Nedlands

Development Activity

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

Demographics

English (3,973) ancestry leads by a wide margin, followed by Chinese (1,346), Scottish (1,172) and Irish (1,154). The 70.5% university qualification rate, 40.4 percentage points above the national baseline, is among the highest in Western Australia, driven by proximity to UWA. Mandarin (234) leads non-English languages, with Cantonese (76), French (54) and Italian (39) following at much smaller counts. Median age of 42 is 2 years above the national figure, and the aging trajectory shows the senior share rising 4.6 percentage points over the past decade while the working-age share dropped 3.1 points. The 29.4% volunteering rate is notably higher than the national average, consistent with the suburb's established-wealth profile. Couples with children make up a large share at 3,773 families, alongside 2,069 couples without children.

Outright owners dominate at 44.8%, compared to 28.3% with mortgages and 26.9% renting. This ownership-heavy tenure split is consistent with the established-wealth signal: long-term residents who purchased decades ago at lower prices. Separate houses make up 75.2% of stock, with 48.1% having four or more bedrooms, a share well above the national average and reflecting the large-lot character of Perth's western suburbs. Three-bedroom homes account for 32.9%. No price history data is available, so long-term capital growth patterns cannot be assessed. Monthly mortgage repayments of $3,347 are among Perth's highest, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.3% remains below stress levels because household incomes at the 96.2 percentile support the payments. Rent-to-income sits at 17.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare dominates employment at 24.6%, almost certainly driven by Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth Children's Hospital and the broader QEII Medical Centre precinct adjacent to the suburb. Professional and Technical Services follows at 18.4%, Education at 13.1%, and Mining at 8.2%, reflecting Perth's resources sector influence even in its most affluent suburbs. Professionals form the largest occupational group by far at 2,520 workers, more than double the next group (Managers at 873). The SEIFA profile is uniformly high: IRSAD decile 10, IRSD decile 10, IEO decile 10 and IER decile 9. The slight gap between IEO 10 and IER 9 is negligible and confirms that both education and economic resources are at the national ceiling. Unemployment at 4.5% is near the national average, while the 60.6% participation rate is slightly lower than average, partly due to the older median age and retiree population.

Transport to Work

Car usage at 69.3% is lower than Perth's average, while 12.0% walk or cycle and 11.8% use public transport, an unusually balanced mode split for a Perth suburb, driven by proximity to UWA and Stirling Highway bus routes. The two local primary schools both perform very strongly: Nedlands Primary (ICSEA 1,180, 473 students, government) and Hollywood Primary (ICSEA 1,174, 358 students, government) both sit 170+ points above the national ICSEA benchmark of 1,000, placing them in the top 5% nationally. The IEO decile 10 reading aligns with these school results, confirming educational advantage at the highest national level. No crime data is available, but the IRSD decile 10 (lowest disadvantage nationally) is typically associated with below-average crime rates in comparable suburbs.

Population Forecast

The suburb is growing at 0.86% annually, adding 191 persons per year. The medium forecast projects a rise from about 21,567 in 2026 to 22,521 by 2031. Population grew 7.9% over the past decade, below Perth's metropolitan average. Net overseas migration averaging 778 per year is the primary driver, likely dominated by UWA international students and hospital-recruited professionals. Internal migration shows a net outflow of 121 per year, as some established families leave for larger properties further out. The aging trajectory is clear: senior share rose 4.6 points while working-age share fell 3.1 points over the decade. Real income growth of 10.2% was modest, and the affordability ratio improved from 61.9% to 48.9% over the decade, partly because earnings have grown faster than the cost base. Gentrification score of 27 shows early signs, though in a suburb already at IRSAD decile 10 this reflects renewal rather than class displacement.

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

How Nedlands compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions