Melville (WA)

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Melville (WA) is around 6,621, reflecting an increase of 417 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 6.7% rise from the previous population count of 6,204. The latest estimate, 6,555 residents, was derived by AreaSearch following analysis of ABS's June 2024 ERP data release and validation of additional 32 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,758 persons per square kilometer, placing Melville in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2016 to 2026, Melville has shown resilient growth patterns with an average annual growth rate of 1.0%. The primary driver for this population growth was overseas migration, contributing approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections for the suburb are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 using a 2022 base year for SA2 areas. For areas not covered by this data and post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch utilises growth rates provided by the ABS in its Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Future population trends project an above median growth for Melville, with an expected increase of 893 persons to reach a total population of 7,514 by 2041, reflecting a gain of 15.5% over the 17-year period from 2026 to 2041.

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

Melville has seen approximately 34 new home approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis. From FY21 to FY25, around 174 homes were approved, with an additional 10 approved in FY26 so far. Each dwelling built over the past five financial years has resulted in an average of 2.9 new residents.

The average construction value for new homes is $724,000, indicating a focus on premium developments. In FY26, Melville has recorded $4.9 million in commercial development approvals. Compared to Greater Perth, Melville shows 15.0% lower construction activity per person but ranks among the 59th percentile nationally when assessed against other areas.

The new building activity is dominated by standalone homes at 84.0%, with medium and high-density housing making up the remaining 16.0%. This results in a suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space, reflected by around 256 people per dwelling approval. Melville is expected to grow by approximately 1,024 residents by 2041 according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. 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 42ndth percentile nationally

Eight projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly. 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. These projects are detailed below as they are likely to be most 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 Melville performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Melville has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 1.2%, lower than the Greater Perth average of 4.0%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.2%.

As of September 2025, there are 4,098 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.8% below Greater Perth's rate. Workforce participation is 76.1%, slightly higher than Greater Perth's 71.6%. According to Census responses, 11.0% of residents work from home. Key industries for employment are health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

Melville specializes in education & training with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented at 3.7% compared to Greater Perth's 4.7%. The predominantly residential area may offer limited local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.2%, labour force grew by 4.5%, leading to a slight unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. In Greater Perth, employment grew by 2.9%, labour force expanded by 3.0%, with marginal unemployment increase. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. 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, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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. Its median taxpayer income is $62,066 and average income stands at $94,941. Greater Perth's figures are $60,748 and $80,248 respectively. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $68,037 (median) and $104,074 (average), considering a 9.62% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. Census data shows Melville's household, family, and personal incomes rank high nationally, between the 77th and 77th percentiles. The $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket dominates with 26.4% of residents (1,747 people). Higher earners make up a substantial presence at 37.2%, indicating strong purchasing power. Housing accounts for 14.1% of income, while residents rank in the 79th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Melville's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 77.7% houses and 22.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Perth metro had 77.8% houses and 22.1% 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, above Perth metro's average of $1,907. The median weekly rent figure in Melville was $420, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, Melville's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were 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% couples with children, 24.2% couples without children, and 10.1% 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's educational attainment exceeds broader standards significantly. Among residents aged 15+, 38.6% hold university qualifications, compared to WA's 27.9% and the SA4 region's 28.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.5% of residents aged 15+ holding them – advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 19.2%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.1% in primary, 9.3% in secondary, 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

Melville has 25 operational public transport stops, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 7 distinct routes, facilitating 1,768 weekly passenger journeys in total. Transport access is deemed good, with residents' average proximity to the nearest stop being 239 metres. Predominantly residential, most inhabitants commute outward. Cars remain the prevalent mode of transport at 83%, followed by buses at 7% and trains at 7%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 11.0% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 252 trips daily, equating to roughly 70 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis shows strong health metrics across Melville. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low for both young and elderly residents. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 65%, compared to 59% in Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common conditions were mental health issues (7.9%) and arthritis (6.8%), with 72.4% reporting no medical ailments, similar to the 71.9% across Greater Perth. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. Melville had 19.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,291 people), higher than Greater Perth's 16.3%. Senior health outcomes were above average, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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 showed cultural diversity with 10.4% speaking a language other than English at home, and 23.4% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Melville at 50.2%, compared to 45.0% across Greater Perth. The top three ancestral groups were English (29.6%), Australian (25.0%), and Irish (8.5%).

Notably, Welsh (1.1%) and Croatian (1.4%) were overrepresented in Melville compared to regional averages of 0.7% and 0.8%, respectively. Italian ancestry was also notably higher 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 also older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 55-64 years has a strong representation at 13.5% compared to Greater Perth, while the 25-34 age group is less prevalent at 9.1%. According to data from the post-2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 12.5% to 14.6%, and the 75-84 age group has grown from 5.2% to 6.4%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has declined from 14.0% to 12.7%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Melville. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 99%, reaching 540 people from 271, leading the demographic shift. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 59% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.