Pinjarra
A $374,000 median house price sits in the same suburb that scores decile 1 on the SEIFA education and occupation index, and the two facts are linked: affordable land has drawn a workforce built on machinery operators, drivers and labourers rather than university graduates, who make up just 12.1% of residents, 18.0 points below national. Household income lands in the 21.4th percentile nationally, yet the area is growing fast at 2.13% a year and 28.6% over the decade. Detached homes dominate at 86.6% of dwellings on a 19.15 km2 footprint, the median age of 43 runs 3.0 years above national, and a 10.0% vacancy rate hints at how quickly supply has been turning over.
Population
4,914
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,144/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$374K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $374,000 median, Pinjarra is one of the more reachable markets in greater Perth's southern reach, and the stock suits families: 86.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.2% carry four or more bedrooms, with another 36.1% offering three. Apartments are almost absent at 0.3%, so buyers shop a house-and-land market rather than competing for units. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, but the mortgage-to-income ratio still reaches 30.6%, just above the 30% stress threshold, because local household income sits in only the 21.4th percentile nationally. That tension explains why mortgage holders (38.8%) narrowly outnumber outright owners (34.7%), a sign of recent buyers stretching into a low-price but income-constrained market.
For Buyers
At a $374,000 median, Pinjarra is one of the more reachable markets in greater Perth's southern reach, and the stock suits families: 86.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.2% carry four or more bedrooms, with another 36.1% offering three. Apartments are almost absent at 0.3%, so buyers shop a house-and-land market rather than competing for units. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, but the mortgage-to-income ratio still reaches 30.6%, just above the 30% stress threshold, because local household income sits in only the 21.4th percentile nationally. That tension explains why mortgage holders (38.8%) narrowly outnumber outright owners (34.7%), a sign of recent buyers stretching into a low-price but income-constrained market.
For Investors
A 26.6% renter share and weekly rent of $290 give a gross yield near 4.0% against the $374,000 median, far stronger than the 1% to 2% typical of premium metro suburbs. The catch is a 10.0% vacancy rate, well above a healthy 2% to 3% band, which signals that supply has outrun tenant demand and can soften both rents and occupancy. Demand drivers are real but specific: net internal migration adds about 320 residents a year against just 41 from overseas, so growth depends on Western Australians relocating rather than new arrivals. Rent has climbed 23.5% over the measurement period, and with annual population growth at 2.13%, the case rests on cash yield and population inflow rather than scarcity, since detached land supply remains plentiful.
Schools in Pinjarra iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
PP-6 · 190 students
Pinjarra Senior High School
7-12 · 685 students
Pinjarra Primary School
K-6 · 609 students
Carcoola Primary School
K-6 · 123 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above national, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 4.2 points while the working-age and young shares fell 2.0 and 2.2 points respectively over the decade. The population leans Anglo, led by English (2,260), Scottish (515) and Irish (428) ancestry, and only 18.8% were born overseas, 2.8 points below national. University qualifications reach just 12.1%, which is 18.0 points below the national figure, consistent with a trades and operations workforce. Average household size is 2.4, marginally below national, and couples without children (30.0%, or 1,090 families) edge close to couples with children (1,317). Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 2,053 residents, with Buddhism a distant second at 34.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.6%
Houses
10.9%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split fairly evenly, with 38.8% holding a mortgage, 34.7% owning outright and 26.6% renting. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners points to a market absorbing recent buyers rather than long-settled wealth. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 86.6%, with semi-detached at 10.9% and apartments effectively nil at 0.3%, and it skews large: 48.2% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 36.1% have three. The median house price of $374,000 is low by metropolitan standards, yet mortgage-to-income still reaches 30.6%, just over the stress threshold, while rent-to-income sits more comfortably at 25.3%. That divergence reflects how even a modest purchase price strains incomes that fall in the 21.4th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$290
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$547
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.0%
Unoccupied
202
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.6% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.0%
Couples, no children
3,629
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in essential and resource sectors rather than knowledge work: Healthcare leads at 15.2% (155 workers), followed by Manufacturing at 12.1% (123), Education at 12.0% (122), Mining at 10.9% (111) and Construction at 9.3% (95). By occupation, Machinery Operators and Drivers (294) and Labourers (253) top the list, which is why the SEIFA education and occupation index reads decile 1, the lowest tier nationally. Unemployment is elevated at 8.7% and participation is low at 45.8%, with 1,657 residents not in the labour force, partly a function of the aging profile. One anomaly stands out: the IER economic resources score reaches decile 7 despite the decile 1 education score, because affordable detached housing lifts effective living standards even on below-median incomes.
Unemployment
1.9%
Labour Force
3,167
Unemployed
60
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.2%
Part-time
32.1%
Participation
45.8%
Employed
1,668
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.1%
Postgraduate
1.5%
Born Overseas
18.8%
Dwellings
1,819
Transport to Work
Pinjarra is built for cars: 86.3% of commuters drive, well above national, while public transport carries just 2.8% and active modes 3.3%, a function of the 19.15 km2 spread at only 256.6 residents per km2. The area scores decile 3 on IRSD relative disadvantage and decile 2 on IRSAD, both well below national midpoints, reflecting the lower-income, trades-based profile. Around 9.3% of residents (421 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the median age of 43 sitting 3.0 years above national. Volunteering runs at 18.3%, and residential stability is high with 79.8% of residents staying put and turnover at 20.2%. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in the wider Murray region.
Drive
86.3%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.13%/yr
(+259 people/yr)
EstablishedPinjarra is expanding briskly, with annual population growth of 2.13% (about 259 persons a year) and a 28.6% rise over the decade, far above the flat profiles of established metro suburbs. The gentrification score reads 55, an active stage, supported by a 46% population gain since 2011 and an accelerating arrival rate noted as 18% to 24%. Internal migration is the primary driver, adding roughly 320 residents annually compared with just 41 from overseas, so the inflow is West Australians moving outward rather than new migrants. Affordability has improved from 51.6% in 2011 to 49.2% in 2021, a rare gain in a growth area, and rent has risen 23.5%, signalling that demand is firming even as the suburb stays cheaper than the metro average.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+41
Net Internal / yr
+320
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +46% since 2011, Net internal migration +320/yr, Accelerating: 18% → 24%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Pinjarra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pinjarra a good suburb to live in?
Pinjarra suits buyers seeking space and affordability, with a $374,000 median house price and 86.6% detached homes, and it is growing at 2.13% a year. The trade-offs are a lower socioeconomic profile, scoring decile 1 on the SEIFA education index and decile 2 on IRSAD, with household income in the 21.4th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Pinjarra?
The median house price is $374,000, low by metropolitan standards. Weekly rent averages $290 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,517, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.6%, just above the 30% stress threshold given local incomes sit in the 21.4th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Pinjarra?
No schools are recorded inside the Pinjarra boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in the wider Murray region. The resident profile leans toward trades over higher education, with university qualifications at just 12.1%, which is 18.0 points below the national figure.
Is Pinjarra safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Pinjarra in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, below the national midpoint, and 9.3% of its residents (421 people) report needing daily assistance.
Is Pinjarra good for property investment?
Rent of $290 a week against a $374,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.0%, well above the 1% to 2% of premium metro suburbs. The risk is a 10.0% vacancy rate, above a healthy 2% to 3% band, though net internal migration of about 320 residents a year supports demand.
How is Pinjarra's population changing?
The population is growing at 2.13% a year, up 28.6% over the decade and 46% since 2011, driven mainly by net internal migration of about 320 residents annually. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.2 points and the working-age share down 2.0 points over the decade.
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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