Middle Swan

An assessment of population growth drivers in Middle Swan reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, the Middle Swan statistical area's population was estimated at 3,302 as of Nov 2025. This reflects a growth of 450 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,852. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 3,179 residents in Jun 2024, based on ABS ERP data release, and additional 74 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 246 persons per square kilometer. Middle Swan's growth rate of 15.8% since 2021 exceeds the national average (9.7%). Overseas migration contributed approximately 48.0% to population gains, with all drivers being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and ABS Greater Capital Region projections from 2023 (based on 2022 data) for areas not covered by the former. Future population trends indicate an above median growth, projecting an increase of 496 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 12.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Middle Swan among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Middle Swan has seen approximately 25 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 127 homes were approved, with an additional 20 approved in FY-26. Each new dwelling adds about 2.8 residents on average over the past five financial years.

The average construction cost of new homes is $367,000. This year has seen $46.9 million in commercial approvals. Compared to Greater Perth, Middle Swan records around 64% of building activity per person and ranks at the 87th percentile nationally for building activity.

New developments consist of 93% standalone homes and 7% townhouses or apartments. There are approximately 97 people per dwelling approval in the area. Future projections estimate Middle Swan to add 402 residents by 2041, with current development rates expected to meet demand comfortably.

Middle Swan has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 35thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified seven projects likely influencing the region. Notable ones are Bushmead Residential Estate, Midland Health Campus Redevelopment (St John of God Midland Public & Private Hospitals Expansion), Midland Redevelopment Scheme - Central Precinct (Stage 2), and METRONET High Wycombe Station & Transit Oriented Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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.

AreaSearch assessment indicates Middle Swan faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Middle Swan has a balanced workforce comprising white and blue collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominently featured. The unemployment rate in the area was 7.2% as of an unspecified date, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1% over the preceding year.

As of September 2025, 1,627 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 3.2% higher than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%. The workforce participation rate in Middle Swan was 58.2%, significantly lower than Greater Perth's 65.2%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction sectors. Transport, postal & warehousing sector shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level.

However, education & training has limited presence with only 5.3% employment compared to the regional average of 9.2%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year ending September 2025, employment increased by 2.1%, while labour force grew by 2.2%, and unemployment remained largely unchanged in Middle Swan. In comparison, Greater Perth recorded higher employment growth of 2.9% and a marginal rise in unemployment. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows WA employment contracted by 0.27%, with an unemployment rate of 4.6%. 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 Middle Swan's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Middle Swan had a median taxpayer income of $48,315 and an average income of $58,906. Nationally, the averages are $60,748 and $80,248 respectively in Greater Perth. Based on Wage Price Index growth from financial year 2023 to September 2025 (9.62%), estimated incomes for Middle Swan would be approximately $52,963 (median) and $64,573 (average). Census data places Middle Swan's household, family, and personal incomes between the 21st and 22nd percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 31.0% of residents (1,023 people) earn between $1,500 - 2,999, similar to regional levels at 32.0%. Housing affordability is severe, with only 82.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 20th percentile.

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

In Middle Swan, as per the latest Census evaluation, 84.9% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 15.1% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Perth metro's 89.1% houses and 10.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Middle Swan stood at 31.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 39.8% and rented ones at 29.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,500, lower than Perth metro's average of $1,842. The median weekly rent in Middle Swan was $310, compared to Perth metro's $340. Nationally, Middle Swan's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were substantially lower than the national figure of $375.

Middle Swan features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households are 66.0% of all households, consisting of 25.7% couples with children, 22.4% couples without children, and 15.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.0%, with lone person households at 30.8% and group households comprising 3.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.8.

Middle Swan faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 14.4%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 9.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.8%) and certificates (30.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.2% in primary, 8.6% in secondary, and 2.8% in tertiary education.

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

The analysis shows that Middle Swan has 48 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 17 different routes that together provide 964 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 188 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 137 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 20 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Middle Swan is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Middle Swan faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 51% of its total population (~1,670 people) has private health cover, compared to 55.3% in Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues impact 9.2% of residents, while arthritis affects 7.7%.

About 66.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Perth. The area has 18.5% of residents aged 65 and over (610 people), higher than the 12.6% in Greater Perth.

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

Middle Swan's population showed high cultural diversity, with 30.6% born overseas and 23.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 51.3%. The 'Other' religious category was slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Perth (1.9% vs 2.4%).

For ancestry, the top groups were English (27.1%), Australian (22.7%), and Other (7.2%), which was lower than the regional average of 13.3%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Croatian was overrepresented at 2.8% vs 0.9%, Filipino at 4.4% vs 2.4%, and New Zealand at 1.1% vs 1.0%.

Middle Swan's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Middle Swan is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and very close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Middle Swan has a notably over-represented 55-64 cohort at 12.3% locally, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 12.9%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 12.9% to 14.8%, and the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 12.0% to 13.8%. Conversely, the 0 to 4 cohort has declined from 5.7% to 4.4%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 13.4% to 12.3%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Middle Swan. Leading this shift, the 65 to 74 group is expected to grow by 37%, reaching 449 people from 326. Residents aged 65 and older represent 75% of anticipated growth, while the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.