Alfred Cove

Population growth drivers in Alfred Cove are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Alfred Cove is around 3,030. This reflects an increase of 200 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,830. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 3,015 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and an additional 27 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 2,805 persons per square kilometer, placing Alfred Cove in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Alfred Cove has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.9%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 93.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population trends project an above median growth for national statistical areas. By 2041, Alfred Cove is expected to expand by 405 persons, reflecting a total increase of 14.3% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Alfred Cove recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Alfred Cove has seen approximately 8 dwellings approved annually over the past five financial years from FY21 to FY25, totaling about 41 homes. In FY26 up to now, there has been 1 approval recorded. On average, around 5.4 people move into the area each year for every dwelling built during this period. This high demand relative to supply often drives up prices and intensifies competition among buyers.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings in Alfred Cove is approximately $724,000, indicating a focus on premium properties. This financial year has seen around $1.8 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting the residential nature of the area. Compared to Greater Perth's averages, Alfred Cove has notably lower building activity, at about 56.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically boosts demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, Alfred Cove also shows lower new building activity, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints.

The area's new building activity is primarily composed of detached dwellings (83.0%) with townhouses or apartments making up the remainder (17.0%), preserving its traditional suburban character focused on family homes. With approximately 432 people moving into Alfred Cove for every dwelling approval, it indicates a developed market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to add around 432 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply might struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Alfred Cove has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified two significant projects that could impact the area's performance: Attadale Reserve Masterplan & Sports Facilities Upgrade, and Westfield Booragoon Shopping Centre Expansion. Other notable projects include Fremantle to Murdoch and Cockburn Central Transport Capacity improvement, and Myaree Business Area Master Plan.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment conditions in Alfred Cove demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Alfred Cove has an educated workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 2.6% as of June 2025, with estimated employment growth of 4.6% over the preceding year.

Compared to Greater Perth's unemployment rate of 3.9%, Alfred Cove had a lower rate of 1.3%. Workforce participation in Alfred Cove was 67.7%, slightly higher than Greater Perth's 65.2%. Leading industries for residents were health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training showed strong specialization with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing was under-represented at 3.1% compared to Greater Perth's 4.7%. Local employment opportunities appeared limited based on Census data comparison of working population vs resident population. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 4.6%, and labour force by 5.6%, leading to a 0.9 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Perth had employment growth of 3.7% and labour force growth of 3.8%, with a 0.1 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (Sep-22) project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Alfred Cove's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Alfred Cove has exceptionally high incomes nationally. The median income is $62,289 and the average income stands at $95,630. This contrasts with Greater Perth's figures of a median income of $58,380 and an average income of $78,020. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $71,134 (median) and $109,209 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Alfred Cove, between the 78th and 81st percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the predominant cohort spans 25.3% of locals (766 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 32.0% in the same category. The substantial proportion of high earners (37.8% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Alfred Cove. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Alfred Cove is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Alfred Cove's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 78.8% houses and 21.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Perth metro had 76.5% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Alfred Cove was 41.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.6% and rented ones at 17.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,400, higher than Perth metro's $2,200. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $430, compared to Perth metro's $400. Nationally, Alfred Cove's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Alfred Cove has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 73.5% of all households, including 36.1% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 26.5%, with lone person households at 23.6% and group households comprising 2.5% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Perth average.

Alfred Cove demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Alfred Cove has a notably high educational attainment among residents aged 15 and above, with 42.9% holding university qualifications compared to the Western Australian (WA) average of 27.9% and the SA4 region's average of 28.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 29.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.8% and graduate diplomas at 4.8%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.2% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (18.2%). Educational participation is high, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 10.1% in primary, 8.5% in secondary, and 6.4% in tertiary education.

However, educational facilities appear to be located outside Alfred Cove's immediate boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Alfred Cove has 13 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops are served by a mix of buses along 7 different routes, collectively providing 1,161 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 173 meters from the nearest transport stop.

Service frequency averages 165 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 89 weekly trips per individual stop.

Alfred Cove's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Alfred Cove shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. The private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 65%, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 7.2% and 6.4% respectively. A total of 73.5% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Perth's 72.5%. The area has 20.1% residents aged 65 and over (609 people), lower than Greater Perth's 22.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Alfred Cove was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Alfred Cove was found to have a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 14.0% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 29.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Alfred Cove, making up 54.0% of the population, compared to 50.2% across Greater Perth. The top three ancestry groups in Alfred Cove are English (29.7%), Australian (22.9%), and Irish (7.8%).

Notably, French (0.9%) is overrepresented in Alfred Cove compared to the regional average of 0.6%, as are Croatian (1.2% vs 1.1%) and South African (1.0% vs 0.9%) groups.

Alfred Cove hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Alfred Cove's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and somewhat older than Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth's average, Alfred Cove has a notably over-represented cohort of residents aged 75-84 (7.5% locally), while those aged 25-34 are under-represented (9.7%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 grew from 11.2% to 12.9%, and the 75-84 cohort increased from 6.1% to 7.5%. Conversely, the 0-4 age group declined from 5.5% to 4.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that Alfred Cove's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 61%, adding 139 residents to reach a total of 367. This growth is part of an overall demographic aging trend, with residents aged 65 and older representing 64% of the anticipated population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts.