Wembley Downs
The standout feature of Wembley Downs is its established wealth: household income sits at the 94.1st percentile, while 57.7% of adults hold university qualifications, 27.6 percentage points above the national figure. Its 6,743 residents have a median age of 41, only 1.0 year above national, and 72.8% of homes are separate houses. Compared with nearby City Beach and Woodlands, Wembley Downs has a lower-rise, family-oriented mortgage-belt profile, reinforced by 53.7% of families being couples with children.
Population
6,743
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,626/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
54
With no current median house price available, buyers should assess individual sales rather than rely on a suburb-wide benchmark. The housing mix is strongly family-oriented because 72.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 50.0% have four or more bedrooms. Semi-detached homes account for 23.7%, compared with just 3.6% apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments are $2,762, while weekly rent is $470, and the 24.3% mortgage-to-income ratio is lower than the 42.8% outright-ownership share.
For Buyers
With no current median house price available, buyers should assess individual sales rather than rely on a suburb-wide benchmark. The housing mix is strongly family-oriented because 72.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 50.0% have four or more bedrooms. Semi-detached homes account for 23.7%, compared with just 3.6% apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments are $2,762, while weekly rent is $470, and the 24.3% mortgage-to-income ratio is lower than the 42.8% outright-ownership share.
For Investors
Wembley Downs is an owner-heavy market, with 15.8% of households renting compared with 42.8% owning outright. Weekly rent is $470 and the vacancy rate is 5.8%, so investors should compare achievable rents with property-specific costs rather than assume uniform returns. Development activity reached 51 applications over 12 months, which may create selective renovation and replacement opportunities. The established housing base, 1.26% annual growth trend and overseas migration driver support a long-term demand case, but this is better suited to careful asset selection than a high-turnover strategy.
Development Activity
Total DAs
54
Last 12 Months
54
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Wembley Downs
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
HALE SCHOOL
WEMBLEY DOWNS PRIMARY SCHOOL
Demographics
Wembley Downs has a median age of 41, 1.0 year above the national figure, while 57.7% of residents have university qualifications, 27.6 percentage points above national. The overseas-born share is 31.0%, or 9.4 points above national, and average household size is 2.7, 0.2 above the national measure. Couples with children account for 53.7% of families, helping explain the suburb's four-bedroom housing profile. Compared with nearby Woodlands and City Beach, its demographic character is notably family-focused and settled, with 81.1% of residents staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
72.8%
Houses
23.7%
Townhouse
3.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Wembley Downs is dominated by established, detached housing, with 72.8% of dwellings separate houses, 23.7% semi-detached and 3.6% apartments. Larger homes are common: 50.0% have four or more bedrooms, 37.8% have three, and 11.5% have two. Outright ownership at 42.8% is higher than renting at 15.8% and slightly above mortgage ownership at 40.5%, creating a stable tenure base compared with a renter-led suburb. A current median house price is unavailable, so comparable sales are more useful than a broad suburb estimate. Housing costs appear manageable in aggregate, with rent at 17.9% and mortgages at 24.3% of household income.
Mortgage / mo
$2,762
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$470
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,063
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.8%
Unoccupied
143
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
53.7%
Couples with children
33.5%
Couples, no children
12.3%
Single parent
1,847
Total families
Economy & Employment
Wembley Downs has a highly skilled employment base. Healthcare is the largest industry at 18.7% with 481 workers, followed by professional and technical services at 15.2% with 390, education at 14.1% with 362, mining at 8.7% with 224, and construction at 7.0% with 181. Professionals number 1,334 and managers 659, helping explain household income at the 94.1st percentile. Unemployment is 3.6%, participation is 65.3% and full-time employment is 57.9%. Compared with lower-income areas, all four SEIFA measures sit in decile 10, placing Wembley Downs in the top national socioeconomic decile.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
3,478
Unemployed
125
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.9%
Part-time
37.5%
Participation
65.3%
Employed
3,353
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
57.7%
Postgraduate
15.9%
Born Overseas
31.0%
Dwellings
2,334
Transport to Work
Daily travel in Wembley Downs is car-dependent: 73.9% travel as car drivers, compared with 4.1% using public transport and 3.2% walking or cycling. That pattern matters because households are likely to need convenient road access for commuting and services, while 14.3% work from home. Local education access includes 2 schools, with 1 government primary school and 1 non-government school, so families should check the exact enrolment zone before buying. Density is 1,536.2 people per square kilometre across 4.39 square kilometres. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, the practical lifestyle is more suburban and vehicle-reliant, while an IRSAD decile of 10 indicates very strong socioeconomic conditions. For safety decisions, check current WA Police incident information and inspect the exact streets at different times.
Drive
73.9%
Public Transport
4.1%
Walk / Cycle
3.2%
Work from Home
14.3%
Population Forecast
+1.26%/yr
(+211 people/yr)
EstablishedWembley Downs has an established profile, but growth remains active rather than static. The annual trend is 1.26%, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 19.4% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Mixed. Gentrification is still at the Early signs stage, with a score of 33, and rent growth has reached 20.0%. Real income growth of 12.1% provides some support for demand, although affordability measures moved from 48.7 in 2011 to 42.4 in 2021. Compared with a rapid redevelopment cycle, this points to gradual change because established housing and selective development remain central to the suburb's direction.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+292
Net Internal / yr
0
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +25% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +292/yr, Accelerating: 8% → 16%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wembley Downs compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wembley Downs a good suburb to live in?
Wembley Downs suits households seeking established housing, with 6,743 residents, a median age of 41 and 72.8% separate houses. Household income sits at the 94.1st percentile, while 57.7% have university qualifications, 27.6 points above national. Compare exact streets, services and school zones before deciding.
What is the median house price in Wembley Downs?
A current median house price is not available. Use recent comparable sales because 72.8% of dwellings are separate houses, 50.0% have four or more bedrooms and 42.8% are owned outright. Those features can make a single suburb median less useful than comparing like-for-like homes.
What schools are in Wembley Downs?
Wembley Downs has 2 nearby schools: 1 government primary school and 1 non-government school. Check the exact address against current enrolment zones, since catchments can differ between streets and school sectors. Families should also compare travel times, before- and after-school care, and entry requirements.
Is Wembley Downs safe?
Wembley Downs should be assessed street by street rather than given a blanket verdict. It covers 4.39 square kilometres and has 6,743 residents, so local conditions can vary. Check current WA Police incident information, visit the exact streets at different times, and compare recent local reports before choosing a property.
Is Wembley Downs good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking established, owner-heavy housing, but the profile is not a simple high-yield story. Weekly rent is $470, vacancy is 5.8%, renting is 15.8% versus 42.8% owned outright, and 51 development applications were recorded over 12 months. Compare comparable sales, costs and likely tenant demand.
How is Wembley Downs's population changing?
Population change across the wider area runs at 19.4% over 10 years, with an annual trend of 1.26% driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is Mixed, while the gentrification score is 33 at the Early signs stage, pointing to gradual rather than uniform change.
What development is occurring in Wembley Downs?
Development activity reached 51 applications over 12 months, including retaining wall work and plans for 1 single-resident dwelling. That is higher than a no-activity profile, but applications cover varied project types. Inspect the exact proposal, timing and likely dwelling outcome before assuming a material change to nearby housing supply.
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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