Waikiki
Detached housing defines Waikiki more than most coastal Rockingham areas: 97.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 63.9% have 4 or more bedrooms. Set between Warnbro and Safety Bay, it reads more like a family mortgage suburb than central Rockingham, with 47.1% of homes carrying a mortgage and household income at the 53.0 percentile. The population of 12,453 is older in trajectory but not old in profile, with a median age of 39, 1.0 year below the national benchmark, and overseas-born residents 10.7 percentage points above national.
Population
12,453
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,611/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$405K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers mainly face a detached, family-sized market rather than a choice between many dwelling types. Separate houses make up 97.8% of stock, apartments only 0.4%, and 4 or more bedroom homes account for 63.9%, so upsizers have more fit than downsizers needing compact supply. The current house median is not available, making repayment capacity more useful: the typical mortgage is $1,600 per month and mortgage costs are 22.9% of income, not flagged as stressed. Outright ownership of 29.5% adds stability because fewer homes churn purely as rentals.
For Buyers
Homebuyers mainly face a detached, family-sized market rather than a choice between many dwelling types. Separate houses make up 97.8% of stock, apartments only 0.4%, and 4 or more bedroom homes account for 63.9%, so upsizers have more fit than downsizers needing compact supply. The current house median is not available, making repayment capacity more useful: the typical mortgage is $1,600 per month and mortgage costs are 22.9% of income, not flagged as stressed. Outright ownership of 29.5% adds stability because fewer homes churn purely as rentals.
For Investors
Investors should treat Waikiki as an income and tenant-depth play, not a development pipeline. Renting sits at 23.5% while the typical weekly rent is $320, and rent takes 19.9% of income, which supports affordability because payments are not flagged as stressed. The 6.8% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental setting, so leasing risk matters even though rent growth reached 10.3%. With 0 development approvals in 12 months and overseas migration averaging 117 net people a year, demand growth is demographic rather than construction-led.
Schools in Waikiki iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
South Coast Baptist College
PP-12 · 1355 students
Charthouse Primary School
K-6 · 451 students
Waikiki Primary School
K-6 · 291 students
Demographics
Waikiki's 12,453 residents sit close to the national age profile, with a median age of 39 that is 1.0 year below national. The suburb is more internationally shaped than its education profile suggests: 32.3% were born overseas, 10.7 percentage points above national, while university attainment of 16.8% is 13.3 points below national. English ancestry is the largest named group at 5,841, followed by Scottish at 1,269 and Irish at 1,141. Christianity counts 4,997 people, and smaller language groups include Afrikaans at 54 and Serbian at 26.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.8%
Houses
1.8%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Waikiki's housing base is unusually narrow: 97.8% separate houses, 1.8% semi-detached and 0.4% apartments. Unlike central Rockingham, where unit choices are more visible, Waikiki is built around blocks and bedrooms, with 63.9% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms and 33.1% having 3. Tenure is mortgage-heavy at 47.1%, compared with 29.5% owned outright and 23.5% rented. That ownership mix matters because price shocks affect household budgets directly, although mortgage costs at 22.9% of income and rent at 19.9% are not flagged as stressed.
Mortgage / mo
$1,600
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$740
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.8%
Unoccupied
331
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.7%
Couples, no children
9,894
Total families
Economy & Employment
Waikiki's workforce leans into services and blue-collar industries rather than a single CBD office economy. Healthcare employs 603 people or 17.3%, ahead of Education at 395, Construction at 384, Public Admin at 337 and Mining at 317. Occupations are broad, with Community and Personal roles at 783, Professionals at 767 and Labourers at 662. The economic split shows in SEIFA: education and occupation sits in decile 2, while economic resources are stronger at decile 6; disadvantage and advantage both rank decile 3. Unemployment is 7.7% and participation is 57.0%, so household resilience depends on steady local and regional jobs.
Unemployment
7.2%
Labour Force
7,384
Unemployed
532
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.1%
Part-time
28.2%
Participation
57.0%
Employed
5,218
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.8%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
32.3%
Dwellings
4,513
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-led, with 86.5% driving to work, 5.8% using public transport and 1.4% walking or cycling. The school mix is compact rather than crowded: 3 local schools span ICSEA 958 to 1047, led by South Coast Baptist College, an Independent combined school with 1,355 students, plus Government primary options at Charthouse and Waikiki. That suits families seeking local schooling because combined and primary pathways sit inside the suburb. Social advantage is below higher-income coastal pockets, with IRSAD in decile 3; crime-rate figures are not available here.
Drive
86.5%
Public Transport
5.8%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.67%/yr
(+92 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than speculative. The forecast trend adds 0.67% a year, about 92 people annually, taking the medium path from 13,625 in 2026 to 14,086 in 2031. Migration is the main engine: overseas migration averages 117 net people a year, compared with net internal migration of -1. The shift profile is aging, with seniors up 4.7 points and younger residents down 1.5 points, because the detached housing base holds families for longer. The gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying, below an early-upgrade market.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+117
Net Internal / yr
-1
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Waikiki compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waikiki a good suburb to live in?
Waikiki suits households wanting detached housing, with 97.8% separate houses and 63.9% having 4 or more bedrooms. It is car-dependent, with 86.5% driving to work, but local school coverage and a median age of 39 support a family-oriented lifestyle.
What is the median house price in Waikiki?
A current median house price is not available for Waikiki. Other housing indicators show a mortgage-belt suburb: the typical mortgage is $1,600 per month, 47.1% of homes have a mortgage and housing costs are not flagged as stressed at 22.9% of income.
What schools are in Waikiki?
Waikiki has 3 local schools. South Coast Baptist College is an Independent combined school with ICSEA 1047 and 1,355 enrolments, while Charthouse Primary and Waikiki Primary are Government schools with ICSEA 965 and 958.
Is Waikiki safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Waikiki. For context, 12,453 residents live in the suburb, 86.5% drive to work and IRSAD ranks in decile 3, so buyers should supplement this with current WA Police and street-level checks.
Is Waikiki good for property investment?
Waikiki can work for investors focused on affordable detached rentals, with 23.5% renting and a typical rent of $320 per week. The 6.8% vacancy rate is higher than tight-market settings, so tenant demand and presentation matter more than broad scarcity.
How is Waikiki's population changing?
Waikiki is growing slowly, with the trend adding 0.67% or about 92 people a year. The medium path reaches 14,086 residents by 2031, driven mainly by overseas migration averaging 117 net people annually while internal migration averages -1.
What languages are spoken in Waikiki?
English is dominant, but overseas-born residents are 32.3% of the population, which is 10.7 percentage points above national. Recorded non-English language groups include Afrikaans with 54 speakers, Serbian with 26, German with 23 and Mandarin with 11.
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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