.1%
Participation
64.9%
Employed
11,062
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.7%
Postgraduate
4.0%
Born Overseas
33.5%
Dwellings
8,053
Transport to Work
The transport story flipped in late 2024: car-driver share was 88.7% with only 2.8% public transport at last census, but the new Morley-Ellenbrook rail line now connects Ellenbrook to Perth CBD in 35 minutes versus the previous 60-plus minute bus journey. Walked/cycled remains negligible at 1.4%, reflecting the wide-arterial master-planned layout. Schools number ten within or adjoining the suburb, with ICSEA scores spanning 954-1050: Ellenbrook Christian College leads at ICSEA 1050 (677 students), Holy Cross College Catholic at 1040 (1,311 students), while government primaries cluster in the 964-980 band, below national mean of 1000 but typical for outer-corridor WA. IRSAD decile 3 places the suburb below the state median for social advantage, lower than the IER reading suggests due to the education-occupation drag.
Drive
88.7%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.39%/yr
(+523 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 27.1% over the past decade and the medium-trend forecast adds another 2,613 residents by 2031, reaching 25,328 at 2.39% annual growth. Migration is balanced rather than concentrated: net internal at +180/year and net overseas at +216/year, totaling around 400 annual additions before natural increase. The gentrification score reads 46 (Active stage), driven mainly by population expansion rather than demographic upgrading, real income growth was actually -12.8% over the comparison decade, indicating new arrivals are similar or lower-income than incumbents. The 2024 train opening is not yet reflected in these forecasts, suggesting a potential upside scenario: rail-connected master-planned suburbs historically attract a one-time demographic premium once commute friction drops.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+216
Net Internal / yr
+180
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +40% since 2011, Net internal migration +180/yr, Strong overseas inflow +216/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Ellenbrook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ellenbrook a good suburb to live in?
Ellenbrook works well for young families prioritizing detached housing affordability and now-improved CBD access. With 89.4% detached homes, 57.1% four-plus bedrooms, and median mortgage repayments of $1,833/month consuming 22.9% of household income, it suits buyers priced out of inner Perth. The December 2024 Morley-Ellenbrook train line cut commute times by roughly 25 minutes versus the previous bus-only option.
What is the median house price in Ellenbrook?
Published median house price data is unreliable for Ellenbrook at the suburb level, but median monthly mortgage repayments of $1,833 imply typical loan balances around $400-450k at current rates, suggesting purchase prices in the high $500k to low $600k range. This sits below greater Perth's median and substantially under Sydney equivalents. Median weekly rent is $350.
What schools are in Ellenbrook?
Ten schools serve the area. Ellenbrook Christian College (Independent, ICSEA 1050, 677 students) and Holy Cross College (Catholic, ICSEA 1040, 1,311 students) lead the ranks. Government options include Aveley Secondary College (ICSEA 980, 1,582 students), Ellenbrook Secondary College (ICSEA 968, 1,442 students), plus six primary schools with ICSEA scores between 954 and 980, slightly below the national mean of 1000 but standard for outer Perth corridors.
Is Ellenbrook safe?
WA Police do not publish locality-level crime rates with the granularity available in other states, so a per-1,000 figure cannot be cited here. Indirect indicators give mixed signals: IRSAD ranks the suburb in decile 3 (below state median for advantage), but mortgage and rent stress flags are both negative, with rent-to-income at 19% and mortgage-to-income at 22.9%, well under the 30% stress threshold associated with elevated property crime.
Is Ellenbrook good for property investment?
The investment case relies on capital growth from the 2024 rail revaluation rather than yield. Vacancy sits at 5.9%, materially higher than Perth's sub-1% benchmark, and rent growth ran negative 2.8% over the recent comparison period, below the broader 14% Perth surge. With only 6 development applications in 12 months and rental share at 25.2% versus the national 30.6%, the tenant pool is narrow and competition for tenants is real.
How is Ellenbrook's population changing?
Population reached 24,668 after growing 27.1% over the past decade, and the medium-trend forecast adds another 2,613 residents by 2031 at 2.39% annual growth. Migration is balanced with +180 net internal and +216 net overseas arrivals annually. The senior share rose 4.3 points while working-age share fell 1.0 points, an aging trajectory typical of master-planned communities a decade past their launch peak.
What languages are spoken in Ellenbrook?
English ancestry leads with 9,134 residents, but 33.5% of the suburb was born overseas, 11.9 percentage points above the national average. The top non-English languages spoken are Punjabi (301 speakers), Arabic (148), Afrikaans (119), Hindi (90), and Gujarati (69), reflecting a South African and Indian-origin migrant profile distinct from the East Asian pattern seen in eastern-state corridor 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.
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