Applecross

Population growth drivers in Applecross are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

According to evaluations of ABS demographic releases for the wider region and address registries validated by AreaSearch since the Census, Applecross has a population of approximately 7,641 as of May 2026. This indicates a growth of 413 residents (5.7%) compared to the 2021 Census, which counted 7,228 citizens. This shift is calculated from a resident base of 7,459 estimated by AreaSearch using the ABS ERP release from June 2025, alongside an additional 556 validated new addresses registered since the Census. With these figures, the local density stands at 2,387 persons per square kilometer, placing the location in the top quartile of all areas analyzed by AreaSearch nationwide. Inward overseas migration drove this expansion, representing roughly 82.0% of the overall population rise in recent times.

Projections from the ABS and Geoscience Australia released in 2024 with a 2022 baseline are utilized by AreaSearch for each SA2 unit. For areas without specific coverage, and to calculate trends beyond 2032, growth rates by age bracket from the latest ABS Greater Capital Region projections published in 2023 using 2022 baseline data are applied. Looking at future demographic trends, statistical areas in this region are expected to grow at a rate above the national median, with predictions pointing to an increase of 1,441 residents up to 2041 across the aggregated SA2 levels, representing an overall expansion of 16.5% over the 16 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Applecross when compared nationally

Analysis of ABS building approvals allocated from statistical areas shows that the suburb of Applecross averaged around 181 annual residential approvals, amounting to an estimated 905 new dwellings over the last 5 financial years. Thus far in FY-26, 53 permits have been registered. Given that only 0.1 people moved to the locality for each finished residence between FY-21 and FY-25, the volume of new completions is matching or outpacing demand, granting prospective buyers plenty of options and allowing for population growth beyond predicted levels. Meanwhile, new residential builds carry an average valuation of $857,000, pointing to developer concentration on upscale, high-end builds. Furthermore, commercial building approvals have reached $43.8 million during the current financial year, showing strong local corporate investment.

Compared to the broader Greater Perth area, the suburb of Applecross registers 286.0% more construction permits per capita, giving buyers a wider selection of properties even though building activity has slowed down of late. This rate is far above the national benchmark, showing high developer interest in the district. Recent residential building consists of 22.0% single-family houses and 78.0% multi-unit or high-density dwellings. This emphasis on higher-density projects provides more accessible price points for purchasers, accommodating downsizers, real estate investors, and those buying their first home. This marks a clear departure from the current housing stock, which is 62.0% houses, showing a declining volume of vacant land and reflecting modern lifestyle preferences and the demand for more varied, economical housing. There are approximately 133 residents for each housing approval, pointing to a low-density property market.

Looking forward, the suburb of Applecross is projected to add 1,259 residents by 2041 from the latest quarterly calculations by AreaSearch. Judging by prevailing construction trends, the supply of new homes should comfortably satisfy demand, providing favorable purchasing conditions and potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current predictions.

Applecross has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Few elements have as much influence on local performance as changes to infrastructure, major projects, and municipal planning. In total, 30 projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to affect the area. Notable initiatives include the Applecross Village Redevelopment (Stage 2), the Mount Pleasant Primary School Redevelopment, the METRONET Canning Bridge Bus Interchange Upgrade, and the Townhouse Fund Applecross Development, with the subsequent list detailing the most significant entries.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Applecross performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

The suburb of Applecross has a highly qualified workforce, with a strong contingent of professional services workers and an unemployment rate of only 1.2%, according to compiled AreaSearch regional data. In March 2026, 4,060 local citizens were employed, with the jobless rate sitting 3.0% below the 4.2% recorded in Greater Perth, while labor force participation is lower at 64.6% compared to the metropolitan benchmark of 70.2%. Census records show a moderate 14.4% of working residents performed their jobs from home, although the impact of pandemic lockdowns should be kept in mind.

Resident employment is primarily clustered around healthcare and social assistance, professional and technical services, and retail. The concentration of workers in professional and technical fields is notable, measuring 1.7 times the metropolitan average. On the other hand, construction represents a smaller share of the workforce at 7.4% compared to 9.3% across the wider region. As a mostly residential district, local employment opportunities appear limited when comparing Census working figures against total resident numbers.

Analysis of SALM and ABS data, which draws from broader statistical areas, indicates that over the 12 months to March 2026, the labour force shrank by 3.0% and employment fell by 3.0%, while unemployment stayed roughly the same. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment rise by 2.0%, the labour force grow by 2.5%, and unemployment increase by 0.4 percentage points. Insights into future job demand in Applecross can be gained from Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts released in May-25. These forecasts span five and ten-year horizons and have been overlaid with Applecross's current employment structure to project growth trends. Nationally, employment is expected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though sectoral growth varies considerably. When these sectoral rates are applied to Applecross's employment composition, local employment is projected to grow by 7.0% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though this is a basic weighted extrapolation for illustration and does not incorporate local population forecasts.

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

The most recent postcode-level taxation statistics from the ATO for the 2023 financial year show that incomes in the suburb of Applecross are remarkably high by national standards, featuring a median of $68,819 and an average of $120,671. This is in contrast to the Greater Perth benchmarks, where the median stands at $60,748 and the average is $80,248. Adjusted for the 10.93% growth in the Wage Price Index since the 2023 financial year, current estimates point to a median of approximately $76,341 and an average of $133,860 as of March 2026. According to Census data, household, family, and individual earnings in the suburb of Applecross all rank in the upper tier nationally, placing in the 89th and 89th percentiles. Distribution metrics show the largest cohort consists of 33.1% of residents earning over $4000 per week, which accounts for 2,529 people, whereas the broader metropolitan region is led by the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket at 32.0%. Financial strength is evident as 43.9% of households earn weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, which sustains high discretionary spending. Residents keep 87.5% of their income after deducting housing costs, indicating substantial purchasing power, and the SEIFA index places the area in the 9th decile for income.

Applecross displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Residential structures in the suburb of Applecross at the time of the latest Census consisted of 61.9% houses and 38.1% other dwellings, which includes townhouses, apartments, and semi-detached units, compared to the Perth metro distribution of 77.8% houses and 22.1% other property types. Meanwhile, home ownership in the suburb of Applecross was significantly higher than the Perth metro rate, reaching 45.0%, while the remaining homes were occupied under a mortgage (26.6%) or rented (28.4%). The median monthly home loan payment was $2,800, well above the Perth metro median of $1,907, and the median weekly rent was $475 compared to $350 in the broader Perth metro area. Nationally, local monthly home loan payments are much higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are also well above the national median of $375.

Applecross has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Families make up the majority of households at 72.7%, consisting of 32.7% couples with offspring, 31.1% couples without offspring, and 7.8% single parent households. Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 27.3%, with single-person households at 24.6% and shared group households representing 2.7% of the total. The median household size of 2.5 individuals is slightly below the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in Applecross places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Academic qualifications in the suburb of Applecross are significantly higher than broader geographical averages, with 51.5% of residents aged 15 and over holding a university degree, compared to 27.9% across WA and 28.6% within the local SA4 region. This educational advantage prepares the community well for professional, knowledge-based industries. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification at 34.1%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 12.9% and graduate diplomas at 4.5%. Vocational credentials represent 21.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and over, split between advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 11.3%.

Participation in study is notably strong, with 29.0% of local citizens currently enrolled in some form of education. This comprises 9.7% attending primary schools, 7.8% in higher education, and 7.4% in secondary schools.

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

Public transit data shows 34 active transit stops in the suburb of Applecross, consisting of bus services. These stops are connected to 10 separate routes, which combine to support 1,656 passenger journeys each week. Local transit access is rated as excellent, with residents living an average of 171 meters from the nearest stop. Because it is a mostly residential area, most working residents commute to other districts, with private cars remaining the primary travel mode at 79%, followed by buses at 11% and trains at 6%. The average number of motor vehicles per household is 1.5. Some 14.4% of residents worked from home according to the 2021 Census, which may reflect pandemic-related conditions.

Service frequency averages 236 runs per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 48 weekly services for each transit stop.

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

Health data shows excellent wellness outcomes in the suburb of Applecross, based on evaluations of mortality and chronic disease rates showing very low rates of common illnesses across all age cohorts. The proportion of residents with private health insurance is exceptionally high, covering approximately 75% of the local population, which equates to 5,738 people. This is higher than the 59.0% recorded across Greater Perth and the national benchmark of 55.7%.

The most prevalent health issues reported locally were arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.2% and 5.7% of citizens respectively, while 75.4% of the population reported no chronic medical conditions compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. The suburb of Applecross has 24.2% of its population aged 65 and over, representing 1,849 individuals, which is higher than the Greater Perth proportion of 16.1%. The health status of local seniors is particularly strong, with national percentiles matching the high rankings of the general population.

Applecross 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

The suburb of Applecross shows high levels of cultural diversity, with 23.5% of residents speaking a non-English language at home and 40.5% born in another country. Christianity is the primary religion, representing 51.6% of the population. The most prominent religious overrepresentation is Judaism, which accounts for 0.2% of the local population compared to 0.3% across Greater Perth.

Looking at ancestral backgrounds, the three most common heritages in the suburb of Applecross are English at 26.9%, Australian at 17.6%, and Other at 10.9%. There are also notable differences in the concentration of other backgrounds compared to the wider region: South Australian ancestry is overrepresented at 1.3% in the suburb of Applecross compared to 1.0% regionally, Welsh is at 0.8% compared to 0.7%, and French is at 0.8% compared to 0.5%.

Applecross hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Applecross boasts a median age of 44, which stands well above the Greater Perth average of 37 and significantly outpaces the national mean of 38. The 75 - 84 age bracket is particularly prominent at 9.1% within the local area, while the 25 - 34 segment registers a lower share of 11.2%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has expanded from 7.1% to 9.1% of the total population. In contrast, the 0 to 4 age group has shrunk from 4.1% down to 3.2%. Projections indicate that Applecross's age distribution will change considerably by 2041. At the forefront of this transformation, the 75 to 84 group is forecast to increase by 58% (400 people), rising from 695 to 1,096 individuals. This pattern of an aging community is evident, as residents aged 65+ will account for 60% of the anticipated growth. At the same time, the 0 to 4 age cohort and the 35 to 44 age cohort are projected to see reductions in their population numbers.