Parkwood
Nearly half of Parkwood's residents (48.0%) were born overseas, 26.4 points above the national figure, yet the suburb stays firmly affordable with a $434,000 median house price and household income sitting only in the 52.5th percentile nationally. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, 84.0% separate houses against just 5.0% apartments, and large with it: 47.6% of dwellings carry four or more bedrooms. SEIFA reads middle-of-the-pack, decile 5 across all four indexes, so this is a mainstream family suburb rather than a high or low advantage outlier. The median age of 42 runs 2.0 years above national and the senior share has risen 6.3 points over the decade, marking a quiet aging trajectory.
Population
5,995
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,599/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$434K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $434,000 median, Parkwood lands well below most Perth metropolitan markets, and the affordability shows in the stress numbers: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,677, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold. The stock suits families because 84.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 47.6% have four or more bedrooms, with another 46.9% at three bedrooms, so small one and two-bedroom homes are scarce at a combined 5.5%. Ownership is high: 42.6% own outright and 37.7% carry a mortgage, leaving only 19.7% renting. That outright share above the mortgage share signals an established owner base of long-held homes rather than a churn of recent buyers, which tends to keep listings tight.
For Buyers
At a $434,000 median, Parkwood lands well below most Perth metropolitan markets, and the affordability shows in the stress numbers: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,677, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold. The stock suits families because 84.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 47.6% have four or more bedrooms, with another 46.9% at three bedrooms, so small one and two-bedroom homes are scarce at a combined 5.5%. Ownership is high: 42.6% own outright and 37.7% carry a mortgage, leaving only 19.7% renting. That outright share above the mortgage share signals an established owner base of long-held homes rather than a churn of recent buyers, which tends to keep listings tight.
For Investors
Renters make up just 19.7% of households, a shallow tenant pool that limits the rental market here, and weekly rent of $350 against the $434,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, healthier than premium Perth suburbs where yields sit far lower. Rent has climbed 28.1% over the decade, so income growth has been real. The 6.4% vacancy rate is elevated and points to softer tenant demand than the rent growth alone suggests. Demand support is thin: net overseas migration adds about 138 residents a year while internal migration removes 116, and annual population growth registers only 0.19%. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, supply is static, so the investment case rests on steady yield and rent escalation rather than rapid capital growth or volume.
Schools in Parkwood iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Parkwood Primary School
K-6 · 619 students
Lynwood Senior High School
7-12 · 1264 students
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national figure, and the suburb is aging: the senior share rose 6.3 points while the working-age share slipped 1.6 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 48.0%, a striking 26.4 points above national, which reshapes the cultural mix. Ancestry leads with English (1,825) and Chinese (1,266), and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (281), Cantonese (166) and Korean (46). University qualifications at 39.5% run 9.4 points above national, a moderate education premium for an affordable suburb. Average household size is 2.5, level with national, and family structure tilts toward couples with children (1,784 families) over couples with no children (1,308). Buddhism (461 residents) is a notable second religion behind Christianity (2,417), reflecting the large Chinese-born share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.0%
Houses
10.9%
Townhouse
5.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-dominated: 42.6% own outright, 37.7% carry a mortgage and only 19.7% rent, far below the national renter share. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free homes rather than a market of new entrants. The stock is 84.0% separate houses, 10.9% semi-detached and just 5.0% apartments, so this is a low-density detached suburb at 1,637 residents per km2. Dwellings run large: 47.6% have four or more bedrooms and 46.9% have three, leaving one and two-bedroom homes at a combined 5.5%. The $434,000 median house price is affordable relative to income, with mortgage-to-income at 24.2% and rent-to-income at 21.9%, both below the 30% stress line. That dual comfort is unusual and stems from low prices against a 52.5th-percentile household income.
Mortgage / mo
$1,677
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$738
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
159
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.6%
Couples, no children
4,919
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in essential services: Healthcare leads at 17.3% (343 workers), Education follows at 13.5% (268) and Professional/Tech at 9.5% (189), with Manufacturing at 7.3% and Construction at 7.2%. By occupation, Professionals (680) and Clerical/Admin (409) are the largest groups, ahead of Community/Personal services (371) and Labourers (326), a broad mainstream mix rather than a knowledge-economy skew. Unemployment is 5.7%, slightly above typical metro rates, and the full-time employment rate is 61.6% with participation at 60.1%. SEIFA confirms the middle position, with IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD all at decile 5, so education, income and disadvantage measures cluster near the national average rather than at either extreme. Real incomes grew 8.2% over the decade.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
5,465
Unemployed
229
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.6%
Part-time
32.7%
Participation
60.1%
Employed
2,847
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.5%
Postgraduate
9.0%
Born Overseas
48.0%
Dwellings
2,339
Transport to Work
Parkwood is car-dependent: 89.8% of commuters drive, while only 3.7% use public transport and 1.3% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars and consistent with a low-density detached layout at 1,637 residents per km2. Residential turnover is low at 16.5%, with 83.5% of residents staying put, a stability that usually reflects settled family ownership. The suburb sits at decile 5 on IRSAD and decile 5 on IRSD, squarely mid-tier nationally, so most residents face neither marked advantage nor disadvantage. Only 4.3% (247 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 42, and volunteering runs at 14.8%. Housing comfort is a real draw, with both mortgage-to-income (24.2%) and rent-to-income (21.9%) below the 30% stress threshold.
Drive
89.8%
Public Transport
3.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.19%/yr
(+17 people/yr)
EstablishedParkwood is effectively flat: annual population growth registers just 0.19%, about 17 people a year, and the 10-year change of 4.8% sits well below the national average pace, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. The forecast model holds the local population near 9,214 by 2031, up from 9,135 in 2025, so little expansion is expected. Overseas migration of about 138 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 116, the single signal behind a gentrification score of 0 and a not-gentrifying stage. Affordability eased from 75.9% in 2011 to 73.1% in 2021, against rent growth of 28.1%. The combination of static supply and outward internal migration means demographic change here is driven by who arrives from overseas, not by overall headcount.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+138
Net Internal / yr
-116
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -116/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Parkwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Parkwood a good suburb to live in?
Parkwood scores decile 5 across all four SEIFA indexes, squarely mid-tier nationally, and offers strong affordability with a $434,000 median house price and mortgage-to-income at 24.2%, below the 30% stress line. It suits families, with 84.0% separate houses, though it is car-dependent at 89.8% driving.
What is the median house price in Parkwood?
The median house price is $434,000, well below most Perth metropolitan markets. Weekly rent averages $350 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,677, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%. That implies a gross rental yield near 4.2%, healthier than premium Perth suburbs.
What schools are in Parkwood?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.66 km2 Parkwood boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is moderately educated, with university qualifications at 39.5%, which is 9.4 points above the national figure.
Is Parkwood safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Parkwood in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, mid-tier nationally, and only 4.3% of its 5,995 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a mainstream, settled area.
Is Parkwood good for property investment?
Rent of $350 a week against a $434,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.2%, above premium Perth suburbs, and rent has risen 28.1% over the decade. However the renter share is just 19.7% and the vacancy rate is 6.4%, so the tenant pool is shallow and demand is soft.
How is Parkwood's population changing?
Population growth is just 0.19% annually, about 17 people, with a 4.8% rise over 10 years, marking it as established and slow-growth. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.3 points over the decade. Overseas migration adds about 138 residents a year, offset by net internal outflow of 116.
What languages are spoken in Parkwood?
About 48.0% of residents were born overseas, 26.4 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Mandarin (281 speakers), Cantonese (166), Korean (46) and Punjabi (32) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a large Chinese-born resident base.
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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