Karawara

Karawara has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of November 2025, Karawara's population is estimated at around 2,061 people. This figure reflects an increase of 219 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 1,842 people in the suburb. AreaSearch validated this estimate following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), with an additional 1 new address confirmed since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of approximately 2,081 persons per square kilometer for Karawara, which is higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth rate of 11.9% since the 2021 census exceeds both the national average (8.9%) and that of its SA3 area, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Karawara.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Considering projected demographic shifts, Karawara is expected to experience above median population growth among statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. By 2041, the suburb's population is projected to increase by 303 persons, reflecting a total gain of 17.0% over the 17-year period.

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

Karawara has experienced around 4 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past 5 financial years, from FY21 to FY25, approximately 20 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved in FY26 so far.

This results in a significant demand exceeding new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. The average construction value of new dwellings is $825,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Compared to Greater Perth, Karawara shows reduced construction activity, at 69.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new properties strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, though development activity has recently picked up. The area's established nature is evident, as indicated by its construction activity being under the national average.

New building activity consists of 67.0% detached dwellings and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options across price brackets. Karawara has approximately 245 people per dwelling approval, suggesting room for growth. By 2041, AreaSearch estimates the location will grow by 351 residents. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 0 projects that could impact this area. Notable projects include Australian Hockey Centre, Westfield Carousel Expansion, Curtin University B316 Sciences Building, and Albany Highway Precinct Structure Plan. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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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.

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

Karawara has a well-educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 6.7% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.1%.

As of June 2025, there are 1,141 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.8%, which is higher than Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is lower at 60.3% compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Key industries include accommodation & food (strongly specialized), health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction employs only 5.5% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 9.3%.

Limited employment opportunities locally are indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over a 12-month period ending Sep-22, employment increased by 3.1%, labour force grew by 2.9%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment rise by 3.7% and unemployment increase by 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Karawara's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Karawara had a median taxpayer income of $38,561 and an average income of $54,906. Nationally, the median was $58,380 and the average was $78,020 in Greater Perth. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $44,037 (median) and $62,703 (average), based on a 14.2% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census reports individual incomes at the 10th percentile were $588 weekly, while household incomes were at the 48th percentile. In Karawara, 31.1% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, consistent with metropolitan trends (32.0%). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 49th percentile nationally. Karawara's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Karawara is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Karawara, as per the latest Census evaluation, 73.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 26.3% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This is in contrast to Perth metropolitan area's 49.3% houses and 50.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Karawara stood at 27.0%, with mortgaged properties at 26.3% and rented ones at 46.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Perth metro's average of $2,200. The median weekly rent was $300, compared to Perth metro's $360. Nationally, Karawara's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 versus the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $300 against the national figure of $375.

Karawara features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.0% of all households, including 29.8% couples with children, 21.0% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 35.0%, with lone person households at 24.9% and group households comprising 10.3%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.2.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 37.7%, significantly lower than the SA3 area average of 48.6%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 23.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 11.0% and graduate diplomas at 3.0%. Vocational credentials are held by 26.5% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.9% and certificates at 15.6%. Educational participation is high, with 40.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 21.4% in tertiary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing primary education. Schools appear to be located outside the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Karawara has 22 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together facilitate 1,238 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located 147 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 176 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 56 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Karawara is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Karawara exhibits above-average health outcomes with a low prevalence of common health conditions among its general population compared to national averages. However, older and at-risk cohorts show higher rates of these conditions. Approximately 49% of Karawara's total population (~1,009 people) has private health cover, which is lower than Greater Perth's 67.8% and the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in Karawara, affecting 7.9 and 6.4% of residents respectively. A total of 74.1% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Perth's 72.6%. Karawara has a lower proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 13.1% (269 people), compared to Greater Perth's 20.5%.

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

Karawara's cultural diversity is notable, with 37.6% speaking a language other than English at home and 48.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 37.3%. Buddhism, however, is overrepresented at 8.6%, compared to Greater Perth's average of 3.4%.

For ancestry, the top groups are English (18.2%), Australian (17.0%), and Other (16.9%). Notably, Chinese ancestry is higher than regional averages (15.3% vs 7.2%), as are Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.2%) and Polish (0.9% vs 0.9%).

Karawara hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Karawara's median age at 30 years is younger than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Karawara has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (26.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.8%). This 15-24 age group is significantly higher than the national average of 12.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 24.6% to 26.2%, while the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 9.1% to 6.8%. The 55 to 64 age group has also dropped from 11.3% to 9.9%. Demographic modeling indicates that Karawara's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to grow steadily, increasing by 95 people (28%) from 346 to 442. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 35 to 44 and 5 to 14 cohorts.