West Perth
A median house price of $480,000 sitting beside a 17.8% vacancy rate tells most of West Perth's story, and the two facts are linked. Apartments make up 78.3% of the dwelling stock while separate houses are just 9.0%, so this is a dense, rental-led inner-city pocket rather than a family-house market. Renters hold 65.3% of homes and 53.0% of families are couples with no children, which fits the low average household size of 1.8, around 0.7 below national. The population skews young at a median age of 35, roughly 5 years below national, and is highly educated, with 59.4% holding university qualifications, 29.3 points above the national figure.
Population
6,102
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,918/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
7
Median House
$480K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $480,000 median is affordable for an inner-city Perth address, and it reflects what is actually for sale: 78.3% of dwellings are apartments and only 9.0% are separate houses, so buyers are almost always purchasing units rather than land. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 48.5% and one-bedroom or studios add another 26.8%, leaving 4-plus bedroom homes at just 3.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,772, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold and far more comfortable than most capital-city markets. Outright owners (15.2%) trail mortgage holders (19.4%), and both sit far behind the 65.3% who rent, so a buyer here is entering a market dominated by tenants rather than owner-occupiers.
For Buyers
The $480,000 median is affordable for an inner-city Perth address, and it reflects what is actually for sale: 78.3% of dwellings are apartments and only 9.0% are separate houses, so buyers are almost always purchasing units rather than land. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 48.5% and one-bedroom or studios add another 26.8%, leaving 4-plus bedroom homes at just 3.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,772, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold and far more comfortable than most capital-city markets. Outright owners (15.2%) trail mortgage holders (19.4%), and both sit far behind the 65.3% who rent, so a buyer here is entering a market dominated by tenants rather than owner-occupiers.
For Investors
A 65.3% renter share is one of the highest you will find and gives landlords a very deep tenant pool, but the supply side warrants caution. Weekly rent averages $400 against the $480,000 median, implying a gross yield near 4.3%, healthy by capital-city standards because the entry price is low. The 17.8% vacancy rate is the warning sign: in an apartment-heavy market where 78.3% of stock is units, that level points to genuine oversupply rather than friction. New supply is thin, with only 6 development applications lodged in 12 months, most being commercial fit-outs and minor works rather than dwellings, so the existing apartment glut is not being added to quickly. The case rests on yield and tenant depth more than scarcity.
Development Activity
Total DAs
7
Last 12 Months
7
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$237K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
West Perth runs young and international. The median age of 35 is about 5 years below national, and overseas-born residents reach 50.3%, which is 28.7 points above the national share, making migrants a clear majority. University qualifications hit 59.4%, 29.3 points above national, among the highest concentrations of degree holders anywhere. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,834), Irish (637), Chinese (549) and Scottish (543), while the top non-English languages are Mandarin (102), Italian (63) and Cantonese (37). Average household size is 1.8, around 0.7 below national, consistent with the single and couple-without-children profile: 53.0% of the 2,975 families are couples with no children, against just 841 couples with children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
9.0%
Houses
12.7%
Townhouse
78.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily skewed to renting: 65.3% rent, 19.4% carry a mortgage and only 15.2% own outright, so owner-occupiers are a minority in a market built for tenants. The stock is 78.3% apartments and 12.7% semi-detached, leaving separate houses at just 9.0%, which is why the $480,000 median reads low for an inner-city location, it is pricing units not houses. Two-bedroom dwellings make up 48.5% and one-bedroom or studios 26.8%, so 75% of homes are compact. Despite this, affordability holds up: rent-to-income sits at 20.9% and mortgage-to-income at 21.3%, both well below the 30% stress line, helped by household incomes in the 71.8th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,772
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,251
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.8%
Unoccupied
638
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
53.0%
Couples, no children
2,975
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in high-skill sectors led by Professional/Tech at 18.8% (589 workers) and Healthcare at 16.8% (525), with Mining at 10.4% (326) reflecting Perth's resources base, then Education (7.9%) and Hospitality (7.9%). By occupation, Professionals dominate at 1,679 with Managers next at 518, which matches the 59.4% university qualification rate, 29.3 points above national. Unemployment is moderate at 5.0% and the full-time employment rate is strong at 73.4%, though participation reads 69.7% because 1,162 residents sit outside the labour force. SEIFA advantage scores are not available for West Perth in this dataset, so the high-income, high-education signals come from the 71.8th income percentile rather than index deciles.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
73.4%
Part-time
21.6%
Participation
69.7%
Employed
3,723
Occupations
Top Industries
University
59.4%
Postgraduate
19.3%
Born Overseas
50.3%
Dwellings
2,946
Transport to Work
West Perth is built for car-light inner-city living: only 51.0% drive to work, well below the national norm, while 24.0% use public transport and 20.5% walk or cycle, reflecting the 2,793.8 residents per km2 density. The compact footprint of 2.18 km2 puts the CBD edge within walking distance, which suits the young median age of 35 and the 1.8-person average household. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a unit-dominated area where only 3.4% of homes have 4-plus bedrooms. Only 4.7% of residents, 271 people, need daily assistance, and crime statistics are not available here to assess safety directly.
Drive
51.0%
Public Transport
24.0%
Walk / Cycle
20.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How West Perth compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Perth a good suburb to live in?
West Perth suits young professionals and renters more than families. Household income sits in the 71.8th percentile nationally, 59.4% hold university degrees (29.3 points above national), and the median age of 35 is about 5 years below national. The main trade-offs are a 78.3% apartment stock and a high 17.8% vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in West Perth?
The median house price is about $480,000, affordable for an inner-city Perth location because 78.3% of dwellings are apartments rather than houses. Weekly rent averages $400 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,772, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.3%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in West Perth?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.18 km2 West Perth boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 59.4%, which is 29.3 points above the national figure.
Is West Perth safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for West Perth in this dataset. As an indirect signal, only 4.7% of residents, about 271 people, need daily assistance, and household incomes sit in the 71.8th percentile nationally, both consistent with a relatively well-resourced inner-city area.
Is West Perth good for property investment?
Rent of $400 a week against a $480,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.3%, healthy for a capital city, and 65.3% of homes are rented, giving a deep tenant pool. The catch is a 17.8% vacancy rate signalling apartment oversupply, where 78.3% of stock is units.
How is West Perth's population changing?
West Perth has high turnover, with a 41.0% mobility rate meaning only 59.0% of residents stayed put, typical of a renter-majority area where 65.3% lease. The young median age of 35, about 5 years below national, points to a transient professional population rather than settled family growth.
What languages are spoken in West Perth?
About 50.3% of residents were born overseas, 28.7 points above the national figure, making migrants a majority. English dominates, but the most common non-English languages are Mandarin (102 speakers), Italian (63), Cantonese (37) and Hindi (36), reflecting a strongly 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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