Serpentine
At 104.85 square kilometres with only 2,863 residents, Serpentine is one of Perth's Peel region acreage communities where space is the primary draw, and the numbers back that up. Sixty-one percent of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, well above the national norm for a suburb with a median house price of $493,000, which sits below the Perth metro median. Household incomes fall at the 73.4th percentile nationally, higher than the suburban exterior suggests, because the local workforce includes significant mining and construction earners. The median age of 45 is 5 years above the national average, pointing to a settled owner-occupier base with 40.1% owning their home outright.
Population
2,863
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,955/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$493K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $493,000 is below the Perth metro median, making Serpentine one of the more affordable large-lot options within commuting distance of the city. The monthly mortgage repayment averages $2,200, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many metropolitan areas. The dominant housing type is the separate house at 87.0% of dwellings, with 60.7% of homes having 4 or more bedrooms. Ownership rates are strong: 40.1% own outright and 52.0% carry a mortgage, while renters make up just 7.9%, far below the national average. Buyers are choosing acreage lifestyle properties rather than high-density living.
For Buyers
The median house price of $493,000 is below the Perth metro median, making Serpentine one of the more affordable large-lot options within commuting distance of the city. The monthly mortgage repayment averages $2,200, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many metropolitan areas. The dominant housing type is the separate house at 87.0% of dwellings, with 60.7% of homes having 4 or more bedrooms. Ownership rates are strong: 40.1% own outright and 52.0% carry a mortgage, while renters make up just 7.9%, far below the national average. Buyers are choosing acreage lifestyle properties rather than high-density living.
For Investors
The investment profile here is defensive rather than yield-driven. The renter share is only 7.9%, which is well below the national average, meaning demand for rental property is thin by comparison. Weekly rents average $348, and the vacancy rate sits at 5.7%, elevated enough to indicate limited rental demand pressure. Household income at the 73.4th percentile nationally provides a stable owner-occupier base, but the low turnover (77.1% of residents stayed in the same dwelling from the prior Census) means sales volumes are constrained. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, there is no near-term supply pipeline to factor in. The investment case rests on long-term acreage scarcity rather than income yield.
Schools in Serpentine iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Eton Farm Primary School
PP-6 · 59 students
Serpentine Primary School
K-6 · 229 students
Demographics
The median age of 45 is 5 years above the national figure, reflecting a settled base of families who have largely moved beyond raising children. Couples with children account for 788 households, while couples without children number 658, consistent with an aging but family-oriented community. Overseas-born residents sit at 22.7%, just 1.1 percentage points above national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,172 residents), Scottish (222) and Irish (204). University qualifications reach only 17.7%, which is 12.4 percentage points below the national rate, lower than the income level would predict because the local economy is driven by trades and resources rather than professional services. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, consistent with the large-home acreage profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is defined by scale: 87.0% are separate houses and 60.7% have 4 or more bedrooms, compared to national averages where larger homes are far less dominant. Three-bedroom homes account for 25.1% and two-bedroom homes 11.5%, leaving relatively few entry-level options. Tenure leans strongly toward ownership, with 40.1% owning outright and 52.0% on a mortgage, while renters are just 7.9% of households. The rent-to-income ratio is 17.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0% also stays comfortable. The vacancy rate of 5.7% is above typical tight-market levels, which reflects thin rental demand rather than property oversupply in a suburb where most residents choose to own.
Mortgage / mo
$2,200
Rent / wk
$348
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$768
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.7%
Unoccupied
52
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.3%
Couples, no children
2,035
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction is the largest employing industry at 13.5% (101 workers), followed by Healthcare at 10.5% (79) and Mining at 10.0% (75), then Education at 9.1% (68) and Professional/Tech at 8.0% (60). This industry mix explains why household incomes sit at the 73.4th percentile nationally despite university qualifications being 12.4 points below the national rate: mining and construction provide above-average wages without requiring degrees. The unemployment rate is low at 3.6%, with full-time employment running at 63.2% of those employed. The SEIFA IER (economic resources) decile of 9 ranks Serpentine in the top 10% nationally for access to economic resources, while the IRSAD decile of 6 indicates moderate overall advantage, a gap explained by lower educational attainment relative to income.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.2%
Part-time
33.2%
Participation
48.1%
Employed
1,129
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.7%
Postgraduate
2.3%
Born Overseas
22.7%
Dwellings
848
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 88.2% of residents drive to work, and only 2.5% use public transport, lower than most WA suburbs because Serpentine lacks rail connections and bus services are limited. Walking and cycling account for 3.2% of commutes, practical on-property but limited for accessing services beyond the estate. There are no schools recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on institutions in nearby Serpentine-Jarrahdale or Byford. Safety data is not available for this suburb, but the SEIFA IRSD decile of 6 and an IER decile of 9 indicate a community with above-average economic resources and below-average disadvantage, factors generally associated with lower crime rates than national averages. Need-for-assistance rates are low at 4.4% (104 residents), below the national average.
Drive
88.2%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
3.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Serpentine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Serpentine a good suburb to live in?
Serpentine suits buyers prioritising large homes and land over urban amenity. With 87.0% separate houses, 60.7% having 4 or more bedrooms, and a median house price of $493,000 below the Perth metro median, it offers affordable acreage lifestyle. The trade-off is limited public transport, with 88.2% of residents driving to work and no rail connection.
What is the median house price in Serpentine?
The median house price is $493,000, below the Perth metro median. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,200, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, which is below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rents average $348 for the 7.9% of residents who lease.
What schools are in Serpentine?
No schools are recorded inside the Serpentine suburb boundary. Families rely on schools in nearby Byford and the broader Serpentine-Jarrahdale local government area. University qualifications in the suburb sit at 17.7%, which is 12.4 percentage points below the national rate.
Is Serpentine safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Serpentine in this dataset. Indirectly, the suburb scores SEIFA IER decile 9, placing it in the top 10% nationally for economic resources, and only 4.4% of residents (104 people) need daily assistance, both indicators associated with lower disadvantage and typically lower crime rates than national averages.
Is Serpentine good for property investment?
The rental market is thin, with just 7.9% of households renting and a vacancy rate of 5.7%, above levels that indicate tight demand. Weekly rent of $348 against a $493,000 median gives a gross yield around 3.7%. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, so supply is stable. The investment case relies on acreage scarcity and capital growth rather than rental income.
How is Serpentine's population changing?
Serpentine shows stable, low-turnover demographics: 77.1% of residents remained in the same dwelling at the prior Census, and the median age of 45 is 5 years above the national average. The suburb has a settled owner-occupier base, with 40.1% owning outright, suggesting gradual rather than rapid population change.
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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