Herne Hill
A 10.3% vacancy rate stands out sharply in a suburb where 97.3% of dwellings are separate houses, pointing to a mismatch between what Herne Hill holds and what the current rental market wants. With a population of just 1,542 across 17.26 square kilometres, density sits at 89 residents per square kilometre, well below typical urban WA figures. The median age of 46 runs 6 years above the national average, household income ranks at the 58.3rd percentile nationally, and 83.3% of residents stayed at the same address over the five-year period, signalling a stable, owner-occupier base rather than a transient renter community.
Population
1,542
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,679/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
13
Median House
$441K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $441,000 is below many comparable Perth fringe areas, and mortgage repayments average $1,831 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.2%, below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.3%, with 52% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms, making Herne Hill attractive to families seeking space rather than density. Owner-occupiers dominate: 46.3% own outright and 40.1% carry a mortgage, together representing 86.4% of households compared to just 13.6% renting. The high outright-ownership share suggests a long-standing, established owner base, with low turnover of 16.7% over five years reinforcing that buyers here tend to stay.
For Buyers
The median house price of $441,000 is below many comparable Perth fringe areas, and mortgage repayments average $1,831 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.2%, below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.3%, with 52% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms, making Herne Hill attractive to families seeking space rather than density. Owner-occupiers dominate: 46.3% own outright and 40.1% carry a mortgage, together representing 86.4% of households compared to just 13.6% renting. The high outright-ownership share suggests a long-standing, established owner base, with low turnover of 16.7% over five years reinforcing that buyers here tend to stay.
For Investors
Rental demand is thin relative to supply. Only 13.6% of households rent and the vacancy rate of 10.3% is high, meaning a notable share of the rental stock sits empty. Weekly rent of $335 against a $441,000 median implies a gross yield around 3.9%, moderate but compromised by that vacancy level. Development activity is low at 9 applications in the past 12 months, consistent with a slow-growth area. The suburb's 1,542 residents and aging median age of 46, which is 6 years above national, limit demand-side pressure. Investors relying on rental income should weigh the high vacancy carefully, as it is significantly above the typical 2 to 3% benchmark used in WA metropolitan markets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
13
Last 12 Months
13
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 Herne Hill iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Herne Hill Primary School
K-6 · 190 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure, placing Herne Hill firmly in the upper tier of aging suburbs nationally. Overseas-born residents account for 22.3% of the population, close to the national average with a difference of just 0.7 percentage points. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (659 residents) leads, followed by Italian (196), Irish (136) and Scottish (122), with Italian also the most spoken non-English language at 28 speakers alongside Croatian at 21. University qualifications reach only 18.9%, which is 11.2 points below the national average, reflecting a blue-collar and trades-oriented workforce rather than a professional precinct. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national figure, consistent with the family-oriented, four-bedroom housing stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.3%
Houses
0.7%
Townhouse
2.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses make up 97.3% of all dwellings, one of the most detached-dominant profiles in WA. Over half of all homes (52%) have four or more bedrooms, with 39.7% having three bedrooms, meaning two-bedroom and smaller homes are rare at under 10% combined. Tenure is overwhelmingly owner-occupied: 46.3% own outright and 40.1% hold a mortgage, leaving renters at just 13.6%, significantly lower than state and national norms. The 10.3% vacancy rate is the key anomaly: it is disproportionately high for a suburb where ownership dominates, suggesting some investment properties are sitting empty rather than being absorbed by a thin rental market. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,831 reflect the $441,000 median, which is affordable relative to the household weekly income of $1,679.
Mortgage / mo
$1,831
Rent / wk
$335
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$717
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.3%
Unoccupied
63
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.8%
Couples, no children
1,284
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction leads local employment at 15.1% of workers (64 residents), above what most suburban areas report, followed by Healthcare at 12.5% (53 workers), Mining at 9.2% (39 workers), Education at 8.7% and Retail at 7.8%. The presence of Mining at nearly 1 in 10 workers reflects Herne Hill's position within commuting range of WA's resource sector. By occupation, Clerical/Admin (99), Managers (98) and Professionals (98) are roughly equal at the top, alongside Labourers (84) and Machinery/Drivers (81), indicating a genuinely mixed workforce. The unemployment rate is 4.1% with a participation rate of 57.3%, below national norms, because 439 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age. SEIFA IRSAD decile of 4 places the suburb in the lower-middle advantage tier nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.4%
Part-time
36.5%
Participation
57.3%
Employed
707
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.9%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
22.3%
Dwellings
554
Transport to Work
Herne Hill is almost entirely car-dependent: 88.5% of residents drive to work and only 3.1% use public transport, one of the lowest public transport rates in the Perth region. Walking and cycling account for 3.3% of commutes, modest for a low-density area. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families depend on institutions in neighbouring areas. The SEIFA IRSAD decile of 4 places the suburb below the national median on the combined advantage-disadvantage index. Crime data is not available for this suburb. The volunteering rate of 16.6% is healthy, and housing stress is low: rent-to-income sits at 20.0% and mortgage-to-income at 25.2%, both well below standard stress thresholds, making Herne Hill relatively comfortable for those already housed here.
Drive
88.5%
Public Transport
3.1%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Herne Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Herne Hill a good suburb to live in?
Herne Hill suits owner-occupying families who want space and low housing stress. Mortgage-to-income sits at 25.2%, below the 30% stress threshold, and 97.3% of dwellings are separate houses with most having 4 or more bedrooms. The trade-offs are heavy car dependence at 88.5% driving to work and a SEIFA IRSAD decile of 4, placing it in the lower-middle advantage tier nationally.
What is the median house price in Herne Hill?
The median house price is $441,000 (estimated from 2025 rental data). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,831, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.2%. Weekly rent averages $335, though the 10.3% vacancy rate indicates some rental properties are not currently tenanted.
What schools are in Herne Hill?
No schools are recorded inside the Herne Hill boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. University qualifications among residents stand at 18.9%, which is 11.2 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a trades and blue-collar workforce profile.
Is Herne Hill safe?
Specific crime statistics are not available for Herne Hill in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb's SEIFA IRSAD decile of 4 places it in the lower-middle advantage tier nationally. The high owner-occupancy rate of 86.4% combined with an 83.3% five-year residential stability rate is consistent with a settled, low-transience community.
Is Herne Hill good for property investment?
The investment case is cautious. A 10.3% vacancy rate is well above typical WA benchmarks of 2 to 3%, and only 13.6% of households rent, limiting the tenant pool. Weekly rent of $335 against a $441,000 median implies around 3.9% gross yield before costs. With just 9 development applications in 12 months and an aging median age of 46, demand growth pressure is limited.
How is Herne Hill's population changing?
Herne Hill's population is 1,542 with a median age of 46, which is 6 years above the national average. No forward population forecast is available. The suburb shows strong residential stability: 83.3% of residents remained at the same address over 5 years, among the higher retention rates nationally, suggesting a settled rather than growing community.
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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