Fremantle

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

According to evaluations of ABS demographic datasets for the surrounding region combined with recently verified addresses from AreaSearch following the Census, the suburb of Fremantle has an estimated residency of 11,327 individuals in May 2026. This represents a growth of 2,076 people (22.4%) relative to the 2021 Census, which counted 9,251 residents. This trend is calculated from a resident base of 11,317, estimated by AreaSearch analyzing the latest ABS ERP release (June 2025) along with 303 validated new addresses since the Census. Such a population size results in a density of 2,048 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the typical level among Australian communities tracked by AreaSearch. The expansion rate of 2021% since the 2021 Census surpassed national levels (9.3%) as well as state figures, positioning the area as a regional growth leader. The demographic increase was primarily supported by international migration, which accounted for roughly 50.0% of the overall population rise in recent times, though interstate moves and natural growth also registered positive outcomes.

AreaSearch utilizes ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for individual SA2 sectors published in 2024 using 2022 as a baseline. For SA2 territories lacking this data, and for modeling growth after 2032, AreaSearch applies cohort-specific expansion rates from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (published in 2023, referencing 2022 statistics). Future population projections suggest an expansion rate exceeding the national median, with the suburb of Fremantle anticipated to gain 2,083 residents by 2041 under aggregated SA2-level modeling, which represents a total increase of 18.3% over the 16 years.

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

ABS building approval statistics mapped from local areas indicate that the suburb of Fremantle averages approximately 93 new dwellings receiving development approval each year, with 467 residences approved during the past 5 financial years (from FY-21 to FY-25) and 34 during the current FY-26. Because an average of 4.1 new residents per year have arrived for every home built over the past 5 financial years (from FY-21 to FY-25), demand outstrips new construction, which commonly leads to upward price pressure and greater buyer rivalry. Furthermore, newly approved dwellings carry a mean valuation of $608,000, indicating developers are prioritizing upscale, premium builds. Local commercial investment remains strong, with $35.9 million in commercial permits approved in the current financial year.

Fremantle registers 73.0% more residential building approvals per resident than Greater Perth, giving purchasers a wider range of options. Recent construction pipelines consist of 13.0% standalone houses and 87.0% medium- to high-density dwellings. This emphasis on denser housing options yields more accessible price levels and attracts downsizers, real estate investors, and first-time buyers. This represents a distinct shift from the established housing stock (which currently stands at 40.0% houses), reflecting scarce development land alongside evolving lifestyle choices and budget constraints. The region averages roughly 92 residents for every approved dwelling, indicating a growing local market.

Long-term forecasts indicate the suburb of Fremantle will add 2,073 citizens by 2041 compared to the most recent quarterly estimate by AreaSearch. Under current construction trajectories, new housing pipelines will adequately satisfy this demand, maintaining favorable purchasing conditions and potentially underpinning growth beyond these projections.

Fremantle has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Local infrastructure projects, planning initiatives, and development pipelines significantly influence real estate performance. AreaSearch has identified 21 projects expected to impact the suburb of Fremantle. Notable projects include the Swan River Crossings Project, Monument East, Elder Place Fremantle (Elders Wool Stores Redevelopment), and the Fremantle Oval Precinct Masterplan.

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

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Fremantle shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Fremantle has a highly qualified local workforce, featuring a strong concentration of professional roles and an unemployment rate of 5.4%, according to aggregated local statistics. As of March 2026, there are 6,421 employed residents, while the unemployment rate is 1.2% higher than the Greater Perth benchmark of 4.2%. Participation in the workforce is identical to the Greater Perth average of 70.2%. Census data indicates that a moderate 13.5% of working residents performed their jobs from home, although this may have been influenced by pandemic lockdowns.

The primary employment sectors for local residents are healthcare & social assistance, professional & technical roles, and education & training. The area is highly specialized in professional & technical fields, with a share of employment that is 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, construction represents only 6.0% of local jobs, compared to 9.3% in Greater Perth. Averaging 1.2 jobs for each working resident at the time of the Census, the locality serves as a major employment center, providing more positions than it has working residents and drawing commuters from neighboring suburbs.

Based on SALM and ABS statistics aggregated from the surrounding region, the latest 12-month window saw the local workforce contract by 1.0% and overall employment decrease by 0.6%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point decline in the unemployment rate. Meanwhile, Greater Perth recorded a 2.0% rise in jobs and a 2.5% increase in the labor force, alongside a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. National forecasts released by Jobs and Skills Australia in May-25 offer additional context on future labor needs in the suburb of Fremantle. These five- and ten-year projections have been applied to the local workforce structure to model potential growth. Although overall national employment is expected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, trends vary widely by industry. Projecting these trends onto the local occupational structure indicates that employment in the suburb of Fremantle could grow by 6.8% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting of current shares without factoring in local population changes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

According to postcode-level ATO statistics aggregated for the 2023 financial year, taxpayers in the suburb of Fremantle had a median income of $58,739 and an average income of $91,288. These figures rank among the highest nationally, compared to $60,748 and $80,248 in Greater Perth. Accounting for a 10.93% increase in the Wage Price Index since the 2023 financial year, current estimates would be approximately $65,159 (median) and $101,266 (average) as of March 2026. The 2021 Census placed individual earnings at the 80th percentile nationally ($1,021 weekly), whereas household incomes placed at the 54th percentile. Looking at income brackets, the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly range accounts for 28.3% of the local population (3,205 people), which aligns with the broader metropolitan rate of 32.0% in that bracket. Rent or mortgage costs account for 16.6% of income, yet solid earnings keep disposable incomes at the 54th percentile, placing the area in the 8th decile for the SEIFA index.

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

According to the latest Census, the housing inventory in the suburb of Fremantle consists of 40.0% standalone houses and 60.0% alternative structures like townhouses and apartments, compared to a breakdown of 77.8% houses and 22.1% alternative structures across Greater Perth. The proportion of residents who own their homes outright matches the Perth metropolitan average of 29.1%, with the remaining properties being purchased with a mortgage (28.1%) or occupied by tenants (42.8%). The median monthly home loan repayment was $2,167, well above the Greater Perth average of $1,907, while the median weekly rent stood at $380, compared to $350 in the metropolitan area. Nationally, mortgage costs in the suburb of Fremantle are considerably higher than the Australian median of $1,863, and weekly rents exceed the national benchmark of $375.

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

Families make up 52.5% of all households, consisting of couples with children at 16.7%, couples without children at 27.2%, and single-parent households at 7.9%. The remaining 47.5% of households do not consist of families, with single-person households representing 40.5% of the total and group households accounting for 6.8%. The average household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Fremantle shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The proportion of residents with tertiary qualifications in the suburb of Fremantle is notably higher than regional and state benchmarks, with 48.8% of individuals aged 15+ holding a university degree compared to 27.9% across WA and 28.6% in the local SA4 area. This educational profile positions the community well for professional services and knowledge-focused careers. Bachelor degrees are held by 30.0% of residents, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 14.0% and graduate diplomas at 4.8%. Vocational education is also common, with 26.1% of residents aged 15+ possessing trade qualifications, consisting of advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (15.4%).

A significant proportion of the community is engaged in learning, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in an educational program. This includes 10.5% in higher education or university, 6.0% attending primary school, and 5.7% in secondary school.

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

Analysis of the local transport network shows 85 active public transport stops in the suburb of Fremantle, including a combination of train stations and bus stops. These stops are served by 35 distinct routes, which accommodate 7,460 weekly passenger journeys. Transport access is rated as excellent, with residents living an average of 140 meters from their nearest stop. The suburb is primarily residential, with most workers commuting out of the area. Private vehicles remain the primary mode of travel at 64%, followed by trains at 12% and walking at 9%. Vehicle ownership stands at 0.9 cars per household, which is below the metropolitan average. Additionally, 13.5% of residents work from home, based on 2021 Census data collected during the pandemic.

Public transport services average 1,065 trips per day across all routes, which corresponds to approximately 87 weekly departures for each individual stop.

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

An evaluation of health indicators reveals positive outcomes in the suburb of Fremantle, based on AreaSearch assessments of mortality rates and chronic health conditions, with low rates of common health issues observed in both younger and older cohorts. Private health insurance coverage is high, with approximately 63% of the population (7,185 people) covered, compared to 59.0% across Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health conditions and asthma are the most common medical diagnoses in the area, affecting 10.9 and 7.4% of residents, respectively. Meanwhile, 68.5% of the population reported having no chronic medical conditions, compared to 71.9% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among working-age residents are typical. Residents aged 65 and over make up 19.2% of the population (2,174 people), which is higher than the Greater Perth average of 16.1%. Seniors in the area exhibit particularly strong health profiles, with national rankings that exceed those of the local population as a whole.

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

Fremantle exhibits greater cultural diversity than most suburban markets, with 13.2% of residents speaking a language other than English in their household and 32.9% born outside Australia. Christianity is the most common religious affiliation, representing 33.4% of the local population. However, the most distinct religious divergence is in Judaism, which accounts for 0.5% of residents compared to 0.3% across Greater Perth.

English ancestry was reported by 30.6% of the population, followed by Australian ancestry at 19.2% and Irish ancestry at 10.9%. There are also distinct representations of other backgrounds, with Welsh ancestry accounting for 1.3% of residents in the suburb of Fremantle (compared to 0.7% across the region), French at 1.2% (compared to 0.5%), and Croatian at 1.3% (compared to 0.8%).

Fremantle's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in the suburb of Fremantle is 40, which is slightly higher than the Greater Perth median of 37 and the national median of 38. Compared to metropolitan averages, the 25 - 34 age group is highly represented at 18.2%, while the 15 - 24 age bracket is underrepresented at 10.2%. Since 2021, the 5 to 14 age group has risen from 6.9% to 9.8% of the population, and the 75 to 84 cohort has grown from 5.4% to 6.6%. In contrast, the 45 to 54 cohort fell from 14.0% to 11.6% and the 55 to 64 group decreased from 13.8% to 12.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, the age profile will change, with the 75 to 84 cohort projected to expand by 483 people (65%), growing from 747 to 1,231. Residents aged 65 and over will account for 51% of all population growth, while the 35 to 44 cohort is projected to decrease by 67 people.