Riverton
A $506,000 median house price sitting alongside decile 9 advantage on IRSAD makes Riverton unusual, because affordability and high socioeconomic standing rarely coexist. Household income reaches the 71.1st percentile nationally while the stock stays overwhelmingly detached at 88.6% separate houses. The migrant base is the defining trait: 54.2% of residents were born overseas, 32.6 points above the national figure, led by Chinese (1,473) and English (1,413) ancestry. University qualifications hit 55.3%, which is 25.2 points above national, and the median age of 39 runs 1.0 year below national, a younger and more credentialed profile than its modest price tag suggests.
Population
6,078
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,906/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$506K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $506,000 the median house price is well below Perth's pricier riverside markets, yet buyers get a near-exclusively detached suburb where separate houses make up 88.6% of stock and apartments just 2.1%. Family-sized homes dominate: 49.9% have four or more bedrooms and 44.0% have three, so the typical purchase suits households rather than singles, consistent with an average household size of 2.9, which is 0.4 above national. Monthly mortgage repayments average about $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 71.1st percentile. Outright owners at 37.7% slightly outnumber mortgage holders at 36.1%, a sign of an established owner base rather than a churn of recent buyers.
For Buyers
At $506,000 the median house price is well below Perth's pricier riverside markets, yet buyers get a near-exclusively detached suburb where separate houses make up 88.6% of stock and apartments just 2.1%. Family-sized homes dominate: 49.9% have four or more bedrooms and 44.0% have three, so the typical purchase suits households rather than singles, consistent with an average household size of 2.9, which is 0.4 above national. Monthly mortgage repayments average about $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 71.1st percentile. Outright owners at 37.7% slightly outnumber mortgage holders at 36.1%, a sign of an established owner base rather than a churn of recent buyers.
For Investors
A 26.3% renter share and weekly rent of $400 give landlords a steady but modest tenant pool. Against the $506,000 median that rent implies a gross yield near 4.1%, stronger than the sub-2% returns typical of premium Perth suburbs and a function of the lower entry price. The 6.0% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market would show, reflecting a stock that is 88.6% detached houses rather than the apartments investors usually chase. Demand support comes from the migrant base, with 54.2% of residents born overseas, 32.6 points above national, which sustains rental enquiry near education and healthcare employment. Development is quiet, with no applications recorded in the past 12 months, so supply is effectively fixed and the case rests on yield plus the suburb's decile 9 IRSAD standing rather than new-build upside.
Schools in Riverton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Riverton Primary School
K-6 · 650 students
Queen of Apostles School
PP-6 · 208 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below national, a younger profile than the established-wealth signal would imply. The defining feature is migration: 54.2% of residents were born overseas, 32.6 points above the national figure, and the result shows in ancestry led by Chinese (1,473) ahead of English (1,413), with Indian (590) also prominent. The top non-English languages are Mandarin (391 speakers), Cantonese (121) and Sinhala (105). University qualifications reach 55.3%, which is 25.2 points above national, helping explain why Professionals (901) are by far the largest occupation group. Average household size is 2.9, which is 0.4 above national, consistent with the 2,626 couples with children that outnumber the 923 couples without. Buddhism (550) and Hinduism (481) follow Christianity (2,392) as notable second religions.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.6%
Houses
9.4%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split fairly evenly: 37.7% own outright, 36.1% carry a mortgage and 26.3% rent. Outright owners edging ahead of mortgage holders points to a settled, debt-light owner base rather than recent churn. The stock is strikingly uniform at 88.6% separate houses, with semi-detached at 9.4% and apartments just 2.1%, so almost every purchase is a standalone home. Family layouts dominate: 49.9% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 44.0% have three, while two-bedroom homes are only 5.2%. The $506,000 median against a $1,906 weekly household income produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2% and rent-to-income of 21.0%, both below the 30% stress line. That affordability, paired with decile 9 IRSAD, is the divergence that defines Riverton: high advantage without high housing cost.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$755
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.0%
Unoccupied
132
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.6%
Couples, no children
5,253
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce leans on services rather than trades: Healthcare leads at 18.3% (397 workers), Education follows at 12.3% (268) and Professional/Tech at 11.9% (259), with Construction at 7.3% and Retail at 7.0%. By occupation, Professionals (901) dwarf the next groups of Clerical/Admin (361) and Community/Personal (332), which aligns with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is 5.5% and the full-time employment rate is 60.8%, while participation reads 61.6%, held down by 1,611 residents not in the labour force in line with the family-heavy profile. The SEIFA spread is tight and high: IRSAD, IRSD and IEO all sit at decile 9, with IER one notch lower at decile 8, because the broad-based home ownership lifts advantage measures more than raw economic resources.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.8%
Part-time
33.7%
Participation
61.6%
Employed
2,806
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.3%
Postgraduate
17.3%
Born Overseas
54.2%
Dwellings
2,081
Transport to Work
Car reliance is high at 86.6% of commuters driving, while public transport carries just 5.6% and active travel 2.2%, above-average car dependence that reflects the detached, low-density layout at 2,297 residents per km2. The suburb earns decile 9 on IRSAD, near the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 9 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, meaning few residents face deprivation, with only 3.4% (200 people) needing daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 21.3%, a sign of civic engagement above many comparable areas. Rent-to-income at 21.0% keeps tenants comfortable, well below the 30% stress line. No schools are recorded inside the 2.65 km2 boundary in this dataset, so the highly educated population, 55.3% university-qualified or 25.2 points above national, relies on schooling in neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
86.6%
Public Transport
5.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Riverton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Riverton a good suburb to live in?
Riverton scores decile 9 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO, near the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 71.1st percentile. University qualifications reach 55.3%, which is 25.2 points above national. The standout is affordability: a $506,000 median house price alongside that high advantage, with rent-to-income at just 21.0%.
What is the median house price in Riverton?
The median house price is $506,000, modest for a decile 9 advantage suburb. Weekly rent averages $400 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is 88.6% separate houses.
What schools are in Riverton?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.65 km2 Riverton boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 55.3%, which is 25.2 points above the national figure.
Is Riverton safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Riverton in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, near the highest tier, and only 3.4% of its 6,078 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Riverton good for property investment?
Rent of $400 a week against a $506,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.1%, stronger than premium Perth suburbs under 2%. The 6.0% vacancy rate is moderate for a 88.6% detached market, and the 54.2% overseas-born base, 32.6 points above national, sustains rental demand.
How is Riverton's population changing?
Riverton is stable rather than fast-growing. The turnover rate is 21.3% with 78.7% of residents staying put, and zero development applications were lodged in the past 12 months across 6,078 residents. Growth relies on turnover among established owners, with 37.7% owning their homes outright.
What languages are spoken in Riverton?
About 54.2% of residents were born overseas, 32.6 points above national. English dominates, but Mandarin (391 speakers), Cantonese (121), Sinhala (105) and Korean (76) are the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strong Chinese and South Asian migrant presence led by 1,473 residents of Chinese ancestry.
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.
Explore Riverton on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map