Whalan
Two numbers define Whalan: household income sits in just the 22.4th percentile nationally, yet the median house price has climbed to $817,500. That gap explains the housing pressure here, where 54.3% of residents rent and mortgage holders spend 34.5% of income on repayments, above the 30% stress threshold. The suburb scores in the bottom deciles across all four SEIFA indexes, decile 1 on IRSAD, IRSD and IER, signalling concentrated disadvantage. At a median age of 34, six years below the national figure, Whalan skews young, and the 88.6% detached-house stock keeps it a low-density area at 2,440 people per square kilometre.
Population
5,929
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,160/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
36
Median House
$818K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Whalan's $817,500 median makes it one of Western Sydney's more affordable detached markets, but affordability is relative: with household income in the 22.4th percentile, the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 34.5%, above the 30% stress line. Prices rose 14.5% in a single year, from $756,000 in 2024 to $865,588 in 2025, faster than incomes grew. The stock favours families because 88.6% are separate houses and 61.2% have three bedrooms, with another 26.2% offering four or more. Apartments make up just 5.9%, so first-home buyers chasing a yard have options that denser suburbs lack. Outright owners (22.7%) and mortgage holders (22.9%) are almost evenly split, but together they trail the 54.3% who rent, a sign that owner-occupier entry remains hard at these prices.
For Buyers
Whalan's $817,500 median makes it one of Western Sydney's more affordable detached markets, but affordability is relative: with household income in the 22.4th percentile, the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 34.5%, above the 30% stress line. Prices rose 14.5% in a single year, from $756,000 in 2024 to $865,588 in 2025, faster than incomes grew. The stock favours families because 88.6% are separate houses and 61.2% have three bedrooms, with another 26.2% offering four or more. Apartments make up just 5.9%, so first-home buyers chasing a yard have options that denser suburbs lack. Outright owners (22.7%) and mortgage holders (22.9%) are almost evenly split, but together they trail the 54.3% who rent, a sign that owner-occupier entry remains hard at these prices.
For Investors
The renter share of 54.3% is well above the owner-occupier base, giving landlords a deep tenant pool in a suburb where weekly rent averages $300. Rent has grown 27.8% over the period, faster than the broader Sydney trend, and rent-to-income runs at 25.9%, below the stress threshold, leaving tenants room to absorb increases. The vacancy rate of 7.5% is higher than tight inner markets, hinting at softer demand for some stock. Against the $817,500 median, that $300 rent implies a gross yield near 1.9%, low, so the case rests on capital growth after the 14.5% one-year price move. Development is modest at 35 applications in 12 months, including dual-occupancy and demolition-rebuild work, which adds supply slowly rather than flooding it.
Development Activity
Total DAs
146
Last 12 Months
36
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+20.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Whalan iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Whalan Public School
P-6 · 340 students
Madang Avenue Public School
P-6 · 320 students
Demographics
Whalan's median age of 34 is 6.0 years below the national figure, marking a young, family-heavy population with an average household size of 2.8, which is 0.3 above national. Overseas-born residents reach 31.0%, 9.4 points above national, and the cultural mix is distinctive: Samoan (382) and Filipino (290) are leading ancestries alongside English (1,346), while Samoan (128) and Arabic (105) top the non-English languages. Couples with children (1,596 families) far outnumber couples without (660), reinforcing the family profile. University qualifications sit at 17.1%, which is 13.0 points below national, because the workforce leans toward trades and service roles rather than degree-based professions. Islam (479 residents) is the second religion after Christianity (2,854), reflecting the migrant intake.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.6%
Houses
5.5%
Townhouse
5.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renting: 54.3% rent, while 22.7% own outright and 22.9% carry a mortgage, so owner-occupiers together are outnumbered by tenants. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 88.6%, with apartments at just 5.9% and semi-detached at 5.5%, which is why three-bedroom homes (61.2%) and four-plus-bedroom homes (26.2%) dominate. The median house price rose from $756,000 in 2024 to $865,588 in 2025, a 14.5% one-year gain that outpaced the 22.4th-percentile local incomes. That mismatch shows in the numbers: mortgage-to-income reaches 34.5%, above the 30% stress threshold, even though rent-to-income stays at a manageable 25.9%. Outright ownership at 22.7% points to a core of long-settled households alongside a large, churning rental base.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$506
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.5%
Unoccupied
153
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
14.5%
Couples, no children
4,561
Total families
Economy & Employment
Whalan's workforce concentrates in service and manual roles: Healthcare leads industries at 18.9% (136 workers), followed by Construction at 10.2% and Retail at 9.7%, while by occupation Machinery Operators and Drivers (362) and Labourers (236) are the two largest groups. This blue-collar tilt aligns with the decile 2 IEO score for education and occupation and the decile 1 IER score for economic resources, both near the bottom nationally. Unemployment is high at 11.3%, well above typical metro rates, and participation reads only 33.5% because 2,227 residents are not in the labour force. The IRSAD and IRSD indexes both sit at decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier, reflecting low household income at the 22.4th percentile despite real income growth of 19.5% over the decade.
Unemployment
12.3%
Labour Force
11,291
Unemployed
1,394
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.2%
Part-time
22.5%
Participation
33.5%
Employed
1,332
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.1%
Postgraduate
4.5%
Born Overseas
31.0%
Dwellings
1,876
Transport to Work
Whalan is car-dependent: 82.1% of commuters drive, while only 5.6% use public transport and 1.7% walk or cycle, well below denser inner suburbs, reflecting the spread-out detached layout at 2,440 people per square kilometre. The suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSAD and IRSD indexes, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, which correlates with the 11.3% of residents (593 people) who need daily assistance and an unemployment rate of 11.3%. No schools are recorded inside the 2.43 square kilometre boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. On the upside, rent-to-income at 25.9% stays below the stress threshold, and the young median age of 34 supports a family-oriented community feel.
Drive
82.1%
Public Transport
5.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.75%/yr
(+183 people/yr)
EstablishedWhalan registers as an established suburb with steady rather than explosive growth: the surrounding catchment expanded 5.5% over 10 years and trends at 0.75% annually, adding roughly 183 people a year. The gentrification stage reads early signs, scored 20, driven by a strong overseas inflow of about 516 residents a year that offsets a net internal outflow near 459, so migration from abroad is the primary growth driver. Affordability improved from 68.2% in 2011 to 59.3% in 2021, a positive shift even as house prices rose 14.5% in the latest year. The trajectory is described as declining young, with the young-resident share down 2.3 points and the senior share up 2.4 points, suggesting the family base is gradually aging in place.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+516
Net Internal / yr
-459
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal outflow -459/yr, Strong overseas inflow +516/yr, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Whalan compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Whalan a good suburb to live in?
Whalan suits families wanting affordable detached housing, with 88.6% separate houses and a $817,500 median, below many Sydney markets. The trade-offs are real: it scores decile 1 on IRSAD and IRSD, the most disadvantaged tier, with unemployment at 11.3% and household income in the 22.4th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Whalan?
The median house price is $817,500. Prices rose 14.5% in a year, from $756,000 in 2024 to $865,588 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $300 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,733, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.5%, above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Whalan?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.43 square kilometre Whalan boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is young, with a median age of 34, which is 6 years below the national figure, and university qualifications at 17.1%.
Is Whalan safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Whalan in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the lowest tier, and 11.3% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a higher-need area rather than a low-disadvantage one.
Is Whalan good for property investment?
Rent of $300 a week against an $817,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%, low, though the renter share of 54.3% provides a deep tenant pool. Rent grew 27.8% over the period and the vacancy rate is 7.5%, so returns depend more on capital growth after the 14.5% one-year price rise.
How is Whalan's population changing?
The wider catchment grew 5.5% over 10 years and trends at 0.75% annually, about 183 people a year. Overseas migration of roughly 516 residents a year is the main driver, offsetting a net internal outflow near 459. The young-resident share fell 2.3 points while the senior share rose 2.4 points.
What languages are spoken in Whalan?
About 31.0% of residents were born overseas, 9.4 points above the national figure. English is dominant, while Samoan (128 speakers), Arabic (105), Hindi (60) and Urdu (40) are the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strong Pacific Islander and South Asian migrant presence.
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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