Perth
A 66.9% renter share, 80.1% apartment stock and 22.3% vacancy rate create the profile of a city centre dominated by transient rental housing. Yet household income at the 73.8 percentile and a 51.7% university qualification rate (21.6 points above the national baseline) confirm this is a high-skill, high-income CBD rather than an affordability-driven renter market. The 56.4% overseas-born rate, 34.8 points above the national baseline, is the highest in this cohort. Median age of 33, seven years below the national figure, makes Perth CBD one of the youngest suburbs analysed. The SEIFA split between IEO decile 9 (top education) and IER decile 2 (very low economic resources) reveals the same paradox seen in other CBD suburbs: high earners with no accumulated assets because they rent, live in compact apartments and are often on temporary visas.
Population
13,670
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,960/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Median House
$500K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Perth CBD is fundamentally a rental market, with only 12.4% owning outright and 20.7% holding mortgages. No median house price data is available, as separate houses make up just 8.7% of dwellings. Apartments at 80.1% dominate, with two-bedroom (49.4%) and studio/one-bedroom (31.0%) accounting for 80.4% of stock. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,950 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.0%, below the stress threshold, but this applies to a very small owner cohort. Average household size of 1.8, the lowest in this cohort and 0.7 below national, reflects the compact dwelling mix. Couples without children at 56.2% far exceed couples with children (1,725 families), confirming this is a market for singles and couples rather than families. Semi-detached at 11.2% provides the main non-apartment alternative.
For Buyers
Perth CBD is fundamentally a rental market, with only 12.4% owning outright and 20.7% holding mortgages. No median house price data is available, as separate houses make up just 8.7% of dwellings. Apartments at 80.1% dominate, with two-bedroom (49.4%) and studio/one-bedroom (31.0%) accounting for 80.4% of stock. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,950 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.0%, below the stress threshold, but this applies to a very small owner cohort. Average household size of 1.8, the lowest in this cohort and 0.7 below national, reflects the compact dwelling mix. Couples without children at 56.2% far exceed couples with children (1,725 families), confirming this is a market for singles and couples rather than families. Semi-detached at 11.2% provides the main non-apartment alternative.
For Investors
The 66.9% renter share is the highest in this cohort by a wide margin, giving a very deep tenant pool. Median weekly rent of $400 is competitive for a capital city CBD. The 22.3% vacancy rate is extremely elevated, the highest in this analysis group by far, and represents the dominant risk factor. This suggests significant oversupply in the apartment segment or seasonal fluctuations linked to student and temporary worker populations. No development applications are available in meaningful numbers (10 in 12 months), but the existing 80.1% apartment stock is already dense. Net overseas migration averages 778 per year, but periodic visa cycle exits likely contribute to the vacancy spikes. Hospitality at 12.7% of employment (the only suburb in this cohort where Hospitality ranks top-3) provides a tenant base of shift workers who value proximity to CBD venues.
Development Activity
Total DAs
19
Last 12 Months
19
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$482K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Perth iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St George's Anglican Grammar School
7-12 · 596 students
Mercedes College
7-12 · 910 students
Demographics
English (3,335) leads ancestry, followed by a large Other category (2,675), Chinese (1,820), Ancestry Not Stated (1,686) and Irish (1,157). The high Other and Not Stated counts reflect the transient, globally mobile population. With 56.4% born overseas, 34.8 points above the national baseline, Perth CBD has the highest overseas-born share in this cohort. Mandarin (463) leads non-English languages, followed by Cantonese (132), Italian (87), Hindi (76) and Arabic (68). The 54.0% male share is above the national average, typical of CBDs where single male workers concentrate. Median age of 33 is 7 years below the national figure. Buddhism (585), Hinduism (558) and Christianity (3,581) make up the main religious affiliations. Couples without children at 56.2% dominate the household structure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
8.7%
Houses
11.2%
Townhouse
80.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Renters dominate at 66.9%, with outright owners at 12.4% and mortgage holders at 20.7%. This is the most renter-heavy tenure split in the cohort. Apartments at 80.1% define the housing form, with 49.4% two-bedroom and 31.0% studio/one-bedroom stock. Three-bedroom units at 16.2% and four-plus at 3.4% are scarce. Semi-detached at 11.2% and separate houses at 8.7% are marginal. No price history is available. Rent-to-income at 20.4% and mortgage-to-income at 23.0% both sit below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to the 73.8 percentile income. The 22.3% vacancy rate is the critical housing metric: it suggests the apartment market has more supply than tenant demand, which could suppress rental returns. Average household size of 1.8 is 0.7 below the national figure.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,139
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
22.3%
Unoccupied
1,718
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
56.2%
Couples, no children
6,242
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional/Tech leads at 18.1%, followed by Healthcare at 13.6%, Hospitality at 12.7%, Mining at 9.7% and Education at 6.2%. The 12.7% Hospitality share is the highest in this cohort, driven by CBD restaurant, bar and hotel employment. The 9.7% Mining share reflects Perth's role as the administrative headquarters for Western Australia's resources sector. Professionals lead occupations at 3,021, with Managers at 1,163, Community/Personal at 932, Clerical/Admin at 902 and Labourers at 584. The SEIFA profile shows IRSAD decile 8, but the IEO-IER gap is extreme: IEO decile 9 vs IER decile 2, a 7-point spread. This is the widest gap in the cohort and reflects a population of high earners who rent, carry no property assets and often send remittances overseas. Unemployment at 5.7% is above the national average.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
71.3%
Part-time
23.0%
Participation
65.9%
Employed
7,899
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.7%
Postgraduate
15.1%
Born Overseas
56.4%
Dwellings
5,986
Transport to Work
The transport mix is the most balanced in this cohort: 43.4% drive, 19.1% use public transport and 32.1% walk or cycle, the highest active transport share by far. This reflects CBD density and walkability. Two secondary schools serve the suburb: St George's Anglican Grammar School (ICSEA 1,139, 596 students, independent) and Mercedes College (ICSEA 1,122, 910 students, independent). Both score well above the national ICSEA benchmark of 1,000. No crime data is available, but the IRSD decile 7 is a moderate proxy. The 2.0% needing assistance rate is the lowest in this cohort, consistent with the young, working population. The IEO decile 9 confirms strong educational outcomes. The 17.4% volunteering rate is near the national average despite the transient population.
Drive
43.4%
Public Transport
19.1%
Walk / Cycle
32.1%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Perth compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Perth CBD a good suburb to live in?
Perth CBD suits young professionals and singles who value walkability (32.1% walk or cycle) and CBD proximity over space. Apartments make up 80.1% of stock, median age is 33, and 56.4% were born overseas. IRSAD decile 8 confirms above-average advantage. The 22.3% vacancy rate and 66.9% renter share mean turnover is high and community stability is lower than suburban alternatives.
What is the median house price in Perth CBD?
No median house price data is available for Perth CBD, as separate houses account for only 8.7% of dwellings. The apartment-dominated market (80.1%) has a median monthly mortgage of $1,950 and median weekly rent of $400. Mortgage-to-income ratio is 23.0%, below the stress threshold. Most buyers here purchase apartments rather than houses.
What schools are in Perth CBD?
Perth CBD has 2 independent secondary schools. St George's Anglican Grammar School (ICSEA 1,139, 596 students) and Mercedes College (ICSEA 1,122, 910 students) both score well above the national benchmark of 1,000, sitting in the top 15% nationally. IEO decile 9 confirms strong educational outcomes among adult residents.
Is Perth CBD safe?
No crime data is available for Perth CBD. SEIFA IRSD decile 7 is a moderate proxy, suggesting below-average disadvantage. However, CBD areas typically have higher per-capita incident rates due to visitor and nighttime economy activity. The 5.7% unemployment rate is above the national average. Safety perceptions may differ between daytime and nighttime.
Is Perth CBD good for property investment?
The 66.9% renter share is the deepest tenant pool in this cohort, but the 22.3% vacancy rate is extremely elevated, the highest in this analysis group. Median weekly rent of $400 may face downward pressure from oversupply. Net overseas migration of 778 per year provides structural demand, but visa-cycle exits create volatility. The IER decile 2 means most renters have high income but no assets, making them reliable tenants.
How is Perth CBD's population changing?
Perth CBD has 13,670 residents with a median age of 33, seven years below the national figure. With 56.4% born overseas and net overseas migration of 778 per year, the population is heavily dependent on international arrivals. The 66.9% renter share and 1.8 average household size indicate a transient population. The 54.0% male share is above average, typical of CBD worker demographics.
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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