Wembley Downs
Top-tier wealth in a coastal Perth pocket: Wembley Downs scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes, the highest advantage band, and household income sits in the 94.1st percentile nationally. The housing stock is firmly detached, with 72.8% separate houses and just 3.6% apartments, and half of all dwellings carry 4-plus bedrooms. University qualifications reach 57.7%, which is 27.6 points above the national figure, and the median age of 41 runs 1.0 year above national. Despite that wealth, the suburb still grew its population 19.4% over the decade, faster than most established areas.
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
23
Median House
$641K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $641,000 buys into a large-format, family-oriented market rather than a unit or townhouse one: 72.8% of dwellings are separate houses and only 3.6% are apartments, so a buyer is competing almost entirely for detached stock. Half of all homes (50.0%) have four or more bedrooms and another 37.8% have three, which suits upgraders over downsizers. Affordability is relatively comfortable for the price tier, with the mortgage-to-income ratio at 24.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 94.1st percentile. Owners are well established too: 43.2% own outright against 40.9% still on a mortgage, a sign that much of the housing is held by long-settled, lower-debt households rather than recent first buyers.
For Buyers
The median house price of $641,000 buys into a large-format, family-oriented market rather than a unit or townhouse one: 72.8% of dwellings are separate houses and only 3.6% are apartments, so a buyer is competing almost entirely for detached stock. Half of all homes (50.0%) have four or more bedrooms and another 37.8% have three, which suits upgraders over downsizers. Affordability is relatively comfortable for the price tier, with the mortgage-to-income ratio at 24.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 94.1st percentile. Owners are well established too: 43.2% own outright against 40.9% still on a mortgage, a sign that much of the housing is held by long-settled, lower-debt households rather than recent first buyers.
For Investors
The investment case here favours capital growth over yield. Weekly rent of $470 against the $641,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.8%, modest, and the renter pool is thin at 15.9% versus 84.1% owner-occupiers, so tenant demand is shallower than in higher-density suburbs. The 5.8% vacancy rate is moderate rather than tight. What supports the longer view is demand: net overseas migration adds about 292 residents a year and is the primary growth driver, while rents have risen 20.0% over the period. Development is light, with only 19 applications in 12 months, mostly single-house builds and additions rather than new rental supply, which keeps stock scarce and underpins values more than rental volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
23
Last 12 Months
23
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 iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Hale School
PP-12 · 1623 students
Wembley Downs Primary School
K-6 · 382 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 is 1.0 year above national, and the profile leans toward established families: couples with children make up 2,673 households against 1,225 couples without, and the average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national. Overseas-born residents reach 31.0%, which is 9.4 points above national, yet the cultural base remains strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,713), Irish (805) and Scottish (710) ancestries. The leading non-English languages are Mandarin (71 speakers), Italian (41) and Cantonese (26), a small but international layer. University qualifications at 57.7% sit 27.6 points above the national figure, which is consistent with a workforce dominated by 1,334 professionals and 659 managers.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
72.8%
Houses
23.7%
Townhouse
3.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily owner-occupied: 43.2% own outright and 40.9% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 15.9%. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, lower-debt wealth rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 72.8% separate houses and 23.7% semi-detached, with apartments at only 3.6%, so density is low for a metropolitan suburb at 1,536 residents per km2. Larger homes dominate, with 50.0% holding four or more bedrooms and 37.8% three. Against the $641,000 median, the mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3% and rent-to-income of 17.9% both sit below the 30% stress mark, an unusually comfortable affordability reading for a decile 10 area, helped by the 94.1st-percentile incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$2,762
Rent / wk
$470
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
22.0%
Couples, no children
5,574
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in high-skill service sectors: Healthcare leads at 18.7% (481 workers), Professional and Technical follows at 15.2% (390) and Education at 14.1% (362), with Mining at 8.7% and Construction at 7.0% reflecting WA's resources economy. By occupation, Professionals (1,334) and Managers (659) make up the bulk of jobs, which aligns with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.8% and the full-time employment rate is 60.7%. Participation reads 62.4%, held down because the older profile leaves 1,714 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew 12.1% over the decade, and all four SEIFA indexes sit at decile 10, the top advantage tier nationally.
Unemployment
1.3%
Labour Force
9,340
Unemployed
120
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.7%
Part-time
35.5%
Participation
62.4%
Employed
3,199
Occupations
Top Industries
University
57.7%
Postgraduate
15.9%
Born Overseas
31.0%
Dwellings
2,334
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent, low-density setting: 86.2% of residents drive to work while only 4.8% use public transport and 3.7% walk or cycle, well below transit-rich inner suburbs. The trade-off is space and safety signals at the top of the scale, with decile 10 on IRSD for relative disadvantage meaning very few residents face deprivation, and only 2.8% (181 people) needing daily assistance despite the median age of 41. Community engagement is strong, with a volunteering rate of 25.1%, above what many metropolitan suburbs record. No schools are recorded inside the 4.39 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical consideration given the family-heavy housing mix.
Drive
86.2%
Public Transport
4.8%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.26%/yr
(+211 people/yr)
EstablishedFar from static for an established suburb, Wembley Downs grew its population 19.4% over the decade and is forecast to keep expanding at 1.26% a year, roughly 211 more residents annually. The primary engine is overseas migration at about 292 net arrivals a year, with internal migration broadly neutral. The gentrification reading is early signs at a score of 33, supported by signals of a +25% population rise since 2011 and an accelerating young-adult inflow. Affordability has actually improved over time, easing from 48.7% in 2011 to 42.4% in 2021. Rents climbed 20.0% across the period, faster than the modest real income growth of 12.1%, which points to demand outpacing wage gains.
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 scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 94.1st percentile. University qualifications reach 57.7%, which is 27.6 points above national. The main trade-offs are a $641,000 median house price and heavy car dependence, with 86.2% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Wembley Downs?
The median house price is $641,000, with weekly rent averaging $470 and monthly mortgage repayments around $2,762. That gives a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, which is comfortable for a suburb in the 94.1st income percentile.
What schools are in Wembley Downs?
No schools are recorded inside the 4.39 km2 Wembley Downs boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 57.7%, which is 27.6 points above the national figure.
Is Wembley Downs safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Wembley Downs in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 2.8% of its 6,743 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Wembley Downs good for property investment?
Rent of $470 a week against a $641,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.8%, modest, and renters are just 15.9% of households. Net overseas migration of about 292 a year and 20.0% rent growth support demand, so returns lean toward capital growth over yield, with vacancy at 5.8%.
How is Wembley Downs's population changing?
The population of 6,743 grew 19.4% over the decade and is forecast to keep rising at 1.26% a year, about 211 more residents annually. The main driver is overseas migration at roughly 292 net arrivals a year, with internal migration broadly neutral.
What languages are spoken in Wembley Downs?
About 31.0% of residents were born overseas, 9.4 points above the national figure. English dominates, with Mandarin (71 speakers), Italian (41), Cantonese (26) and German (24) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a small but international resident mix.
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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