Spearwood
Detached housing still defines Spearwood: 73.6% of dwellings are separate houses and only 5.4% are apartments, which gives the suburb a lower density feel than many infill areas despite 1,795.3 people per sq km. Sitting between Coogee and Hamilton Hill, it reads as an established Cockburn suburb with a median age of 41, 1.0 year above the national benchmark. Overseas-born residents make up 36.4%, 14.8 percentage points above national, while household income sits at the 43.9 percentile.
Population
10,944
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,448/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
21
Median House
$440K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers get a house-heavy market, with 73.6% separate houses, 21.0% semi-detached homes and 48.4% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms. A current median house price is not available, so affordability is better read through repayments: the typical mortgage is $1,733 monthly and mortgage costs take 27.6% of household income, below common stress thresholds. The 34.5% mortgaged share is matched by 36.0% owned outright, because many households are long settled.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a house-heavy market, with 73.6% separate houses, 21.0% semi-detached homes and 48.4% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms. A current median house price is not available, so affordability is better read through repayments: the typical mortgage is $1,733 monthly and mortgage costs take 27.6% of household income, below common stress thresholds. The 34.5% mortgaged share is matched by 36.0% owned outright, because many households are long settled.
For Investors
Investor appeal is more income-led than development-led. Renters account for 29.6% of households and the typical rent is $350 weekly, with rent taking 24.2% of household income, below a stress setting. Vacancy is high at 8.6%, so leasing risk is higher than in tighter markets. There were 0 recent development records, but average net migration is positive, split between 128 internal and 174 overseas movers a year, which supports tenant depth over time.
Development Activity
Total DAs
21
Last 12 Months
21
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Spearwood iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Spearwood Alternative School
K-6 · 95 students
Newton Primary School
K-6 · 299 students
Spearwood Primary School
K-6 · 114 students
Demographics
Spearwood has 10,944 residents, a median age of 41 and an average household size of 2.3, which is 0.2 below the national household-size benchmark. The suburb is more migrant-influenced than national averages: 36.4% were born overseas, 14.8 percentage points above national. University attainment is 26.0%, 4.1 points below national, while ancestry is led by English with 3,553 people and Italian with 1,625, explaining the visible southern European influence.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
73.6%
Houses
21.0%
Townhouse
5.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing tenure is balanced but tilted toward settled owners: 36.0% own outright, 34.5% have a mortgage and 29.6% rent. Compared with apartment-heavy inner areas, Spearwood remains low-rise, with 73.6% separate houses and 5.4% apartments. The bedroom profile supports families and downsizers, with 48.4% 3-bedroom homes and 33.6% with 4 or more bedrooms. No current median house price is quoted, so the $1,733 monthly mortgage and $350 weekly rent are the practical price anchors.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$751
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
419
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.1%
Couples, no children
8,214
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is broad rather than dominated by one sector. Healthcare leads with 586 workers, or 16.9%, followed by Education at 411, Construction at 365, Manufacturing at 283 and Retail at 252. Professionals are the largest occupation group with 952 people, above Clerical/Admin at 670 and Community/Personal at 629. Socio-economic scores sit around the middle to lower-middle: IEO decile 4, IER decile 5, IRSD decile 5 and IRSAD decile 4, matching the 43.9 income percentile.
Unemployment
5.6%
Labour Force
7,148
Unemployed
397
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.4%
Part-time
30.1%
Participation
57.2%
Employed
5,011
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.0%
Postgraduate
4.4%
Born Overseas
36.4%
Dwellings
4,467
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 87.9% of commuters drive, while 4.0% use public transport and 1.7% walk or cycle, lower than inner-suburb active transport patterns. Schooling is primary-focused, with 3 local government primary schools and an ICSEA range from 954 to 1079. Spearwood Alternative School sits highest at 1079 with 95 enrolments, followed by Newton Primary at 1017 with 299. IRSAD decile 4 signals below-average advantage, so services and affordability matter to livability.
Drive
87.9%
Public Transport
4.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.47%/yr
(+190 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady, with the trend forecast adding 1.47% a year, or about 190 people annually. The medium scenario moves from 12,742 residents in 2026 to 13,692 in 2031, higher than the 2025 historical population of 12,932. Migration is balanced rather than one-sided, with average net internal migration of 128 people a year and net overseas migration of 174. Gentrification is marked Active with a score of 42, because population is rising while affordability and age signals are mixed.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+174
Net Internal / yr
+128
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +32% since 2011, Net internal migration +128/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 23%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Spearwood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Spearwood a good suburb to live in?
Spearwood suits buyers wanting established housing and local schools, with 73.6% separate houses and 3 government primary schools. It is more car-dependent than inner areas, with 87.9% of commuters driving and 4.0% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Spearwood?
A current median house price is not available for Spearwood. The clearest price anchors are a $1,733 monthly mortgage and $350 weekly rent, with mortgage costs at 27.6% of income, below common housing-stress levels.
What schools are in Spearwood?
Spearwood has 3 local government primary schools. Spearwood Alternative School has ICSEA 1079 and 95 enrolments, Newton Primary has ICSEA 1017 and 299 enrolments, and Spearwood Primary has ICSEA 954 and 114 enrolments.
Is Spearwood safe?
A suburb crime rate per 1,000 is not available, so safety should be checked against current police updates and street-level inspections. For local context, Spearwood has 10,944 residents and an IRSAD decile of 4, below the national midpoint for advantage.
Is Spearwood good for property investment?
Spearwood has a usable rental base, with 29.6% of households renting and a $350 weekly rent. The caution is vacancy at 8.6%, higher than a tight rental setting, while 0 recent development records suggest limited new-supply pressure.
How is Spearwood's population changing?
Spearwood is forecast to grow at 1.47% a year, adding about 190 people annually. The medium scenario reaches 13,692 residents by 2031, compared with 12,932 in 2025, helped by average net overseas migration of 174 a year.
What languages are spoken in Spearwood?
English is dominant, but Spearwood has a higher overseas-born share than national at 36.4%. Common non-English languages include Italian with 278 speakers, Croatian with 213, Portuguese with 119 and Serbian with 79.
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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