Wanneroo
At 12,113 residents, Wanneroo combines a median age of 41, 86.9% separate houses and 44.4% mortgaged ownership, giving it a mature mortgage-belt profile. Its overseas-born share is 37.3%, 15.7 percentage points above the national comparison, while university participation is 22.2%, 7.9 points below national. That mix supports established family demand rather than apartment-led turnover. Compared with nearby Madeley and Sinagra, Wanneroo's established detached-house profile is the clearest positioning point for buyers, with 1.41% annual growth linked to overseas migration.
Population
12,113
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,561/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers are choosing a predominantly detached market: 86.9% of dwellings are separate houses, 52.5% have 4 or more bedrooms and 37.0% have 3 bedrooms. The typical mortgage payment is $1,736 monthly, equal to 25.7% of household income, so mortgage stress is not flagged. The mortgage-to-income ratio is higher than the 22.4% rent-to-income ratio, but both remain manageable against their respective stress indicators. Ownership is split between 44.4% with a mortgage and 30.6% outright, supporting demand from established families. Wanneroo suits buyers seeking space more than apartment living, with only 0.2% apartments and 10.2% semi-detached homes. Compare current listings and recent sales before setting a budget.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are choosing a predominantly detached market: 86.9% of dwellings are separate houses, 52.5% have 4 or more bedrooms and 37.0% have 3 bedrooms. The typical mortgage payment is $1,736 monthly, equal to 25.7% of household income, so mortgage stress is not flagged. The mortgage-to-income ratio is higher than the 22.4% rent-to-income ratio, but both remain manageable against their respective stress indicators. Ownership is split between 44.4% with a mortgage and 30.6% outright, supporting demand from established families. Wanneroo suits buyers seeking space more than apartment living, with only 0.2% apartments and 10.2% semi-detached homes. Compare current listings and recent sales before setting a budget.
For Investors
Investors get a mostly house-based rental market, with 21.1% of households renting, weekly rent of $350 and a 7.0% vacancy rate. The renting share is lower than the 44.4% mortgaged ownership share, reflecting a suburb weighted toward owner-occupiers. Rent growth is 4.5%, which can support income progression, while 0 development projects were recorded over the past 12 months, limiting near-term new-stock risk. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver and annual growth is forecast at 1.41%, which may support renter demand because new arrivals often enter the rental market before buying. Yield calculations should be compared with a current purchase price because no median house price is available.
Schools in Wanneroo
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
ST ANTHONY'S SCHOOL
EAST WANNEROO PRIMARY SCHOOL
WANNEROO PRIMARY SCHOOL
WANNEROO SECONDARY COLLEGE
Demographics
With a median age of 41, Wanneroo sits 1 year above the national comparison and is moving along an aging trajectory: the senior share has risen 4.3 points while the working-age share has fallen 2.1 points. The overseas-born population is 37.3%, 15.7 points above national, led within the listed ancestry counts by English at 5,380, Irish at 1,291 and Scottish at 1,143. No religion is recorded for 5,191 people versus 5,444 identifying with Christianity, while Mandarin appears among the listed languages at 42 speakers. University attainment is 22.2%, 7.9 points below national, which helps explain the stronger trades and practical-service employment mix. The aging pattern matters because it can increase demand for accessible homes and local services.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.9%
Houses
10.2%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is strongly detached: 86.9% separate houses, 10.2% semi-detached dwellings and only 0.2% apartments. The bedroom profile reinforces that pattern, with 52.5% of homes containing 4 or more bedrooms and 37.0% containing 3 bedrooms. Tenure is weighted toward leveraged ownership, at 44.4% with a mortgage, compared with 30.6% owned outright and 21.1% rented. Mortgage payments absorb 25.7% of household income, higher than rent's 22.4% share, while neither mortgage stress nor rent stress is flagged. Wanneroo is therefore more suited to family-sized housing than apartment-led living. Buyers should compare current listings and recent settled sales because a median house price is not available.
Mortgage / mo
$1,736
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$729
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.0%
Unoccupied
346
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.0%
Couples with children
39.2%
Couples, no children
16.7%
Single parent
3,327
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by healthcare at 17.1% and 595 workers, construction at 13.5% and 471, and education at 10.0% and 348, followed by retail at 7.2% and public administration at 7.0%. Trades are the largest listed occupation group at 1,089, ahead of professionals at 881 and clerical or administrative workers at 754, matching the construction and service base. Labour-force participation is 60.8%, unemployment is 5.8% and full-time employment is 58.1%, so the participation rate is below a highly workforce-focused suburb. Household income sits at the 49.7th percentile nationally. SEIFA records IEO decile 4, IER decile 7, IRSD decile 5 and IRSAD decile 5. The gap between IEO 4 and IER 7 suggests economic resources are stronger than education and occupation measures, helping sustain local service demand.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
6,020
Unemployed
352
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.1%
Part-time
35.3%
Participation
60.8%
Employed
5,668
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.2%
Postgraduate
4.3%
Born Overseas
37.3%
Dwellings
4,561
Transport to Work
Lifestyle suits households that value space and car access. Car driving accounts for 79.9% of journeys, compared with 3.7% by public transport and 1.9% walking or cycling, so daily convenience is more car-dependent than active or transit-oriented. Four schools are listed nearby, covering 2 government primary schools, 1 government senior high school and 1 non-government school. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because catchments can cross suburb boundaries. The median age is 41, 1 year above national, and 52.5% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, supporting family-sized living. SEIFA IRSAD is decile 5, above the IEO decile 4, indicating middling overall advantage with a stronger resources position than education and occupation. For safety, compare current street-level incident information before deciding.
Drive
79.9%
Public Transport
3.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
9.0%
Population Forecast
+1.41%/yr
(+235 people/yr)
EstablishedWanneroo's growth outlook is established rather than speculative, with annual growth forecast at 1.41% and overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 11.5% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.3 points and the working share down 2.1 points. Gentrification signals are mixed: the current gentrification score is 47 and stage is Active, yet the shift measure records a score of 15 and stage Not gentrifying. That contrast suggests demographic and market change is occurring without a clear wholesale replacement of the established community. Affordability improved from 52.4 in 2011 to 44.8 in 2021, and rent growth is 4.5%, so growth is above a static established-suburb pattern but should be considered alongside aging demand.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+202
Net Internal / yr
+121
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +20% since 2011, Net internal migration +121/yr, Strong overseas inflow +202/yr, Accelerating: 6% → 13%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wanneroo compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wanneroo a good suburb to live in?
Wanneroo suits households wanting detached space and established services. About 86.9% of dwellings are separate houses, 52.5% have 4 or more bedrooms and the median age is 41, which is 1 year above the national comparison. Car dependence is high at 79.9%, so it suits drivers better than car-free households.
What is the median house price in Wanneroo?
No current suburb-wide median house price is available to quote. Buyers should compare recent settled sales and active listings by street, land size and bedroom count. The housing mix is 86.9% separate houses, with 52.5% containing 4 or more bedrooms, so a single figure could hide meaningful property differences.
What schools are in Wanneroo?
Wanneroo has 4 listed schools: East Wanneroo Primary School and Wanneroo Primary School are government primary schools; Wanneroo Secondary College is a government senior high school; and St Anthony's School is non-government. Check the exact enrolment zone before committing, because access can differ by address and sector.
Is Wanneroo safe?
Safety decisions should use current street-level incident information because no suburb crime-rate figure is available to quote. Wanneroo has 12,113 residents across 20.49 square kilometres, and 81.9% stayed at the same address. Inspect the exact street at different times and compare recent local reports rather than relying only on suburb-wide impressions.
Is Wanneroo good for property investment?
It may suit investors seeking detached rental stock, with 21.1% renting, $350 weekly rent and a 7.0% vacancy rate. The rental share is lower than mortgaged ownership at 44.4%. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver and annual growth is forecast at 1.41%, while 0 development projects were recorded over 12 months.
How is Wanneroo's population changing?
The wider area's population change is 11.5% over 10 years, with annual growth forecast at 1.41% and overseas migration the primary driver. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share has increased 4.3 points while the working share has fallen 2.1 points. This is more mature than a young-growth profile, even as the gentrification score is 47 and stage Active.
What languages are spoken in Wanneroo?
The most frequently listed non-English languages are Afrikaans and Gujarati, with 49 speakers each, followed by Mandarin at 42, Italian at 37 and German at 27. As 37.3% of residents were born overseas, language support may be useful for local services, schools and community organisations.
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.
Explore Wanneroo on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map