Orelia
A 2.93 sq km footprint supports 4,535 residents at 1,548.9 people per sq km, while 81.8% of dwellings are separate houses. That combination gives Orelia a compact, detached-home profile rather than an apartment-led one. The median age is 38, two years below the national figure, and 30.6% of residents were born overseas, 9 percentage points above the national share. When weighing nearby Kwinana Town Centre and Parmelia, Orelia stands out for its mortgage-belt character, with 43.1% of dwellings mortgaged and 33.2% rented. Its aging trajectory matters because the senior share is rising while the young share is falling.
Population
4,535
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,246/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers get a predominantly detached stock: 81.8% separate houses, with 42.4% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 40.2% having 4 or more. That mix suits families needing space, but buyers should compare maintenance and commute costs because 82.0% travel as car drivers and only 3.9% use public transport. The monthly mortgage figure is $1,343, while rent is $250 a week; mortgage commitments equal 24.9% of household income, below the local stress threshold. Compared with apartment-heavy options, Orelia gives more access to ground-oriented housing, although the 9.8% vacancy rate warrants careful street-level checking.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a predominantly detached stock: 81.8% separate houses, with 42.4% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 40.2% having 4 or more. That mix suits families needing space, but buyers should compare maintenance and commute costs because 82.0% travel as car drivers and only 3.9% use public transport. The monthly mortgage figure is $1,343, while rent is $250 a week; mortgage commitments equal 24.9% of household income, below the local stress threshold. Compared with apartment-heavy options, Orelia gives more access to ground-oriented housing, although the 9.8% vacancy rate warrants careful street-level checking.
For Investors
Investor appeal comes from a meaningful tenant base: 33.2% of dwellings are rented, higher than the 23.1% owned outright, with weekly rent at $250. The 9.8% vacancy rate is a major counterweight because it can lengthen letting periods and weaken negotiating power. Rent growth is forecast at 8.0%, while wider-area growth runs at 0.77% annually and is driven by overseas migration. With a gentrification score of 19 marked Not gentrifying, the case is more income-and-affordability focused than redevelopment-led. Investors should stress-test vacancy, repairs and insurance rather than rely on rent growth alone.
Schools in Orelia
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
ORELIA PRIMARY SCHOOL
GILMORE COLLEGE
Demographics
At 38, Orelia's median age is 2 years below the national figure, yet its trajectory is aging because the senior share has increased 3.6 percentage points while the young share has fallen 2.4 points. Overseas-born residents account for 30.6%, 9 points above the national share. Ancestry counts include 1,722 English, 410 Scottish and 323 Irish residents. University attainment is 13.8%, 16.3 points below the national comparison. Household size averages 2.4, slightly lower than the national figure, and 80.9% stayed at the same address, indicating relatively stable ties despite overseas migration.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.8%
Houses
2.2%
Townhouse
16.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupier structure is central to Orelia's housing profile: 43.1% of dwellings are mortgaged, compared with 23.1% owned outright and 33.2% rented. Separate houses account for 81.8%, far above apartments at 16.1% and semi-detached homes at 2.2%, because the suburb was built around family-sized stock. The bedroom mix reinforces that pattern, with 42.4% three-bedroom and 40.2% four-plus-bedroom homes. Rent takes 20.1% of household income and mortgages 24.9%, with neither flagged as housing stress. Compared with nearby apartment-oriented pockets, Orelia is more ground-oriented, but the 9.8% vacancy rate argues for checking condition and resale demand by street.
Mortgage / mo
$1,343
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$250
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$637
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.8%
Unoccupied
191
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.3%
Couples with children
33.4%
Couples, no children
26.7%
Single parent
1,168
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by healthcare at 17.8% and 186 workers, followed by construction at 10.5% and 109, manufacturing at 9.7% and 101, education at 9.5% and 99, and retail at 9.4% and 98. That sector mix aligns with the leading occupations of trades at 349, labourers at 302 and machinery/drivers at 284, while community/personal work adds 273. The unemployment rate is 10.3% and participation is 58.5%, which helps explain why household income is $1,246 a week and sits at the 27.6th percentile, below the median position. SEIFA deciles are 1 for IEO, 2 for IER, 1 for IRSD and 1 for IRSAD, pointing to deeper disadvantage than higher-decile suburbs.
Unemployment
10.3%
Labour Force
2,145
Unemployed
220
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.8%
Part-time
33.6%
Participation
58.5%
Employed
1,925
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.8%
Postgraduate
2.5%
Born Overseas
30.6%
Dwellings
1,754
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car-oriented: 82.0% travel as car drivers, compared with 3.9% using public transport and 1.6% walking or cycling. That makes private vehicle access important for work and services, especially since only 3.9% work from home. Local education access includes 2 government schools, covering primary and senior high years; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cut across suburb lines. An IRSAD decile of 1 and a need-assistance rate of 6.9% indicate greater socioeconomic pressure than higher-decile areas, so household budgets may matter more than discretionary amenity spending. Orelia's compact 2.93 sq km area supports short internal trips, but transport options remain lower than car use.
Drive
82.0%
Public Transport
3.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
3.9%
Population Forecast
+0.77%/yr
(+98 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive: the forecast trend is 0.77% a year, with overseas migration the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 4.1% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging, supported by a 3.6-point rise in the senior share and a 2.4-point fall in the young share. The gentrification score is 19 and the stage is Not gentrifying, so momentum is below a transformation-led market because demographic aging is stronger than reinvestment signals. Rent growth of 8.0% may support investor demand. The affordability measure moved from 46.3 in 2011 to 42.7 in 2021 and is marked Improving, although real income growth is -4.8%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+114
Net Internal / yr
+41
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +11% since 2011, Accelerating: -1% → 13%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Orelia compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Orelia a good suburb to live in?
Orelia can suit buyers seeking detached housing and practical commute patterns, with 81.8% separate houses and 82.0% car-driver travel. It also has 2 government schools and a rent-to-income ratio of 20.1%. Compared with apartment-led areas, the trade-offs are a 9.8% vacancy rate, IRSAD decile 1 and limited public transport at 3.9%.
What is the median house price in Orelia?
There is no single dependable current median house-price benchmark for every dwelling type in Orelia. Buyers should compare recent sales by street and bedroom count because 81.8% of homes are separate houses, while 42.4% have 3 bedrooms and 40.2% have 4 or more. The monthly mortgage figure is $1,343, but that is not a substitute for a sale-price estimate.
What schools are in Orelia?
Orelia has 2 government schools: one primary school and one senior high school. That provides local coverage across two stages, but families should confirm the enrolment zone for the exact address because school boundaries can differ from suburb boundaries. Car use is high at 82.0%, while public transport is 3.9%, which can affect school runs.
Is Orelia safe?
A definitive safety judgement needs current, street-level checking because conditions can vary by route, lighting and activity. Review recent incidents around the exact address and visit at different times. Orelia has 4,535 residents across 2.93 sq km, so a compact suburb can still contain meaningful street-to-street differences; do not treat one general impression as a guarantee.
Is Orelia good for property investment?
Orelia may appeal to investors seeking a $250 weekly rent market, with 33.2% of dwellings rented, higher than the 23.1% owned outright. The main caution is the 9.8% vacancy rate, which can reduce income reliability. Forecast growth is 0.77% annually and overseas migration is the primary driver, while a gentrification score of 19 is marked Not gentrifying.
How is Orelia's population changing?
Orelia's population is 4,535 today, and the wider-area forecast records 4.1% change over 10 years. Annual growth is estimated at 0.77%, driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 3.6 percentage points and the young share is down 2.4 points. With a gentrification score of 19 and a Not gentrifying stage, change is more demographic than redevelopment-led.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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