Swansea
At a median age of 53, Swansea sits 13.0 years above the national figure, and that single fact shapes much of the suburb. With only 40.5% of residents in the labour force and 2,185 people not working, the population leans heavily toward retirees, which holds household income to $1,037 a week, in just the 14.3rd percentile nationally. Yet the median house price reached $922,500 in 2025 after rising 9.2% from $870,000, so values sit well above what local incomes alone would support. The stock is 68.2% separate houses across 4.37 km2, and 44.5% of owners hold their homes outright, a debt-free pattern typical of an established retirement coastal market rather than a young commuter belt.
Population
5,044
Median Age
53.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,037/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
46
Median House
$922K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Buyers face a $922,500 median that climbed 9.2% in a single year, from $870,000 in 2024 to $950,000 in 2025, faster than incomes can keep pace with. The market is dominated by separate houses at 68.2%, with apartments a smaller 21.8%, so detached living is the norm rather than the exception. Three-bedroom homes are most common at 39.3%, followed by two-bedroom at 31.9%, suiting downsizers and small households more than large families. The catch is affordability: average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,908 against the local household income produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 42.5%, far above the 30% stress threshold, because prices are driven by coastal demand rather than the modest local wage base in the 14.3rd percentile.
For Buyers
Buyers face a $922,500 median that climbed 9.2% in a single year, from $870,000 in 2024 to $950,000 in 2025, faster than incomes can keep pace with. The market is dominated by separate houses at 68.2%, with apartments a smaller 21.8%, so detached living is the norm rather than the exception. Three-bedroom homes are most common at 39.3%, followed by two-bedroom at 31.9%, suiting downsizers and small households more than large families. The catch is affordability: average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,908 against the local household income produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 42.5%, far above the 30% stress threshold, because prices are driven by coastal demand rather than the modest local wage base in the 14.3rd percentile.
For Investors
Renters make up 29.5% of households and weekly rent averages $330, giving landlords a steady tenant pool but a thin gross yield near 1.9% against the $922,500 median, low even for a coastal market. The 9.5% vacancy rate is elevated and points to softer rental demand than the headline price growth suggests. Development is moderate at 43 applications over 12 months, mostly dwelling alterations, pool installations and demolition or rebuild works rather than new supply, so stock additions stay limited. With rent-to-income already at 31.8% locally, tenants have little room to absorb large rises. The case here rests more on the 9.2% annual capital growth and coastal scarcity than on yield, which trails what investors would accept in higher-density markets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
303
Last 12 Months
46
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-4.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Swansea iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Patrick's Primary School
K-6 · 165 students
Swansea Public School
K-6 · 199 students
Demographics
The defining trait is age: a median of 53 runs 13.0 years above the national figure, and the senior-heavy profile shows in just 40.5% labour force participation against 2,185 residents not working. The population is notably Anglo and locally rooted, with only 9.6% born overseas, 12.0 points below national, and ancestry led by English (2,395), Scottish (602) and Irish (579). University qualifications reach only 14.4%, which is 15.7 points below national, reflecting an older, trade and service oriented workforce rather than a graduate one. Average household size is 2.2, 0.3 below national, consistent with the 36.4% of families that are couples without children. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 2,632 residents, and turnover is low at 17.9%, so 82.1% of people stayed put, a sign of settled, long-term residency.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
68.2%
Houses
8.8%
Townhouse
21.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts strongly toward outright ownership: 44.5% own their homes debt-free, 26.0% carry a mortgage and 29.5% rent, a pattern that signals an established, aging owner base rather than a churn of new buyers. The stock is 68.2% separate houses, with apartments at 21.8% and semi-detached at 8.8%, keeping the suburb low-density at 1,154 residents per km2. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 39.3% and two-bedroom follow at 31.9%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are 20.1%. The median rose from $870,000 to $950,000 across 2024 and 2025, a 9.2% one-year move. Both stress measures flash red: mortgage-to-income at 42.5% and rent-to-income at 31.8% both exceed the 30% threshold, because coastal pricing has outrun a household income that sits in only the 14.3rd percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,908
Rent / wk
$330
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$569
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.5%
Unoccupied
233
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.8% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
42.5% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.4%
Couples, no children
3,730
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in healthcare, which leads at 23.4% (255 workers), with Construction at 16.8% (184) and Education at 10.7% (117) next, and Retail (5.9%) and Manufacturing (5.7%) filling out the top five. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (292) outnumber Professionals (244), Clerical staff (232) and Labourers (221), a mix that aligns with the suburb's below-average 14.4% university rate, 15.7 points under national. Unemployment is elevated at 6.7% and participation low at 40.5%, both pulled down by the older population. The SEIFA scores tell a middle-of-the-pack story: decile 5 on both IRSD and IRSAD, decile 6 on economic resources (IER) and a lower decile 4 on education and occupation (IEO), the IEO weakness driven by the thin graduate share rather than by income hardship.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.3%
Part-time
33.0%
Participation
40.5%
Employed
1,646
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.4%
Postgraduate
1.8%
Born Overseas
9.6%
Dwellings
2,206
Transport to Work
Swansea is built around the car: 91.0% of commuters drive, far above the national share, while just 1.1% use public transport and 3.4% walk or cycle, a reliance that follows from the low-density 1,154 per km2 layout and limited transit. The suburb scores decile 5 on both IRSD and IRSAD, the middle of the national advantage scale, so it is neither markedly disadvantaged nor affluent. The older profile shows in support needs: 10.6% of residents (505 people) require daily assistance, well above what a younger suburb would record, and volunteering runs at 11.3%. No schools are recorded inside the 4.37 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off in a market skewed toward retirees and couples without children.
Drive
91.0%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
3.4%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Swansea compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Swansea a good suburb to live in?
Swansea suits established owners and retirees: 44.5% own their homes outright and it scores decile 5 on both IRSD and IRSAD, the middle of the national scale. The median age of 53 is 13.0 years above national, so it skews older. The main trade-offs are a high 42.5% mortgage-to-income ratio and a 9.5% vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Swansea?
The median house price is $922,500, having risen 9.2% from $870,000 in 2024 to $950,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $330 and average monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,908, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 42.5%, well above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Swansea?
No schools are recorded inside the 4.37 km2 Swansea boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident profile skews older, with a median age of 53, and just 14.4% hold university qualifications, 15.7 points below the national figure.
Is Swansea safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Swansea in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the national midpoint, and 82.1% of residents have stayed put with turnover at just 17.9%, both consistent with a settled community.
Is Swansea good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $330 against a $922,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%, low for the cost, and the 9.5% vacancy rate signals soft rental demand. With 29.5% of households renting and 9.2% annual price growth, returns depend on capital appreciation and coastal scarcity rather than on yield.
How is Swansea's population changing?
The population of 5,044 is aging, with a median age of 53, which is 13.0 years above national, and only 40.5% of residents in the labour force. Turnover is low at 17.9%, so 82.1% stayed put, and couples without children at 36.4% outnumber couples with children, capping natural growth.
How much development is happening in Swansea?
There were 43 development applications lodged in the past 12 months across the 4.37 km2 suburb. Most are alterations, swimming pools or demolition and rebuild works on existing dwellings rather than new supply, consistent with an established coastal market where 68.2% of homes are separate houses.
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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