Kelmscott

Schools in Kelmscott iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

Kelmscott's median age of 40 is level with the national median, but the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.9 points and the working-age share down 1.5 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents at 31.5% are 9.9 points above the national figure, yet ancestry remains strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English at 4,719, Scottish at 1,019 and Irish at 906. University qualifications at 20.4% are 9.7 points below national, consistent with a trades and services workforce rather than a professional one. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 4,083, far ahead of Islam at 203 and Hinduism at 177. Residential stability is high, with 80.1% of residents staying put and a turnover rate of just 19.9%.

Tenure splits 41.4% mortgaged, 31.1% owned outright and 27.5% rented, a profile that is more owner-occupier than the national average and consistent with a settled mortgage belt. The stock is 81.6% separate houses against just 2.1% apartments, so density stays low at 703 people per square kilometre. Three-bedroom homes account for 54.1% and four-plus for 35.5%, leaving smaller dwellings scarce. At a $373,000 median house price against $1,355 weekly household income, the price-to-income ratio is around 5.3, low compared with Perth's more expensive corridors. Both rent-to-income at 21.4% and mortgage-to-income at 25.6% sit below stress thresholds, confirming housing costs here track local incomes rather than outrunning them.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the largest employer at 18.1% of workers (521 jobs), followed by Education at 12.0% (346) and Construction at 10.0% (287), a service and trades base rather than a knowledge economy. Occupations reinforce this, led by Professionals at 719 but closely trailed by Clerical and Admin at 612 and Community and Personal Services at 598, with Labourers at 540. The SEIFA picture is consistently disadvantaged, with IEO decile 2, IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 2 all in the bottom fifth nationally, while the IER decile of 3 is marginally higher because outright home ownership lifts economic resources. Unemployment at 8.6% is above the national rate, and participation of 55.2% is held down by the aging, retiree-heavy population.

Transport to Work

Kelmscott is car-dependent, with 87.3% driving to work and only 5.9% using public transport, well below the rates of transit-rich inner suburbs, while walking and cycling account for just 1.3%. The low IRSAD decile of 2 signals socio-economic disadvantage that shapes local services and amenity. Housing costs stay comfortable, with rent-to-income at 21.4% and mortgage-to-income at 25.6%, both below the 30% stress line, so residents face less budget pressure than in pricier corridors. Community engagement is moderate, with a volunteering rate of 14.7%, and residential stability is high at 80.1% staying put, suggesting people who move here tend to remain rather than churning through.

Population Forecast

Population growth runs at 0.52% a year, about 59 people, classifying Kelmscott as an established suburb rather than a growth front. The 10-year change was a modest 5.8%, and medium forecasts project the population rising from 11,323 in 2026 to 11,618 by 2031. Overseas migration is the sole growth driver at 119 people a year, while net internal migration runs negative at 68 departures, meaning the suburb would shrink without arrivals from abroad. The shift profile is clearly aging, with the senior share up 3.9 points and the young share down 0.6, and a gentrification score of 15 places it firmly in the not-gentrifying category. Real incomes fell 2.2% over the decade, lower than the national trend and a drag on local spending power.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Kelmscott compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions