Armadale (WA)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Armadale reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As per ABS population updates for the broader area and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the suburb of Armadale's population is estimated at around 16,625 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 3,210 people (23.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,415 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 15,110 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 52 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,007 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Armadale's 23.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%), along with the state, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration that contributed approximately 56.00000000000001% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and overseas migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and to estimate growth across all areas in the years post-2032, AreaSearch is utilising the growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Moving forward with demographic trends, a significant population increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is forecast for the suburb of Armadale (WA), with the area expected to increase by 4,918 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 25.6% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Armadale was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Armadale has seen approximately 85 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. From FY21 to FY25, around 429 homes were approved, with another 106 in FY26 so far. This results in about 7.4 people moving to the area per dwelling built over these years.

Commercial approvals this year total $16.0 million. Compared to Greater Perth, Armadale has roughly half the new dwelling approvals per person but ranks at the 82nd percentile nationally. New developments consist of 99% standalone homes and 1% medium-high density housing.

The area has around 124 people per dwelling approval, indicating growth potential. By 2041, Armadale is projected to grow by 4,264 residents. Current development rates may struggle to match population growth, potentially impacting buyer competition and house prices.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 16 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects are Armadale Strategic Metropolitan Centre Redevelopment, Forrestdale Business Park West, Morgan Park Redevelopment, Kelmscott Senior High School Sports Hall and Arts Centre. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Armadale face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Armadale's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. The unemployment rate was 15.1% in September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 2.8% over the past year. There are 6,313 employed residents, but the unemployment rate is 11.2% higher than Greater Perth's 4%.

Workforce participation stands at 60%, significantly lower than Greater Perth's 71.6%. Only 3.6% of residents work from home. Dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Transport, postal & warehousing has notable concentration, with levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical employs just 3.7%, below Greater Perth's 8.2%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 2.8% while labour force grew by 2.2%, reducing unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Armadale's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 6.0% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Armadale's median income among taxpayers is $48,107 with an average of $56,454. This is lower than the national average and compares to Greater Perth's median of $60,748 and average of $80,248. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Armadale are approximately $52,735 (median) and $61,885 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family, and personal incomes in Armadale fall between the 4th and 7th percentiles nationally. The $400 - 799 bracket dominates with 30.0% of residents (4,987 people), differing from surrounding regions where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 32.0%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Armadale, with only 79.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

Armadale displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Armadale's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 67.5% houses and 32.4% other dwellings. In comparison, Perth metro had 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Armadale was at 25.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.2% and rented ones at 42.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, below Perth metro's average of $1,907. Median weekly rent in Armadale was $270, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, Armadale's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Armadale features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 58.1% of all households, including 17.8% couples with children, 21.0% couples without children, and 17.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 41.9%, with lone person households at 37.5% and group households making up 4.4%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Armadale faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 10.8%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 7.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (8.9%) and certificates (32.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.5%), secondary education (7.9%), and tertiary education (2.9%).

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

Armadale has 117 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are serviced by 33 routes, collectively providing 5,486 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good transport accessibility, typically located within 200 meters of the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward using cars at 84%, with trains used by 8%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average. Only 3.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census).

Service frequency averages 783 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 46 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Health performance in Armadale is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Armadale faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Several health conditions affect both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is relatively low, at approximately 50% of Armadale's total population (~8,249 people), compared to 59.0% in Greater Perth and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 12.0% and 9.9% of residents respectively. However, 57.8% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 71.9% in Greater Perth. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. Armadale has a higher proportion of seniors (19.8%, or 3,291 people) than Greater Perth (16.3%). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Armadale was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Armadale's cultural diversity was notable, with 13.7% of its population speaking a language other than English at home, as recorded in the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016 data. Additionally, 30.7% of Armadale's residents were born overseas. Christianity was found to be the predominant religion in Armadale, with 43.5% of people identifying with it.

However, the category 'Other' showed an overrepresentation in Armadale compared to Greater Perth, with 1.1% versus 1.4%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (32.2%), Australian (24.9%), and Other (9.3%). Some ethnic groups had notable divergences: Dutch was overrepresented at 2.8%, Maori at 1.5%, and New Zealand at 0.9%.

Armadale's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Armadale is 39 years, slightly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Armadale has a notably higher proportion of individuals aged 65-74 (10.3% locally) and a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (12.9%). Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35-44 age group has grown from 12.0% to 13.2%, while the 25-34 cohort has declined from 14.0% to 12.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Armadale, with the 45-54 age group expected to grow by 38%, reaching 2,567 people from 1,862.