Waterford
With 53.1% of residents born overseas, Waterford sits 31.5 percentage points above the national average, making it one of Perth's most internationally composed suburbs despite a compact 1.56 km2 footprint. Household income lands in the 88th percentile nationally, and 57.4% of adults hold university qualifications, which is 27.3 points above the national figure. The suburb also carries 81.3% of dwellings with four or more bedrooms, far above typical metropolitan norms, reflecting large family households concentrated in detached houses that make up 90.3% of the stock.
Population
2,460
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,301/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
15
Median House
$606K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $606,000 positions Waterford below more expensive inner-Perth markets, while offering a stock that is 90.3% separate houses, a ratio higher than most comparable suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3%, which sits just under the 30% stress threshold despite the suburb's 88th-percentile household income of $2,301 per week. The bedroom profile is heavily skewed toward larger homes: 81.3% have four or more bedrooms, compared to the 5.3% with just two bedrooms. For buyers seeking space in an established suburb, the outright ownership rate of 50.1% signals a settled, long-holding owner base rather than a market driven by speculative churn.
For Buyers
The median house price of $606,000 positions Waterford below more expensive inner-Perth markets, while offering a stock that is 90.3% separate houses, a ratio higher than most comparable suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3%, which sits just under the 30% stress threshold despite the suburb's 88th-percentile household income of $2,301 per week. The bedroom profile is heavily skewed toward larger homes: 81.3% have four or more bedrooms, compared to the 5.3% with just two bedrooms. For buyers seeking space in an established suburb, the outright ownership rate of 50.1% signals a settled, long-holding owner base rather than a market driven by speculative churn.
For Investors
Waterford's rental market is comparatively thin, with only 16.0% of dwellings rented and weekly rent sitting at $410. Against the $606,000 median, that implies a gross yield near 3.5%, below average for Perth. The vacancy rate of 8.1% is elevated, which points to softer rental demand relative to supply and warrants caution before acquiring for yield. Only 14 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, indicating a slow-moving council pipeline. Owner-occupier dominance at 84.0% means the suburb changes hands infrequently, and the 21.7% annual turnover rate confirms that most residents, once settled, remain. Longer-term capital appeal rests on the suburb's high-income, high-education profile rather than rental returns.
Development Activity
Total DAs
32
Last 12 Months
15
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+150.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 41 matches the national average almost exactly, yet the composition beneath it is internationally skewed. Overseas-born residents reach 53.1%, which is 31.5 percentage points above national, the highest demographic marker in the brief. Chinese ancestry leads at 723 residents, followed by English (582) and Irish (175), while Mandarin is the most common non-English language with 146 speakers. University qualifications at 57.4% run 27.3 points above the national figure, anchoring the suburb firmly in the professional-class cohort. Average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above national, consistent with larger family formations, and the couples-with-children group (678 families) outnumbers couples without children (559) by a meaningful margin.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.3%
Houses
9.7%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Outright ownership at 50.1% is the headline tenure figure, a share that significantly exceeds the proportion carrying a mortgage (33.9%) and renters (16.0%). This split is characteristic of an established suburb where long-term residents have paid down debt. The stock is almost entirely detached housing at 90.3%, with semi-detached accounting for the remaining 9.7% and no recorded apartment share. Four-plus bedroom dwellings represent 81.3% of all homes, which is unusually concentrated and reflects the suburb's large family household composition. Rent-to-income at 17.8% is well below the 30% stress threshold. At $606,000 median, entry costs are meaningful but the mortgage burden relative to the 88th-percentile income base remains manageable.
Mortgage / mo
$2,817
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$801
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.1%
Unoccupied
73
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.6%
Couples, no children
1,955
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 17.0% (160 workers), closely followed by Professional/Technical services at 16.8% (158 workers), and Education at 11.4% (107 workers). Mining contributes a notable 6.7% (63 workers), above what most Perth metro suburbs show, reflecting broader WA resource-sector linkages. By occupation, Professionals dominate with 453 workers, Managers follow at 156, and Clerical/Admin at 140. The unemployment rate is low at 4.5% and the full-time employment rate is 57.7%. SEIFA scores place the suburb in decile 9 on IRSAD and IEO, and decile 8 on IRSD and IER, all comfortably above national median and consistent with the suburb's high-income, high-qualification profile.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.7%
Part-time
37.8%
Participation
58.5%
Employed
1,176
Occupations
Top Industries
University
57.4%
Postgraduate
18.2%
Born Overseas
53.1%
Dwellings
831
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 84.0% of employed residents drive to work, while only 5.2% use public transport and 3.4% walk or cycle. This is above the national car-dependency average and reflects the suburb's location and infrastructure. No schools are recorded inside the Waterford boundary, so families rely on institutions in adjacent suburbs. The IRSAD decile of 9 places Waterford in the top tier nationally for socioeconomic advantage. Need-for-assistance rates are low at 3.3% (77 residents), and volunteering reaches 22.3%, above typical community participation rates. Rent-to-income at 17.8% and mortgage-to-income at 28.3% both sit below stress thresholds, indicating financial comfort across both tenure groups despite the 88th-percentile income baseline.
Drive
84.0%
Public Transport
5.2%
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 Waterford compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waterford a good suburb to live in?
Waterford ranks in decile 9 on IRSAD nationally, placing it in the top advantage tier. Household income sits in the 88th percentile, 57.4% of adults hold university degrees, and 50.1% own their home outright. The main trade-offs are high car dependence at 84.0% and an elevated vacancy rate of 8.1%.
What is the median house price in Waterford?
The median house price is $606,000, estimated from 2025 rent data. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3% relative to the suburb's $2,301 weekly median household income, which sits at the 88th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Waterford?
No schools are recorded inside the Waterford boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The suburb's residents are highly educated, with 57.4% holding university qualifications, which is 27.3 percentage points above the national average.
Is Waterford safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Waterford in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 9 on IRSAD, the socioeconomic advantage index, and decile 8 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, both well above the national median. Only 3.3% of residents, 77 people, need daily assistance.
Is Waterford good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $410 against a $606,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.5%, below average for Perth. The vacancy rate of 8.1% is elevated, indicating softer rental demand. Only 16.0% of dwellings are rented. The stronger investment case is long-term capital appreciation given the high-income, high-education resident base.
How is Waterford's population changing?
The current population is 2,460 across 1.56 km2. The annual turnover rate is 21.7%, meaning most households that move do so within a year, while 78.3% of residents stayed put, indicating stable occupancy. No forecast growth figures are available in the brief, but the suburb's established wealth profile suggests steady rather than rapid change.
What languages are spoken in Waterford?
With 53.1% of residents born overseas, 31.5 percentage points above the national average, Waterford is highly internationally diverse. Mandarin is the most spoken non-English language (146 speakers), followed by Cantonese (61) and Urdu (35), reflecting a substantial Chinese-ancestry population of 723 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 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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