Balcatta

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

As of Nov 2025, Balcatta's population is estimated at around 12,609, reflecting an increase of 1,796 people since the 2021 Census. The ABS ERP estimate for surrounding areas applied to Balcatta by AreaSearch in June 2024 was 12,493. This increase is inferred from the latest ERP data release by the ABS and 139 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 1,788 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Balcatta's growth of 16.6% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%). Overseas migration contributed approximately 70.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is utilising 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 post-2032 growth estimates, AreaSearch uses ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. By 2041, the suburb is expected to expand by 1,297 persons, reflecting an increase of 5.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Balcatta among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Balcatta has seen approximately 66 residential properties approved annually, totaling 332 over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, with an additional 17 approved in FY-26. This translates to an average of 3.2 people moving to the area per dwelling built over these years. The supply has lagged demand, indicating heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New properties are constructed at an average cost of $439,000. In FY-26, there have been $39.6 million in commercial approvals, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Perth, Balcatta exhibits moderately higher development activity, with 33.0% above the regional average per person over five years.

This maintains reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. New building activity comprises 80.0% standalone homes and 20.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's traditional suburban character focused on family homes. However, new construction favours detached housing more than current patterns suggest (53.0% at Census), indicating ongoing robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. Balcatta has around 163 people per dwelling approval, showcasing characteristics of a growth area. Future projections estimate an addition of 641 residents by 2041, with current construction levels expected to adequately meet demand and create favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects that may affect the region. Notable ones include City of Stirling Local Planning Scheme No. 4 (LPS4), Trackless Tram System - Scarborough Beach Road Activity Corridor, East Roselea Structure Plan (Mosaic Balcatta), and Stephenson Avenue Extension. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

The labour market in Balcatta shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Balcatta has an educated workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.9% as of June 2025, below Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.7%. As of June 2025, 6,787 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate of 62.6%, slightly below Greater Perth's 65.2%. The dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction is particularly specialized, employing 1.3 times the regional level.

Mining employs only 4.5% of local workers compared to Greater Perth's 7.0%. There were 0.9 workers per resident as at the Census, indicating substantial employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 4.7% while labour force grew by 4.1%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 3.7% with a slight increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Balcatta's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Balcatta's median income among taxpayers was $56,503 and average income stood at $72,134 according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. These figures compare to Greater Perth's median of $58,380 and average of $78,020 respectively. By September 2025, current estimates project Balcatta's median income to be approximately $64,526 and average income at around $82,377, based on a 14.2% growth in wages since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Balcatta rank between the 37th and 50th percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that 32.6% of locals (4,110 people) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income category, similar to surrounding regions where 32.0% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Balcatta, with only 83.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 38th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Balcatta, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 53.0% houses and 47.0% other dwellings such as semi-detached, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Perth metropolitan area's structure of 59.6% houses and 40.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Balcatta stood at 32.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.7% and rented ones at 32.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,756, lower than Perth metro's average of $1,950. Median weekly rent figure for Balcatta was recorded at $340, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, Balcatta's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 61.3% of all households, including 24.6% couples with children, 24.5% couples without children, and 10.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for 38.7%, with lone person households at 35.2% and group households comprising 3.6%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Balcatta exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

In Balcatta, 28.0% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees, compared to the SA3 area's 37.1%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 33.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 22.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary, 6.3% in secondary, and 5.3% in tertiary education. Balcatta's 5 schools have a combined enrollment of 2,204 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1057). Education provision is balanced with 4 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds residential needs, with 17.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.5, suggesting Balcatta serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

The analysis shows that Balcatta has 81 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops are served by a mix of buses from 18 different routes. Together, these routes facilitate 2,865 weekly passenger trips in total.

The accessibility to public transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 173 meters away from the nearest stop on average. The service frequency across all routes averages at 409 trips per day, which equates to approximately 35 weekly trips per individual stop.

Balcatta's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data shows Balcatta residents have relatively positive health outcomes, with common conditions seen across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 56% (~7040 people) have private health cover, compared to 59.9% in Greater Perth.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.4%) and mental health issues (7.4%). About 70.9% declare no medical ailments, compared to 73.0% across Greater Perth. Around 20.3% (~2559 people) of residents are aged 65 or over, higher than Greater Perth's 18.3%. This aligns with the general population's health profile.

Balcatta is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Balcatta's cultural diversity is notable with 39.6% of its population born overseas and 36.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 57.0% of Balcatta's population. Hinduism is overrepresented in Balcatta at 4.3%, compared to 2.7% across Greater Perth.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.8%), Australian (16.4%), and Italian (16.2%), significantly higher than the regional averages of 15.9%, 12.0%, and 7.2% respectively. Notably, Macedonian (4.5%) and Croatian (2.3%) groups are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.5% and 1.1% respectively, while Serbian is slightly higher at 1.0%.

Balcatta's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Balcatta is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and close to Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, the cohort aged 75-84 is over-represented at 8.0% in Balcatta, while those aged 5-14 are under-represented at 9.9%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the age group 35-44 has grown from 15.8% to 16.6%, whereas the 25-34 cohort has declined from 16.7% to 15.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Balcatta. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 81% (437 people), reaching a total of 980 from the current 542. This growth will be led by residents aged 65 and older, who represent 67% of anticipated growth. Conversely, the cohorts aged 0-4 and 25-34 are expected to experience population declines.