Ridgewood
Almost the entire dwelling stock here is detached: 95.5% are separate houses and just 0.2% apartments, an unusually monolithic profile that shapes everything else about the suburb. The $444,000 median house price sits well below most metropolitan markets, which fits a household income at the 49.5th percentile, essentially the national midpoint. Family life dominates, with 59.1% of homes carrying four or more bedrooms and an average household size of 2.7, above the national figure. The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below national, and 41.2% of residents were born overseas, 19.6 points above the national rate, a migrant-heavy mix unusual for an affordable outer suburb.
Population
4,623
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,554/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$444K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $444,000 median, Ridgewood is one of the more affordable detached-housing markets, and the stock is built for families rather than downsizers. Separate houses make up 95.5% of dwellings while apartments are a negligible 0.2%, so buyers are almost always purchasing a standalone home. Four-plus bedroom houses account for 59.1% and three-bedroom homes 25.8%, leaving only 14.2% as two-bedroom, which means smaller buyers have limited choice. Mortgage repayments average $1,760 a month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than the strain seen in pricier markets. That affordability explains why 55.7% of residents hold a mortgage, well above the share owning outright at 15.6%, a profile typical of recent family buyers rather than established owners.
For Buyers
At a $444,000 median, Ridgewood is one of the more affordable detached-housing markets, and the stock is built for families rather than downsizers. Separate houses make up 95.5% of dwellings while apartments are a negligible 0.2%, so buyers are almost always purchasing a standalone home. Four-plus bedroom houses account for 59.1% and three-bedroom homes 25.8%, leaving only 14.2% as two-bedroom, which means smaller buyers have limited choice. Mortgage repayments average $1,760 a month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than the strain seen in pricier markets. That affordability explains why 55.7% of residents hold a mortgage, well above the share owning outright at 15.6%, a profile typical of recent family buyers rather than established owners.
For Investors
Renters make up 28.7% of households and weekly rent sits at $350, giving landlords a gross yield near 4.1% against the $444,000 median, materially higher than the sub-2% yields common in premium metropolitan suburbs. The vacancy rate of 6.7% is on the higher side, which can soften rent growth and lengthen letting times, so tenant selection matters. Demand support comes partly from migration, with overseas-born residents at 41.2%, which is 19.6 points above national and a steady source of new tenants. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, so there is little new supply pressure on existing rentals. With a rent-to-income ratio of 22.5%, tenants have room in their budgets, supporting reliable rent collection in an affordable, family-oriented market.
Demographics
The median age of 36 is 4.0 years below the national figure, and the family-stage profile is clear: average household size is 2.7, which is 0.2 above national, and couples with children number 1,534 against 875 couples without. Overseas-born residents reach 41.2%, fully 19.6 points above national, yet ancestry still leans Anglo, led by English (2,099), Scottish (428) and Irish (404), suggesting much of the overseas-born population comes from English-speaking countries. That reading is reinforced by the small non-English language base, where Arabic (30 speakers) and Afrikaans (27) are the largest groups. University qualifications sit at 18.6%, which is 11.5 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and service roles rather than knowledge sectors.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.5%
Houses
4.2%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward mortgaged owners: 55.7% carry a mortgage, far above the 15.6% who own outright and the 28.7% who rent, a structure that points to recent family buyers rather than long-settled wealth. The stock is almost entirely detached at 95.5% separate houses, with apartments at just 0.2% and semi-detached at 4.2%, so density is low for the 2,370 residents per square kilometre recorded across the 1.95 square kilometre footprint. Larger homes dominate, with 59.1% holding four or more bedrooms versus only 14.2% at two bedrooms. The $444,000 median against a household income near the 49.5th percentile keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at 26.2%, below the stress threshold, and rent-to-income at 22.5%, both more comfortable than in higher-priced markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,760
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$718
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.7%
Unoccupied
116
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.1%
Couples, no children
3,796
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors rather than knowledge industries: Healthcare leads at 18.4% (230 workers), Education follows at 11.5% (143) and Construction at 10.8% (135), with Mining a notable 9.1% (113), reflecting Western Australia's resources economy. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (328) and Clerical and Administrative staff (289) outnumber Professionals (262), which aligns with university qualifications sitting 11.5 points below national. Unemployment is elevated at 7.4% and participation reads 56.4%, with 1,188 residents not in the labour force. SEIFA places the suburb at decile 3 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO, in the lower-middle disadvantage tier, though the economic resources index (IER) sits higher at decile 5, lifted by the high 55.7% mortgage-ownership rate that signals working households servicing home loans.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.5%
Part-time
30.1%
Participation
56.4%
Employed
1,918
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.6%
Postgraduate
3.1%
Born Overseas
41.2%
Dwellings
1,610
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high and transit thin: 86.4% drive to work while only 5.9% use public transport and 0.5% walk or cycle, a pattern that fits the low-density, almost fully detached layout at 2,370 residents per square kilometre. SEIFA places Ridgewood at decile 3 on IRSAD and IRSD, the lower-middle disadvantage tier, though only 5.0% of residents (218 people) need daily assistance, below what that ranking might suggest. Volunteering runs at 12.8%. The affordable $444,000 median and a comfortable rent-to-income ratio of 22.5% make day-to-day budgets manageable for families. No schools are recorded inside the 1.95 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so households rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the large-block, detached-housing setting.
Drive
86.4%
Public Transport
5.9%
Walk / Cycle
0.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Ridgewood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ridgewood a good suburb to live in?
Ridgewood suits families seeking affordable detached housing, with 95.5% separate houses and a $444,000 median, well below most metropolitan markets. Household income sits near the 49.5th percentile and the mortgage-to-income ratio is a manageable 26.2%. The main trade-offs are a SEIFA decile 3 ranking and heavy car dependence.
What is the median house price in Ridgewood?
The median house price is $444,000, affordable compared with most metropolitan suburbs. Weekly rent averages $350 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,760, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.2%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Ridgewood?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.95 square kilometre Ridgewood boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The suburb skews young, with a median age of 36, which is 4.0 years below the national figure, and 1,534 couples with children.
Is Ridgewood safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Ridgewood in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores SEIFA decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, and only 5.0% of its residents, about 218 people, need daily assistance, consistent with a settled residential area.
Is Ridgewood good for property investment?
Rent of $350 a week against a $444,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than the sub-2% common in premium suburbs. The 6.7% vacancy rate is elevated, so letting can take time, but overseas-born residents at 41.2%, 19.6 points above national, support steady tenant demand.
How is Ridgewood's population changing?
Ridgewood is a settled suburb where 78.6% of residents stayed put and turnover is just 21.4%. The population of 4,623 is sustained largely by migration, with 41.2% of residents born overseas, 19.6 points above the national rate, while the stock stays almost fully built out at 95.5% detached houses.
What languages are spoken in Ridgewood?
About 41.2% of residents were born overseas, 19.6 points above national, yet ancestry leans Anglo with English (2,099) the largest group, so most overseas-born come from English-speaking countries. The largest non-English languages are Arabic (30 speakers) and Afrikaans (27).
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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