Melville (WA)

Population growth drivers in Melville are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Melville (WA) population estimate as of Nov 2025 is around 6,620. This reflects a growth of 416 people since the 2021 Census, which reported 6,204 inhabitants. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of resident population at 6,555 as of June 2024 and additional 31 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,758 persons per square kilometer, placing Melville (WA) in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade ending 2021, Melville (WA) demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as released in 2024, using 2022 as the base year. 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). Future population trends project an above median growth for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. Melville (WA) is expected to grow by 884 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 15.4% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Melville saw approximately 34 new homes approved annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 174 homes were approved, with an additional 10 approved in FY-26 to date. Each dwelling built over the past five financial years resulted in an average of 2.9 new residents per year, reflecting robust demand that supports property values.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $724,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This financial year has seen $4.9 million in commercial development approvals recorded, suggesting Melville's residential character. Compared to Greater Perth, Melville shows 15.0% lower construction activity per person while it ranks among the 59th percentile of areas assessed nationally.

New building activity comprises 84.0% standalone homes and 16.0% medium and high-density housing, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. With approximately 256 people per dwelling approval, Melville indicates a developing market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Melville is expected to grow by 1,017 residents through to 2041. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Melville has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 45thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified eight projects that could impact the area's performance. Key projects include: Attadale Private Hospital Expansion, Attadale Reserve Masterplan & Sports Facilities Upgrade, Fremantle to Murdoch and Cockburn Central Transport Capacity improvement, and The Point Attadale development.

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

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

Melville has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.1%, lower than Greater Perth's 4.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.3% based on AreaSearch data aggregation. As of September 2025, 4,095 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 2.8%, below Greater Perth's rate. Workforce participation is 68.5%, slightly higher than Greater Perth's 65.2%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

Education & training has a particularly high share of employment at 1.5 times the regional level. However, transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented with only 3.7% of Melville's workforce compared to Greater Perth's 4.7%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3%, labour force by 4.4%, resulting in a slight unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Perth saw employment grow by 2.9% and unemployment rise marginally. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows WA employment contracted by 0.27%, with an unemployment rate of 4.6%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts indicate national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary between sectors. Applying these projections to Melville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% 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

Melville suburb has one of Australia's highest incomes based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Median income in Melville is $62,066, average is $94,941, compared to Greater Perth's $60,748 and $80,248 respectively. As of September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $68,037 and average $104,074, accounting for Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023. Census data shows Melville's household, family, and personal incomes rank high nationally, between the 77th and 77th percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that 26.4% of residents (1,747 people) earn $1,500 - $2,999 weekly, aligning with regional trends where this cohort represents 32.0%. Notably, 37.2% of residents exceed $3,000 weekly earnings, suggesting strong purchasing power in the community. Housing expenses consume 14.1% of income, while residents rank highly for disposable income at the 79th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Melville is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Melville's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 77.7% houses and 22.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Perth metro's 76.5% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Melville stood at 39.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 45.0% and rented ones at 15.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,325, higher than Perth metro's $2,200. Median weekly rent was $420 in Melville, compared to Perth metro's $400. Nationally, Melville's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Melville has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 73.2% of all households, including 37.8% that are couples with children, 24.2% that are couples without children, and 10.1% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.8%, with lone person households at 24.6% and group households comprising 2.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which matches the Greater Perth average.

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

Melville has a higher proportion of residents with university qualifications than both Western Australia (WA) and its statistical area level 4 (SA4) region. Specifically, 38.6% of Melville's residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 27.9% in WA and 28.6% in the SA4 region. The most common university qualification is a bachelor degree, held by 26.2% of residents. Postgraduate qualifications are held by 7.7%, and graduate diplomas by 4.7%.

Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 30.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding them. Advanced diplomas account for 11.3%, and certificates for 19.2%. Educational participation is high in Melville, with 30.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.1% in primary education, 9.3% in secondary education, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 25 active stops operating within Melville. These are mixed bus services, with 7 routes providing a total of 1,768 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is good, with residents typically located 239 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 252 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 70 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Melville is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Melville shows superior health outcomes, with both younger and older age groups experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health coverage stands at approximately 65% (4,295 people), significantly higher than the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues affect 7.9%, while arthritis impacts 6.8% of residents. Notably, 72.4% report no medical ailments, closely matching Greater Perth's 72.5%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 18.8% (1,244 people), compared to Greater Perth's 22.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Melville are above average, mirroring the general population's health profile.

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

Melville's population shows cultural diversity, with 10.4% speaking a language other than English at home and 23.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Melville, comprising 50.2%, similar to Greater Perth's 50.2%. The top three ancestry groups are English (29.6%), Australian (25.0%), and Irish (8.5%).

Notably, Welsh (1.1%) and Croatian (1.4%) populations are higher than the regional averages of 0.7% and 1.1%, respectively. Italian ancestry is also notably present at 7.1%.

Melville's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Melville is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age group comprises 14.8% of the population in Melville, compared to Greater Perth, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 9.2%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.5% to 14.5%, and the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 14.0% to 12.8%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Melville. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 99% (269 people), reaching a total of 541 from 271. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 60% of the total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.