Willagee
At 5,447 residents and 2,607.8 people per sq km, Willagee is a compact, established suburb where 79.4% of dwellings are separate houses. The median age is 37, which is 3.0 years below the national comparison, while the 37.9% university-educated share is 7.8 percentage points above the national figure. Compared with nearby Palmyra and Kardinya, its clearest profile is a mortgage-belt setting: 41.4% of residents are paying a mortgage, 35.5% rent, and average household size is 2.3. That combination supports family demand, but the 1.39% annual growth trend and worsening affordability point to a suburb changing gradually rather than rapidly.
Population
5,447
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,660/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Willagee suits buyers who prioritise established three and four-bedroom housing over apartments. Separate houses account for 79.4% of stock, with 47.7% containing 3 bedrooms and 25.8% containing 4 or more; apartments represent only 1.9%. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,967 compares with weekly rent of $283, and mortgage payments equal 27.4% of household income. That is a meaningful budgeting point because the suburb's affordability measure worsened from 30.8% in 2011 to 34.1% in 2021. Compared with apartment-oriented options, Willagee provides more detached-house choice, but buyers should rely on current comparable sales because no suburb-wide median house price is available.
For Buyers
Willagee suits buyers who prioritise established three and four-bedroom housing over apartments. Separate houses account for 79.4% of stock, with 47.7% containing 3 bedrooms and 25.8% containing 4 or more; apartments represent only 1.9%. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,967 compares with weekly rent of $283, and mortgage payments equal 27.4% of household income. That is a meaningful budgeting point because the suburb's affordability measure worsened from 30.8% in 2011 to 34.1% in 2021. Compared with apartment-oriented options, Willagee provides more detached-house choice, but buyers should rely on current comparable sales because no suburb-wide median house price is available.
For Investors
Willagee offers a mixed rental case rather than a simple scarcity story. Renting households make up 35.5%, higher than the 19.6% owning outright, and the weekly rent is $283. Vacancy is 7.9%, so leasing assumptions should allow for tenant choice and property-specific competition. No development activity was recorded across the latest 12 months, which limits the immediate risk of a construction surge but also means investors should not rely on new amenity arriving soon. The growth trend is 1.39% annually and migration is labelled Balanced, supporting a steady rather than speculative thesis. Compared with a tightly held owner-occupier market, the rental base is substantial, but the 41.4% mortgage share points to strong competition for established houses.
Schools in Willagee
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
FREMANTLE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
CARALEE COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Demographics
Willagee's median age of 37 is 3.0 years below the national comparison, and 37.9% of residents have university qualifications, 7.8 points above the national share. Household size averages 2.3 people, below the national comparison by 0.2, helping explain demand for efficient 2 and 3-bedroom homes as well as family houses. English ancestry is recorded for 2,108 people, followed by Scottish at 556 and Irish at 534. No religion is the largest recorded affiliation at 2,723, ahead of Christianity at 2,017. Residential stability is notable: 76.6% stayed at the same address while turnover was 23.4%. Compared with nearby Palmyra and Kardinya, Willagee's mix points to a settled but gradually changing population rather than a highly transient one.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.4%
Houses
18.6%
Townhouse
1.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Willagee's housing profile is firmly detached-led: 79.4% of dwellings are separate houses, 18.6% semi-detached and 1.9% apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.7%, while 4 or more bedrooms account for 25.8%; smaller 2-bedroom dwellings make up 23.1%. Tenure is split between mortgages at 41.4%, renting at 35.5% and outright ownership at 19.6%, so household decisions are shaped by both debt costs and leasing demand. Mortgage payments equal 27.4% of household income, compared with rent at 17.0%, and neither is flagged as stressed. Relative to apartment-heavy suburbs, Willagee provides more land-oriented housing, but the absence of a reliable median price makes current property-level comparisons essential.
Mortgage / mo
$1,967
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$283
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$829
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.9%
Unoccupied
182
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.2%
Couples with children
33.3%
Couples, no children
23.1%
Single parent
1,342
Total families
Economy & Employment
Willagee's employment base is led by healthcare at 17.3% or 325 workers, education at 14.3% or 268, professional and technical services at 9.9% or 186, construction at 9.4% or 177, and public administration at 6.9% or 129. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 750, ahead of trades at 359 and managers at 311. Participation is 62.4%, unemployment 5.0%, and 58.0% of employed residents work full time. Household income is $1,660 a week, at the 57.5th percentile nationally. The SEIFA pattern is uneven: education and occupation indicators sit in decile 7, while relative socioeconomic disadvantage is decile 3 and advantage is decile 5, below the stronger education result. This suggests skilled employment does not lift every household equally.
Unemployment
5.0%
Labour Force
2,752
Unemployed
138
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.0%
Part-time
35.6%
Participation
62.4%
Employed
2,614
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.9%
Postgraduate
8.2%
Born Overseas
26.9%
Dwellings
2,125
Transport to Work
Willagee is most practical for residents who drive: 79.7% travel as car drivers, compared with 3.8% using public transport, 2.2% walking or cycling and 8.9% working from home. The 2 nearby government schools cover primary and language-development settings, giving families local options while enrolment zones should still be checked against the exact address. An average household size of 2.3 and a 79.4% separate-house share support a conventional family-home pattern, while 16.8% volunteering suggests some capacity for local participation. Relative to a transit-oriented suburb, Willagee is more car dependent, so access to work, shopping and services should be tested route by route. The IRSAD decile is 5, indicating a middle position rather than the top or bottom decile.
Drive
79.7%
Public Transport
3.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
8.9%
Population Forecast
+1.39%/yr
(+87 people/yr)
EstablishedWillagee's forecast trend is 1.39% annual growth, with migration marked Balanced, so momentum is positive but not dependent on one clear inflow. Population change across the wider area is 14.3% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Declining young: the young share fell 2.6 percentage points and the senior share rose 1.6. Affordability worsened from 30.8% in 2011 to 34.1% in 2021, alongside rent growth of 65.5%, which can make entry harder for younger households. Gentrification signals are mixed: the main score is 33, classified as Early signs, while the shift measure records 66 and Active. Compared with a high-growth renewal precinct, this points to established-suburb change driven by rising costs and gradual demographic ageing.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+67
Net Internal / yr
+81
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +24% since 2011, Net internal migration +81/yr, Accelerating: 1% → 23%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Willagee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Willagee a good suburb to live in?
Willagee can suit households wanting established detached housing, with 79.4% separate houses and a median age of 37. Car use is high at 79.7%, while public transport accounts for 3.8%, so daily convenience depends heavily on driving and the exact location.
What is the median house price in Willagee?
A suburb-wide median house price is not currently available for Willagee. Compare recent sales by street and dwelling type, especially because 47.7% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 25.8% have 4 or more bedrooms.
What schools are in Willagee?
Willagee has 2 nearby government schools listed: a primary school and a language development centre. Check the enrolment zone for the exact address, because school access can vary across nearby streets and school types.
Is Willagee safe?
No suburb-level crime rate is available for Willagee, so avoid treating the area as uniformly safe or unsafe. Check recent incident information for the exact street and compare day and night conditions before deciding; the suburb has 5,447 residents.
Is Willagee good for property investment?
Willagee may suit a measured investment strategy: 35.5% of households rent, weekly rent is $283 and vacancy is 7.9%. Growth is forecast at 1.39% annually with Balanced migration, but 0 developments were recorded in 12 months, so returns depend on existing demand.
How is Willagee's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is 14.3% over 10 years, with annual growth forecast at 1.39% and migration labelled Balanced. The trajectory is Declining young: the young share is down 2.6 points and the senior share is up 1.6, indicating gradual ageing alongside continued growth.
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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