Parmelia
Despite scoring decile 1 on every SEIFA index, IRSAD, IRSD, IEO and decile 2 on IER, Parmelia is far from disadvantaged in the way the numbers first suggest, because its $343,000 median house price keeps both mortgage stress (23.1%) and rent stress (21.6%) well below the 30% threshold. Household income sits in the 30.8th percentile nationally, yet 71.1% of residents own their home outright or with a mortgage. The stock is 94.4% separate houses on family-sized blocks, with 40.8% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms, and the median age of 37 runs three years below national. Overseas-born residents reach 32.5%, which is 10.9 points above the national figure, an unusual international mix for an affordable outer-Perth suburb.
Population
6,184
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,297/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$343K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $343,000 median house price, Parmelia is one of greater Perth's more affordable detached markets, and the affordability shows in the stress numbers: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress line even though household income sits in the 30.8th percentile nationally. Buyers get space rather than a compromise, because 94.4% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.1% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.3% of stock and four-plus-bedroom homes another 40.8%, so two-bedroom and smaller dwellings are rare at under 8% combined. Mortgage holders (46.5%) outnumber outright owners (24.6%), which points to a working family base buying in rather than an established retiree cohort, consistent with the median age of 37 sitting three years below national.
For Buyers
At a $343,000 median house price, Parmelia is one of greater Perth's more affordable detached markets, and the affordability shows in the stress numbers: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress line even though household income sits in the 30.8th percentile nationally. Buyers get space rather than a compromise, because 94.4% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.1% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.3% of stock and four-plus-bedroom homes another 40.8%, so two-bedroom and smaller dwellings are rare at under 8% combined. Mortgage holders (46.5%) outnumber outright owners (24.6%), which points to a working family base buying in rather than an established retiree cohort, consistent with the median age of 37 sitting three years below national.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $280 against the $343,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, far higher than the sub-2% yields typical of premium inner-city suburbs, which is the core of the investment case here. The renter pool is moderate at 28.9%, below the share of mortgage holders at 46.5%, so this is an owner-occupier suburb more than a rental one. The 7.8% vacancy rate is elevated and tempers the yield story, signalling that tenant demand does not always keep pace with available stock. Demand support comes mainly from migration: net overseas migration adds about 114 residents a year against 41 from internal movement, and rents grew 8.0% over the period. With detached houses at 94.4% of stock and almost no apartment supply, investors compete for the same family homes owner-occupiers want, which limits volume but supports rent stability.
Schools in Parmelia iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Vincent's School
PP-6 · 406 students
North Parmelia Primary School
K-6 · 300 students
Demographics
The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below national, and the family profile is built around children: couples with children number 1,711 against 1,080 couples without, and average household size is 2.5, level with national. Overseas-born residents reach 32.5%, which is 10.9 points above the national figure, a high share for an affordable outer suburb. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,568), Scottish (508) and Irish (445), while the top non-English languages are spoken by very small groups: Hindi (17), Mandarin (16) and Portuguese (15). University qualifications reach only 15.8%, which is 14.3 points below national, the clearest signal of the area's trade-skilled rather than degree-credentialed workforce. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.6 points and the young share down 2.4 points over the decade. Christianity dominates religion at 2,301 residents, with Hinduism (96) and Buddhism (95) the next largest.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.4%
Houses
4.5%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward buyers: 46.5% carry a mortgage, 24.6% own outright and 28.9% rent, so nearly three-quarters of homes are owner-occupied. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners almost two to one reflects a young, family-buying base rather than long-settled retirees. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 94.4% separate houses, with apartments at just 1.1% and semi-detached at 4.5%, and it skews large, with 51.3% three-bedroom and 40.8% four-plus-bedroom dwellings. The $343,000 median keeps both mortgage-to-income (23.1%) and rent-to-income (21.6%) below the 30% stress threshold, which is rare and explains why a suburb in the 30.8th income percentile carries no flagged housing stress. Affordability improved from 46.3% in 2011 to 42.7% in 2021, reinforcing that purchase costs here have not outpaced incomes the way they have in dearer markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$280
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$617
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.8%
Unoccupied
199
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.0%
Couples, no children
4,690
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in essential and trade sectors rather than knowledge work: Healthcare leads at 16.9% (243 workers), followed by Manufacturing at 10.3% (148), Construction at 10.0% (143), Retail at 9.1% (130) and Education at 7.7% (110). By occupation, Labourers (413), Machinery Operators and Drivers (370) and Community and Personal Service workers (322) top the list, which aligns with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation and the 15.8% university rate, 14.3 points below national. Unemployment runs high at 10.3% and participation is low at 52.8%, with 1,806 residents not in the labour force, partly because the aging trajectory is lifting the retired share. Full-time employment sits at 64.6%. Real incomes fell 4.8% over the decade, which is why all four SEIFA indexes sit in decile 1 or 2 despite the affordable, owner-occupied housing base.
Unemployment
13.9%
Labour Force
6,551
Unemployed
913
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.6%
Part-time
25.1%
Participation
52.8%
Employed
2,346
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.8%
Postgraduate
2.7%
Born Overseas
32.5%
Dwellings
2,350
Transport to Work
Parmelia is built for car-based family living, with 86.6% of commuters driving, well above national reliance, while only 5.7% use public transport and 1.7% walk or cycle, a pattern typical of outer-Perth suburbs at 1,502 residents per km2. The area scores decile 1 on IRSAD and IRSD, the lowest advantage tier nationally, yet that reading sits awkwardly against modest housing stress, because the $343,000 median keeps rent-to-income at 21.6% and mortgage-to-income at 23.1%, both below the 30% line. Around 7.6% of residents (440 people) need daily assistance and volunteering runs at 11.2%. No schools are recorded inside the 4.12 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the low-density, detached-housing layout. Residential stability is high, with 81.6% of residents having stayed put and turnover at just 18.4%.
Drive
86.6%
Public Transport
5.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.77%/yr
(+98 people/yr)
EstablishedParmelia is a steady, established growth suburb rather than a boom market: annual population growth registers 0.77%, about 98 residents a year, with a 4.1% rise over the past decade. Overseas migration is the primary driver, adding roughly 114 people a year against 41 from net internal movement, so most new residents arrive from abroad rather than from elsewhere in Australia. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, with a score of 19, and the signals show population up 11% since 2011 on an accelerating curve. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.6 points and the young share down 2.4 points, while the working-age share held flat at plus 0.1 points. Affordability improving from 46.3% to 42.7% between 2011 and 2021 suggests growth has stayed gradual enough not to price out the family buyers who define the area.
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 Parmelia compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Parmelia a good suburb to live in?
Parmelia suits owner-occupier families seeking space and affordability: 94.4% of dwellings are separate houses and the $343,000 median keeps mortgage-to-income at 23.1%, below the 30% stress line. It scores decile 1 on SEIFA advantage and university qualifications are 14.3 points below national, so it is a working, trade-skilled area rather than an affluent one.
What is the median house price in Parmelia?
The median house price is $343,000, among greater Perth's more affordable detached markets. Weekly rent averages $280 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household income in the 30.8th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Parmelia?
No schools are recorded inside the 4.12 km2 Parmelia boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local profile is trade-skilled, with university qualifications at 15.8%, which is 14.3 points below the national figure, and Education employs 7.7% of the workforce.
Is Parmelia safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Parmelia in this dataset. As context, residential stability is high, with 81.6% of residents having stayed put and turnover at just 18.4%, and 7.6% of the 6,184 residents need daily assistance, indicators more consistent with a settled family area than a transient one.
Is Parmelia good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $280 against a $343,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.2%, well above the sub-2% yields of premium suburbs. The renter pool is 28.9% and net overseas migration adds about 114 residents a year, but the 7.8% vacancy rate is elevated, so tenant demand can lag the available stock.
How is Parmelia's population changing?
Population growth runs at 0.77% annually, about 98 residents a year, with a 4.1% rise over the past decade. Overseas migration is the main driver, adding roughly 114 people a year against 41 from internal movement. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 3.6 points and the young share down 2.4 points.
What languages are spoken in Parmelia?
About 32.5% of residents were born overseas, 10.9 points above the national figure, though English dominates daily life. The most common non-English languages are spoken by small groups: Hindi (17 speakers), Mandarin (16), Portuguese (15) and Arabic (14), reflecting a varied but dispersed migrant mix rather than one large community.
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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