Subiaco
Subiaco stands out for combining inner-urban density with high incomes, apartment living and an aging trajectory. Its 9,940 residents occupy just 3.13 square kilometres, producing a density of 3,176.5 people per square kilometre. Household income sits at the 84.3 percentile, while 39.2% of residents were born overseas, 17.6 percentage points above the national figure. A 12.0% vacancy rate and 45.4% renting share point to a mobile housing market, partly because 41.8% of dwellings are apartments. Compared with nearby Jolimont and West Perth, Subiaco has a particularly concentrated mix of renters, professionals and smaller households.
Population
9,940
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,219/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
The key buying decision in Subiaco is dwelling type rather than a single suburb-wide price point. Apartments account for 41.8% of homes, compared with 38.8% separate houses and 19.3% semi-detached dwellings, so recent sales should be compared within the same building, bedroom count and tenure category. Smaller homes dominate: 19.7% have zero or one bedroom, 33.1% have two bedrooms and 32.5% have three. The monthly mortgage figure is $2,498, with mortgage costs at 26.0% of household income and no mortgage stress flag. Compared with detached-house markets such as Shenton Park, Subiaco provides more compact urban options but less stock suited to large households.
For Buyers
The key buying decision in Subiaco is dwelling type rather than a single suburb-wide price point. Apartments account for 41.8% of homes, compared with 38.8% separate houses and 19.3% semi-detached dwellings, so recent sales should be compared within the same building, bedroom count and tenure category. Smaller homes dominate: 19.7% have zero or one bedroom, 33.1% have two bedrooms and 32.5% have three. The monthly mortgage figure is $2,498, with mortgage costs at 26.0% of household income and no mortgage stress flag. Compared with detached-house markets such as Shenton Park, Subiaco provides more compact urban options but less stock suited to large households.
For Investors
Subiaco has a renter-heavy profile, with 45.4% of occupied dwellings rented and weekly rent at $438. The 12.0% vacancy rate is above a tightly supplied rental market, giving tenants more choice and making presentation, building quality and exact location important to leasing outcomes. Apartments represent 41.8% of dwellings, which supports a strong pool of smaller rental properties, while only 14.7% of homes have four or more bedrooms. Rent growth is recorded at 9.5%, and overseas migration is the primary growth driver. With 0 recorded development activity over 12 months, new supply is not currently a major local factor, compared with suburbs experiencing active construction.
Schools in Subiaco
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
SUBIACO PRIMARY SCHOOL
BOB HAWKE COLLEGE
PERTH MODERN SCHOOL
Demographics
Subiaco's median age is 40, matching the national average, but its education and migration profile is substantially higher than the national pattern. University attainment reaches 64.0%, or 33.9 percentage points above national, while the overseas-born share is 39.2%, 17.6 points above national. Average household size is 2.1 people, 0.4 below the national average, consistent with the suburb's apartment and smaller-home mix. English ancestry is recorded for 3,802 residents, followed by Other at 1,455, Irish at 1,319, Scottish at 1,060 and Chinese at 711. No religion is the largest reported affiliation at 4,717, compared with 3,818 for Christianity. A 70.4% stayed rate is higher than the 29.6% turnover rate, indicating both stability and regular movement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
38.8%
Houses
19.3%
Townhouse
41.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Subiaco's housing mix makes property-by-property comparison more useful than relying on one suburb-wide median. Apartments account for 41.8% of dwellings, slightly higher than the 38.8% separate-house share, while semi-detached homes contribute 19.3%. The bedroom profile is compact: 19.7% of homes have zero or one bedroom, 33.1% have two, 32.5% have three and 14.7% have four or more. Renting at 45.4% is higher than outright ownership at 29.0% and mortgage ownership at 24.3%, reflecting the suburb's central location and apartment concentration. Rent-to-income is 19.7%, below the 26.0% mortgage-to-income figure, and both housing stress flags are false. Compared with neighbouring Shenton Park, buyers should expect more attached and apartment stock.
Mortgage / mo
$2,498
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$438
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$1,330
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.0%
Unoccupied
610
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.6%
Couples with children
49.5%
Couples, no children
12.0%
Single parent
2,549
Total families
Economy & Employment
Subiaco's economy is led by Healthcare at 21.8% of employment, Professional and Tech at 19.9%, Education at 10.2%, Mining at 9.4% and Public Administration at 5.7%. This aligns with an occupation base led by 2,676 Professionals, 893 Managers and 562 Clerical and Administrative workers. Unemployment is 3.9%, participation is 67.5% and full-time employment is 64.1%, supporting a stronger labour-market position than many lower-income areas. The household income percentile is 84.3, above the national midpoint. SEIFA results are also elevated: IEO and IRSAD are both in decile 10, IRSD is decile 9, while IER is decile 6. That gap suggests educational and occupational advantage is higher than the suburb's relative economic-resources ranking, an important distinction for interpreting housing affordability.
Unemployment
3.9%
Labour Force
5,757
Unemployed
222
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.1%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
67.5%
Employed
5,535
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
64.0%
Postgraduate
20.9%
Born Overseas
39.2%
Dwellings
4,475
Transport to Work
Subiaco's compact form supports several ways to travel: 17.4% of residents use public transport, 13.0% walk or cycle and 50.4% drive as a car passenger or driver, while 14.2% work from home. Three local schools span one government primary school and two government senior high schools; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb lines. IRSAD is in decile 10 and IRSD in decile 9, both above the national midpoint, while IEO also reaches decile 10. These results align with the suburb's high education and income profile. Volunteering is 23.5%, and 3.1% of residents need assistance. For safety, review current incident information and the immediate route to transport, shops and schools before choosing a property.
Drive
50.4%
Public Transport
17.4%
Walk / Cycle
13.0%
Work from Home
14.2%
Population Forecast
+1.46%/yr
(+302 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth runs at 1.46% a year across the wider area and is primarily driven by overseas migration. Population change across the wider area is 16.4% over ten years, pointing to continued momentum compared with a flat-growth established suburb. At the same time, the trajectory is classified as Aging: the senior share has increased by 5.7 percentage points while the working share has fallen by 5.3 points. Gentrification is rated Active with a score of 45, while the shift indicators record an earlier-sign score of 20, so change is occurring alongside an established resident base rather than replacing it outright. Rent growth of 9.5% adds pressure to the housing market because migration and central access support tenant demand.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+512
Net Internal / yr
+84
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +28% since 2011, Net internal migration +84/yr, Strong overseas inflow +512/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 20%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Subiaco compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Subiaco a good suburb to live in?
Subiaco suits residents who value central access, smaller households and transport choices. It has 9,940 residents, a density of 3,176.5 people per square kilometre, 17.4% public-transport use and 13.0% walking or cycling. The trade-off is a 12.0% vacancy rate and a high apartment share.
What is the median house price in Subiaco?
There is no reliable suburb-wide figure to quote. Compare recent sales by property type and bedroom count because 41.8% of dwellings are apartments, 38.8% are separate houses and 19.3% are semi-detached. The 19.7% share of zero or one-bedroom homes also makes the overall market mix unusually important.
What schools are in Subiaco?
Subiaco has 3 listed schools: Subiaco Primary School, Bob Hawke College and Perth Modern School. The mix is 1 government primary school and 2 government senior high schools. Families should confirm the enrolment zone for the exact address, as school boundaries may not match the suburb boundary.
Is Subiaco safe?
A simple safe or unsafe label should not be applied without a current crime-rate check. Subiaco covers 3.13 square kilometres and has 17.4% public-transport use, so inspect the specific street, station route and evening activity around a property. Current police incident information is the best basis for comparing addresses.
Is Subiaco good for property investment?
Subiaco may suit investors comfortable with apartment exposure and tenant choice. Renting accounts for 45.4% of dwellings, weekly rent is $438 and vacancy is 12.0%. Rent growth is recorded at 9.5%, while development activity is 0 over 12 months. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, but building quality and exact location remain important.
How is Subiaco's population changing?
Growth runs at 1.46% annually across the wider area, with overseas migration the primary driver. Population change over 10 years is 16.4%. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 5.7 percentage points and the working share down 5.3 points. Gentrification is rated Active at a score of 45.
What languages are spoken in Subiaco?
Subiaco has an overseas-born share of 39.2%, which is 17.6 percentage points above national. Reported languages include Mandarin at 119 people, Japan at 71, French at 57, Italian at 48 and Canton at 36. English ancestry is also prominent, recorded for 3,802 residents.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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