Erskine
A median age of 61 sits 21 years above the national figure, and that single number explains most of what makes Erskine distinctive. With a $416,000 median house price and 49.7% of homes owned outright, this Mandurah-area suburb reads as a retirement and downsizer destination rather than a family growth market. Labour force participation runs at just 35.1% because 2,756 residents sit outside the workforce, consistent with the aging profile. Household income lands in the 11.2th percentile nationally, yet 79.1% of dwellings are detached houses and overseas-born residents reach 33.0%, which is 11.4 points above the national share.
Population
5,429
Median Age
61.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$957/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$416K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $416,000 median house price, Erskine is one of the more affordable detached markets in metropolitan Perth, and the stock favours buyers wanting space. Separate houses make up 79.1% of dwellings while apartments are just 1.9%, and three-bedroom homes (38.8%) and four-plus-bedroom homes (38.6%) together account for over three quarters of the housing. Outright owners (49.7%) far outnumber mortgage holders (29.1%), a sign that much of the suburb is held by established, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers. The catch is affordability stress relative to local incomes: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,701 and the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 41.0%, well above the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in the 11.2th percentile nationally despite the low purchase price.
For Buyers
At a $416,000 median house price, Erskine is one of the more affordable detached markets in metropolitan Perth, and the stock favours buyers wanting space. Separate houses make up 79.1% of dwellings while apartments are just 1.9%, and three-bedroom homes (38.8%) and four-plus-bedroom homes (38.6%) together account for over three quarters of the housing. Outright owners (49.7%) far outnumber mortgage holders (29.1%), a sign that much of the suburb is held by established, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers. The catch is affordability stress relative to local incomes: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,701 and the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 41.0%, well above the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in the 11.2th percentile nationally despite the low purchase price.
For Investors
A 21.2% renter share and weekly rent of $320 give landlords a modest tenant pool, and against the $416,000 median that rent implies a gross yield near 4.0%, stronger than the typical inner-Perth result. The 9.9% vacancy rate is high, however, and signals that finding tenants takes longer than in tighter markets. Demand support is weak on paper: development activity recorded 0 applications in the past 12 months, so new supply is minimal, but the aging resident base and 35.1% participation rate point to limited rental household formation. With rent-to-income at 33.4%, tenants are already stretched, which caps how far rents can climb. The investment case here rests on affordability and yield rather than capital growth or population-driven demand.
Demographics
The median age of 61 runs 21.0 years above the national figure, the defining demographic fact for Erskine. Couples without children make up 51.2% of the 3,871 families, against 942 couples with children, which fits the older, post-family profile. Average household size is 2.0, which is 0.5 below national, reinforcing the empty-nester pattern. Overseas-born residents reach 33.0%, which is 11.4 points above national, though ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,874), Scottish (557) and Irish (552). University qualifications sit at 17.3%, some 12.8 points below the national figure, because the resident base skews toward retirees and trades rather than recent graduates. Christianity (2,731 residents) dominates religious affiliation ahead of Buddhism (54).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.1%
Houses
19.1%
Townhouse
1.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward outright ownership: 49.7% own their home outright, 29.1% carry a mortgage and 21.2% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free property among an older population rather than a churn of new buyers. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 79.1%, with semi-detached at 19.1% and apartments at just 1.9%, so the suburb offers very little high-density product. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 38.8% and four-plus-bedroom homes 38.6%, leaving smaller two-bedroom stock at 16.8%. At a $416,000 median, prices are low by Perth standards, yet the mortgage-to-income ratio of 41.0% and rent-to-income of 33.4% both exceed stress thresholds, a divergence that reflects how modest local incomes are rather than how steep prices have run.
Mortgage / mo
$1,701
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$549
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.9%
Unoccupied
278
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
41.0% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
51.2%
Couples, no children
3,871
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in Healthcare, which leads at 18.3% (193 workers), followed by Mining at 12.3% (130), Education at 11.3% (119) and Construction at 10.8% (114). The Mining share reflects fly-in fly-out workers commuting from an affordable coastal base, while Healthcare and Education align with servicing an aging population. By occupation, Professionals (256), Community and Personal Service workers (252) and Machinery Operators and Drivers (204) form the largest groups. Participation is unusually low at 35.1% because 2,756 residents are not in the labour force, a direct function of the median age of 61. Unemployment among those active runs at 6.2%. On SEIFA, the suburb scores decile 4 on IRSAD and decile 5 on IRSD, mid to lower advantage, but decile 7 on IER for economic resources, lifted by the high rate of outright home ownership.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.7%
Part-time
34.1%
Participation
35.1%
Employed
1,585
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.3%
Postgraduate
2.4%
Born Overseas
33.0%
Dwellings
2,522
Transport to Work
Erskine is built around the car: 86.2% of residents drive to work while only 5.0% use public transport and 2.3% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on driving. No schools are recorded inside the 3.87 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Mandurah suburbs, a practical trade-off in a suburb where couples without children already make up 51.2% of families. The suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 4 on IRSAD, placing it in the mid to lower advantage band nationally. Around 8.8% of residents (458 people) need daily assistance, higher than typical and consistent with the median age of 61, and volunteering runs at 15.1%.
Drive
86.2%
Public Transport
5.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Erskine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Erskine a good suburb to live in?
Erskine suits retirees and downsizers, with a median age of 61, which is 21 years above national, and 49.7% of homes owned outright. It scores decile 5 on IRSD and decile 4 on IRSAD, mid to lower advantage nationally. The $416,000 median house price makes it one of the more affordable detached markets near Mandurah.
What is the median house price in Erskine?
The median house price is $416,000, low by Perth standards. Weekly rent averages $320 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,701, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 41.0%, above the 30% stress threshold because household income sits in the 11.2th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Erskine?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.87 km2 Erskine boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Mandurah suburbs. The resident profile skews older, with university qualifications at 17.3%, which is 12.8 points below the national figure.
Is Erskine safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Erskine in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a mid tier nationally, while 8.8% of its residents (458 people) need daily assistance, consistent with an older population.
Is Erskine good for property investment?
Rent of $320 a week against a $416,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.0%, above typical inner-Perth results. The 9.9% vacancy rate is high, and with rent-to-income at 33.4% tenants are stretched, so returns lean on yield rather than capital growth or population-led demand.
How is Erskine's population changing?
Erskine has 5,429 residents at a density of 1,403.8 per km2, with a mature profile rather than rapid growth. The median age of 61 is 21 years above national and 51.2% of families are couples without children, pointing to ongoing retiree and downsizer inflow rather than family-led expansion.
What languages and backgrounds are common in Erskine?
About 33.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 11.4 points above the national figure. Ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,874 residents), Scottish (557) and Irish (552), and Christianity is the dominant religion with 2,731 affiliated residents.
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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