Darlington (WA)

Darlington is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, Darlington's population is estimated at around 3966. This reflects an increase of 241 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3725. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 3954 residents following examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and validation of six new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 328 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 61% 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 and post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Considering these projections, lower quartile growth is anticipated for the Darlington area. It is expected to expand by 142 persons to reach a total of 4108 by 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 3.5% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Darlington according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Darlington has averaged around 4 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 20 homes. So far in FY-26, 2 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, there has been an average of 9.2 new residents per year for every home built.

Demand significantly outpaces supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers. New properties are constructed at an average value of $631,000, indicating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, $59,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, demonstrating the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Perth, Darlington has significantly less development activity, 77.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new homes typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties.

This activity is also lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated count of 982 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. Looking ahead, Darlington is expected to grow by 137 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Darlington has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

No factors influence a region's performance more than changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially impact this area. Key projects include City of Swan Water and Wastewater Upgrades, EastLink WA, METRONET High Capacity Signalling Project, and METRONET. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Darlington performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Darlington's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.2% as of September 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.9%. The unemployment rate was 2.7% lower than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%, while workforce participation was similar to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Leading employment industries were education & training, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Education & training had an employment share 1.6 times the regional level, but retail trade was under-represented at 7.2% compared to Greater Perth's 9.3%.

Employment opportunities appeared limited locally based on Census working population vs resident population data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.9% and labour force grew by 1.9%, keeping the unemployment rate stable. In contrast, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 2.9% and labour force growth of 3.0%. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 showed WA employment contracted by 0.27%, with a state unemployment rate of 4.6% compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates varied significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Darlington's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.5% over ten years.

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 2023 shows that income in Darlington is high nationally. The median income is $61,623 and the average income stands at $87,818. This contrasts with Greater Perth's figures of a median income of $60,748 and an average income of $80,248. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $67,551 (median) and $96,266 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly in Darlington, between the 72nd and 87th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the predominant cohort spans 28.5% of locals (1,130 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 (38.8% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Darlington. After housing costs, residents retain 88.2% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Darlington is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Darlington, as assessed at the 2016 Census, consisted of 98.5% houses and 1.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Perth metro's 94.8% houses and 5.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Darlington stood at 40.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 52.7% and rented dwellings at 6.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Perth metro's average of $1,950. Median weekly rent in Darlington was $420, compared to Perth metro's $330. Nationally, Darlington's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 as of 2021, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Darlington features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 82.5% of all households, including 40.7% couples with children, 32.6% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 17.5%, with lone person households at 16.0% and group households comprising 1.4%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

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

Darlington's residents aged 15 and above have a notably higher educational attainment compared to broader benchmarks. Specifically, 41.6% of Darlington's residents hold university qualifications, surpassing the SA3 area's 21.3% and the SA4 region's 24.3%. This significant educational advantage positions Darlington favourably for opportunities requiring advanced knowledge. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 27.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.1%) and graduate diplomas (5.2%).

Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 31.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 12.8% while certificates make up 18.4%. Educational participation is notably high in Darlington, with 29.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Darlington has 38 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together offer 292 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good access to these services, with an average distance of 335 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 41 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately seven weekly trips per individual stop.

Darlington's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Darlington. Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (2,461 people), compared to 57.4% across Greater Perth.

Nationally, this figure stands at 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 8.5 and 8.2% of residents respectively. A total of 71.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.2% across Greater Perth. Darlington has 22.1% of residents aged 65 and over (876 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, Darlington records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Darlington's population, as per the 2016 Census, had 70.6% born in Australia, with 92.1% being citizens and 95.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, accounting for 37.7%. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.4%, compared to Greater Perth's 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (35.6%), Australian (25.5%), and Scottish (8.2%). Notably, Welsh (1.1% vs regional 0.9%), Polish (1.4% vs 0.8%), and South African (1.3% vs 0.6%) ethnicities were also overrepresented.

Darlington hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Darlington's median age is 44, surpassing Greater Perth's figure of 37 and significantly exceeding the national norm of 38. The 55-64 age group constitutes 14.8% of Darlington's population compared to Greater Perth, while the 25-34 cohort represents only 5.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 6.8% to 8.4%, whereas the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 15.3% to 14.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Darlington's age profile. The 75 to 84 group is expected to grow by 48% (158 people), reaching 492 from 333. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 92% of projected growth. Conversely, the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are anticipated to experience population declines.