Piara Waters
Piara Waters' standout trait is scale at speed: a 31-year median age, 51.2% born overseas and forecast growth of 5.05% a year give it a younger, more global profile than the national norm. Detached homes dominate at 98.6%, while 75.7% of dwellings are mortgaged, so it functions more like a new family mortgage belt than older Armadale suburbs. Compared with nearby Harrisdale and Southern River, the 92nd household income percentile and 3.2 average household size point to dual-income families buying space.
Population
15,029
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,477/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$526K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers should expect a family-sized market rather than a mixed-density one: 98.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 72.0% have 4 or more bedrooms. The ownership pattern is mortgage-heavy, with 75.7% mortgaged vs 8.2% owned outright, because most stock has been absorbed by younger upgraders. Monthly mortgage payments of 2054 take 19.2% of income, below common stress levels, while household income of 2477 a week sits in the 92nd percentile.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should expect a family-sized market rather than a mixed-density one: 98.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 72.0% have 4 or more bedrooms. The ownership pattern is mortgage-heavy, with 75.7% mortgaged vs 8.2% owned outright, because most stock has been absorbed by younger upgraders. Monthly mortgage payments of 2054 take 19.2% of income, below common stress levels, while household income of 2477 a week sits in the 92nd percentile.
For Investors
Piara Waters is more of a growth and yield-stability play than a deep rental pool: only 16.1% rent, far below the 75.7% mortgaged share, so tenant turnover may be thinner than in apartment-heavy suburbs. Median rent is 420 a week and vacancy is 4.0%, while 0 approvals in the past 12 months limit near-term new supply inside the suburb. Demand is supported because internal migration is forecast to average 681 people a year and total growth runs at 5.05% annually.
Schools in Piara Waters iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Aspiri Primary School
K-6 · 1024 students
Piara Waters Primary School
K-6 · 1070 students
Riva Primary School
K-6 · 854 students
Piara Waters Senior High School
7-9 · 558 students
St John Bosco College
PP-12 · 1243 students
Demographics
At a median age of 31, Piara Waters is 9 years below the national age profile, and its 3.2 average household size is 0.7 above national. The overseas-born share is 51.2%, 29.6 percentage points above national, with Indian ancestry at 2626 people and Chinese ancestry at 1497. University attainment is 47.7%, 17.6 points above national, which helps explain the 2554 family weekly income. Punjabi is the largest listed non-English language at 566 speakers, followed by Malayalam at 376.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.6%
Houses
1.4%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
No current house price median is reported, so housing is best read through structure and debt. Separate houses account for 98.6% of stock compared with 1.4% semi-detached, and 72.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, much higher than the 0.9% with 2 bedrooms. Tenure is concentrated: 75.7% are mortgaged, 16.1% rent and only 8.2% are owned outright. Costs look manageable because mortgage-to-income is 19.2% and rent-to-income is 17.0%, both below stress thresholds.
Mortgage / mo
$2,054
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,129
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.0%
Unoccupied
191
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
14.1%
Couples, no children
13,576
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local labour base is unusually strong for an outer growth suburb. Participation is 75.9%, full-time work is 68.6% and unemployment is 4.2%, supporting household income in the 92nd percentile. Healthcare leads at 20.3% or 1227 workers, ahead of Education at 9.7%, Professional/Tech at 8.6%, Construction at 8.0% and Mining at 6.9%. SEIFA shows a split: IER decile 10 and IRSD decile 9 sit above IRSAD decile 8 and IEO decile 7, because incomes and resources are stronger than education/occupation status.
Unemployment
1.5%
Labour Force
12,363
Unemployed
182
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.6%
Part-time
27.2%
Participation
75.9%
Employed
7,592
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.7%
Postgraduate
12.1%
Born Overseas
51.2%
Dwellings
4,594
Transport to Work
Livability is built around schools and cars rather than rail or walking. Car driving is 89.7% of commuting, far higher than public transport at 4.4% and walking/cycling at 0.8%, because the suburb has a low-density estate pattern. Education access is a strength: 5 local schools span Government and Catholic sectors, with ICSEA from 1063 to 1091. Aspiri Primary has ICSEA 1091 and 1024 enrolments, while Piara Waters Primary has 1078 and 1070. IRSAD decile 8 adds above-average advantage.
Drive
89.7%
Public Transport
4.4%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+5.05%/yr
(+1,101 people/yr)
High GrowthGrowth is the defining opportunity and pressure point. The forecast trend is 5.05% or 1101 persons a year, much higher than a mature suburban pace. Migration is led by Internal migration, averaging 681 net internal migrants and 284 net overseas migrants annually. The medium trend continuation scenario rises from 22282 people in 2026 to 27785 in 2031. Gentrification score is 0 and the stage is New development, so change is driven by estate buildout rather than renovation-led repositioning. Population change over 10 years is 339.3%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+284
Net Internal / yr
+681
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Piara Waters compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Piara Waters a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for families wanting newer detached housing and schools. It has a 31-year median age, 98.6% separate houses, 5 local schools and household income in the 92nd percentile, although car use is high at 89.7%.
What is the median house price in Piara Waters?
A current median house price is not reported for Piara Waters. The suburb can still be benchmarked through a median rent of 420 a week, mortgage payments of 2054 a month and mortgage-to-income of 19.2%.
What schools are in Piara Waters?
There are 5 local schools. Aspiri Primary is Government with ICSEA 1091 and 1024 enrolments, Piara Waters Primary has ICSEA 1078 and 1070 enrolments, and St John Bosco College is Catholic with 1243 enrolments.
Is Piara Waters safe?
A suburb-specific crime rate is not available, so safety should be checked through current local incident maps and inspections at different times. Social indicators are strong, with IRSD decile 9 and 1.8% needing assistance.
Is Piara Waters good for property investment?
It can suit investors focused on family tenants and population growth rather than a large renter base. Rent is 420 a week, renters are 16.1% of households, vacancy is 4.0% and forecast growth is 5.05% a year.
How is Piara Waters's population changing?
Population growth is very strong. The medium trend continuation scenario rises from 22282 in 2026 to 27785 in 2031, with growth of 5.05% or 1101 people a year and a 339.3% change over 10 years.
What languages are spoken in Piara Waters?
Piara Waters has a large migrant profile, with 51.2% born overseas. The largest listed non-English languages include Punjabi with 566 speakers, Malayalam with 376, Mandarin with 350, Hindi with 194 and Sinhal with 130.
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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