Osborne Park

Development Activity

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

Demographics

The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure, reflecting a young, mobile population. Overseas-born residents make up 53.5%, which is 31.9 percentage points above the national average, among the highest proportions in Perth. Top ancestries are English (1,080) and Italian (384), alongside a large cohort listed as Other (1,280), consistent with a wide range of origins. Non-English languages include Italian (76 speakers), Gujarati (71), Mandarin (48), Punjabi (44) and Nepali (43), indicating a broad South and Southeast Asian presence alongside the European cohort. University qualifications reach 46.5%, which is 16.4 percentage points above national, suggesting a well-educated workforce. Average household size of 1.9 is 0.6 below national, consistent with a preponderance of small households and couples without children, who make up 40.4% of families.

Semi-detached dwellings dominate at 58.0% of stock, well above the national norm, making Osborne Park one of Perth's denser medium-density suburbs. Separate houses are rare at 17.7% and apartments account for 24.3%. Tenure reflects the suburb's transient character: 55.7% rent, 26.2% carry a mortgage and only 18.1% own outright. The rental-to-outright-ownership ratio of approximately 3:1 is well above average nationally, meaning the suburb's property base turns over frequently. Two-bedroom dwellings at 45.2% are the clear majority, suited to couples and singles rather than families. The estimated median house price of $378,000 places the suburb below most established Perth suburbs in the same ring. Rent-to-income sits at 19.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning renters are not financially stressed at current asking rents of $290 per week.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the dominant industry at 18.4% of employed residents (374 workers), followed closely by Retail at 9.1% (185), Education at 9.0% (184), Professional/Tech at 8.8% (180) and Hospitality at 7.9% (162). By occupation, Professionals lead at 616 workers, followed by Labourers (406), Community/Personal service (359), Clerical/Admin (290) and Managers (237). The full-time employment rate of 62.9% and participation rate of 66.9% are solid, with an unemployment rate of 4.6%, slightly above but close to the national figure. The SEIFA IRSAD decile of 8 and IEO decile of 7 indicate the suburb ranks above average nationally on both advantage-disadvantage and education-occupation measures. Household income in the 45.9th percentile is close to the national median, but the strong professional share and university qualification rate of 46.5% suggest upward income pressure as the resident profile matures.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is high, with 83.2% of residents commuting by car, compared to just 6.8% using public transport and 2.7% walking or cycling. This is above the national car-driver average, reflecting Osborne Park's position as a suburban commercial corridor rather than a walkable urban centre. SEIFA IRSAD decile 8 places the suburb in the upper tier nationally for relative advantage. Rent-to-income at 19.6% and mortgage-to-income at 24.2% are both below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are manageable for most residents. Volunteering is moderate at 12.2% and 4.9% of residents (204 people) need assistance, in line with the young age profile. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas. The 29.3% resident turnover rate is high, which is consistent with a renter-majority suburb and indicates fluid, short-tenure occupancy rather than settled community attachment.

Population Forecast

Population growth of 6.55% per year is significantly above the state and national averages, driven by a balanced migration pattern averaging 6 net internal and 8 net overseas arrivals annually. Medium scenario forecasts project the suburb reaching 404 residents per SA2 fragment by 2031, up from 290 in 2025, a sustained expansion. The suburb did not experience a COVID-era population dip, unlike many inner urban areas, indicating steady underlying demand. With 25 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including new residential and commercial-residential projects, the physical stock is expanding to accommodate growth. No gentrification signal is recorded, but the combination of high university qualifications, a SEIFA decile 8 profile and a young median age of 34 are preconditions for upward socioeconomic shift over the coming decade.

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

How Osborne Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions