Nedlands

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Nedlands is around 12,372. This reflects a growth of 1,811 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,561. The resident population estimate of 12,222 by AreaSearch, based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), and an additional 150 validated new addresses since the Census date, indicates this growth. This results in a density ratio of 2,325 persons per square kilometer, placing Nedlands in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The suburb's population growth of 17.1% since the 2021 census exceeds the national average of 8.9%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this growth.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data to estimate future population trends. By 2041, Nedlands is projected to increase by 1,739 persons, reflecting an overall increase of 10.1% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Nedlands has seen around 103 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 518 homes. As of FY26, 22 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents per year per dwelling constructed were observed between FY21 and FY25, suggesting balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. However, recent data shows this has increased to 5.8 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, reflecting Nedlands' growing popularity and potential supply constraints. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $906,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This year, $124.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Perth, Nedlands shows 75.0% higher new home approvals per person, offering buyers ample choice despite recent easing of construction activity. Recent construction comprises 36.0% detached houses and 64.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns which are currently 75.0% houses. This trend suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With around 145 people per dwelling approval, Nedlands exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Future projections estimate Nedlands adding 1,253 residents by 2041, suggesting that at current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Future projections show Nedlands adding 1,253 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 25 projects likely impacting the region. Notable ones are Nedlands Square, ALDI Nedlands, Numa, and the Nedlands Masterplan Project. The following details projects likely 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 analysis of employment trends sees Nedlands performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Nedlands has a highly educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. Its unemployment rate was 0.6% as of June 2025, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data.

In this month, 6,451 residents were in work while the unemployment rate was 3.3% below Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 63.0%, compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Leading employment industries among residents comprised health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area showed particularly strong specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level.

In contrast, construction employed just 4.1% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 9.3%. With 1.5 workers for every resident as at the Census, the area functioned as an employment hub, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. From Jun-24 to Jul-25, the labour force decreased by 1.6% alongside a 1.5% employment decline, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. In contrast, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 3.7% and labour force growth of 3.8%, with a 0.1 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggested potential future demand within Nedlands. These projections indicated that national employment was forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differed significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Nedlands' employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.6% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not take into account localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Nedlands' median taxpayer income was $79,102 with an average of $214,131 based on AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Nationally, this places Nedlands in the top percentile. In contrast, Greater Perth had a median income of $58,380 and an average income of $78,020. By September 2025, estimates suggest median income will be approximately $90,334 and average income $244,538, factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, Nedlands' household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly nationally, between the 86th and 95th percentiles. Distribution data shows that 38.5% of residents (4,763 people) earn over $4,000 annually, compared to the broader area where earnings between $1,500 and $2,999 dominate at 32.0%. Economic strength is evident with 48.1% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 87.6% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Nedlands' housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 75.2% houses and 24.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Perth metro's 68.6% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Nedlands was 44.9%, similar to Perth metro. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (28.2%) or rented (26.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,347, higher than the Perth metro average of $3,293. Median weekly rent in Nedlands was $500, compared to Perth metro's $450. Nationally, Nedlands' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 73.1% of all households, including 37.4% couples with children, 27.3% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 26.9%, with lone person households at 20.5% and group households comprising 6.3%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in Nedlands is notably higher than broader benchmarks. 64.6% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 27.9% in Western Australia and 30.1% in Greater Perth. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.8%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Technical qualifications represent 13.4% of educational achievements, with advanced diplomas at 7.5% and certificates at 5.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 34.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in tertiary education, 9.9% in primary education, and 9.2% pursuing secondary education. Nedlands has 4 schools with a combined enrollment of 871 students as of the latest data. The area's educational performance is exceptional (ICSEA: 1177), placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes 3 primary and 1 K-12 school. School capacity in Nedlands is limited at 7.0 places per 100 residents, compared to the regional average of 18.0, leading many families to travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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

Nedlands has 83 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with 17 individual routes in total. Together, these routes facilitate 4,133 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to public transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 176 meters from the nearest stop. On average, service frequency across all routes amounts to 590 trips per day, which translates to approximately 49 weekly trips per individual stop.

Nedlands's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Nedlands with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 112% of the total population (13,878 people), compared to 87.5% across Greater Perth and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 6.3 and 6.3% of residents respectively, while 73.3% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.2% across Greater Perth.

The area has 20.8% of residents aged 65 and over (2,573 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Nedlands was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Nedlands was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 18.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 35.7% born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion in Nedlands, comprising 47.3%. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Perth, making up 0.6% of Nedlands' population versus 0.5%.

The top three ancestral groups are English (26.9%), Australian (21.4%), and Chinese (9.1%). Notably, Welsh (0.9%) and French (0.8%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages, while South African representation is slightly lower at 0.8% versus 1.1%.

Nedlands hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Nedlands has a median age of 41 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Nedlands has an over-representation of the 15-24 age cohort (20.1%) and an under-representation of the 35-44 age group (10.5%). This concentration of young residents is higher than the national average of 12.5%. Post the 2021 Census, younger residents have lowered Nedlands' median age by 1.1 years to 41 years. Specifically, the 15-24 age group has increased from 14.6% to 20.1%, while the 25-34 cohort has risen from 9.5% to 11.0%. Conversely, the 65-74 age group has decreased from 10.9% to 9.5%, and the 35-44 age group has dropped from 11.6% to 10.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Nedlands' age profile. The 85+ cohort is expected to grow by 140%, adding 587 residents to reach 1,008. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 63% of total population growth, reflecting Nedlands' aging demographic trend. In contrast, population declines are anticipated for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.