Shelley
Almost half of Shelley's residents were born overseas, 48.5%, which runs 26.9 points above the national figure, yet the dwelling stock stays firmly suburban with 78.5% separate houses and just 0.2% apartments. The median house price of $523,000 keeps the area affordable while household income sits in the 83.1st percentile nationally, a combination that explains the established-wealth profile across a 2.13 km2 footprint. The suburb scores decile 9 on three of four SEIFA indexes, and university qualifications reach 55.7%, 25.6 points above national. The median age of 42 is 2.0 years older than the country as a whole, consistent with a settled owner-occupier base where 41.7% own their homes outright.
Population
4,795
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,186/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$523K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $523,000 median house price, Shelley costs well below Perth's premium markets, and that affordability pairs with a low mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold. The stock suits families: 78.5% are separate houses and 51.2% carry four or more bedrooms, with another 37.7% offering three, so larger households have real choice. Apartments are almost nonexistent at 0.2%, meaning buyers seeking low-maintenance dwellings will find little here. Outright owners at 41.7% outnumber the 33.5% paying a mortgage, a sign that much of the housing is held by established, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers, which tends to limit turnover and the supply of homes coming to market.
For Buyers
At a $523,000 median house price, Shelley costs well below Perth's premium markets, and that affordability pairs with a low mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold. The stock suits families: 78.5% are separate houses and 51.2% carry four or more bedrooms, with another 37.7% offering three, so larger households have real choice. Apartments are almost nonexistent at 0.2%, meaning buyers seeking low-maintenance dwellings will find little here. Outright owners at 41.7% outnumber the 33.5% paying a mortgage, a sign that much of the housing is held by established, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers, which tends to limit turnover and the supply of homes coming to market.
For Investors
Renters make up 24.9% of Shelley households and weekly rent averages $380, which against the $523,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.8%, stronger than the inner-city Perth norm. The 6.6% vacancy rate is moderate and leaves some softness for landlords to manage. Rent-to-income sits at a low 17.4%, well below the stress line, so tenants have headroom and arrears risk is limited. Demand is supported by the high 48.5% overseas-born share, often a marker of rental entry households, but development is effectively absent with zero applications recorded over the past 12 months. With a detached-dominant stock and few apartments, the investment case rests on stable family rentals and capital retention rather than new supply or rapid rent escalation.
Schools in Shelley iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Shelley Primary School
K-6 · 439 students
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above national, and the overseas-born share of 48.5% runs 26.9 points higher than the country as a whole, giving Shelley a strongly multicultural profile. Ancestry leads with English (1,549) but Chinese (804) and Indian (388) follow closely, and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (162) and Cantonese (58). University qualifications reach 55.7%, which is 25.6 points above national, among the more educated suburbs you will find. Average household size is 2.7, 0.2 above national, consistent with the family orientation where couples with children (1,772) far outnumber couples without (991). Buddhism (306) and Hinduism (301) sit close behind Christianity (2,030), reflecting the migrant mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.5%
Houses
21.2%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward ownership: 41.7% own outright, 33.5% carry a mortgage and only 24.9% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free wealth rather than a churn of new buyers. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 78.5% separate houses, with semi-detached at 21.2% and apartments a negligible 0.2%, so the market is almost entirely standalone family homes. Four-plus bedroom dwellings dominate at 51.2% and three-bedroom homes add 37.7%, leaving smaller two-bedroom stock at just 10.2%. The $523,000 median against household income in the 83.1st percentile produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, below the 30% stress threshold, which keeps the area affordable relative to its income base.
Mortgage / mo
$2,275
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$898
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.6%
Unoccupied
119
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.1%
Couples, no children
4,119
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in service sectors: Healthcare leads at 18.0% (320 workers), Education follows at 14.8% (264) and Professional/Tech at 11.9% (211), with Public Admin at 7.4% and Mining at 7.1%, the last reflecting WA's resources economy. By occupation, Professionals (852) and Managers (360) make up the bulk of jobs, aligning with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is moderate at 5.0% and the full-time rate is 61.0%, while participation reads 60.4%, held down by 1,362 residents not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age of 42. The IER economic-resources score sits at decile 8, slightly below the decile 9 seen on the other three SEIFA indexes, a small gap that reflects the renter and retiree segments.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.0%
Part-time
34.0%
Participation
60.4%
Employed
2,246
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.7%
Postgraduate
18.0%
Born Overseas
48.5%
Dwellings
1,696
Transport to Work
Shelley is car-dependent: 87.5% of commuters drive, while only 5.7% use public transport and 1.3% walk or cycle, well below the active-transport rates of inner suburbs. The area scores decile 9 on IRSAD, near the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 9 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, meaning very few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 20.8% and only 3.1% (144 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 42. Housing costs stay manageable, with rent-to-income at 17.4% and mortgage-to-income at 24.0%, both below the stress threshold. No schools are recorded inside the 2.13 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the compact setting.
Drive
87.5%
Public Transport
5.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Shelley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shelley a good suburb to live in?
Shelley scores decile 9 on three of four SEIFA indexes, near the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 83.1st percentile. University qualifications reach 55.7%, 25.6 points above national. Housing stays affordable at a $523,000 median, and only 3.1% of residents need daily assistance.
What is the median house price in Shelley?
The median house price is $523,000, well below Perth's premium markets. Weekly rent averages $380 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,275, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, below the 30% stress threshold given incomes in the 83.1st percentile.
What schools are in Shelley?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.13 km2 Shelley boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 55.7%, which is 25.6 points above the national figure.
Is Shelley safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Shelley 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 3.1% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Shelley good for property investment?
Rent of $380 a week against a $523,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.8%, stronger than inner-Perth norms. The 6.6% vacancy rate is moderate, and renters make up 24.9% of households. With zero development applications in 12 months, returns lean on stable family rentals over new supply.
How is Shelley's population changing?
Shelley is a settled, slow-turnover area: 77.0% of residents stayed put with a turnover rate of just 23.0%. The population of 4,795 sees little new supply, with zero development applications in 12 months. The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above national, pointing to an aging base.
What languages are spoken in Shelley?
About 48.5% of residents were born overseas, 26.9 points above the national figure. English dominates, with Mandarin (162 speakers), Cantonese (58), Sinhalese (39) and Malayalam (35) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strongly multicultural resident mix led by Chinese and Indian 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.
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