Nedlands

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

Based on ABS population updates and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the estimated population of the suburb of Nedlands as of Feb 2026 is around 12,448. This reflects an increase of 1,887 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,561. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 12,130 in June 2024 and an additional 157 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 2,339 persons per square kilometer, placing Nedlands in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth of 17.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 9.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

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). Future population trends project an above median growth for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. The suburb is expected to increase by 1,740 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 9.5% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Nedlands shows approximately 101 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 509 homes. As of FY26, 29 approvals have been recorded. This results in an average of 1.9 new residents per year per dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25, indicating balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. However, recent data shows this ratio has increased to 5.7 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 value of $906,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

Additionally, $78.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Perth, Nedlands shows 72.0% higher new home approvals per person, providing buyers with ample choice, although construction activity has eased recently. Recent construction comprises 36.0% detached houses and 64.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 75.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Nedlands has around 143 people per dwelling approval, characteristic of a growth area. Future projections estimate Nedlands adding 1,181 residents by 2041 at current development rates, with new housing supply comfortably meeting demand and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Future projections show Nedlands adding 1,181 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 emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 34thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 25 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Nedlands Square, ALDI Nedlands, Numa, and the Nedlands Masterplan Project. The following details those expected to have the most relevance.

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. The unemployment rate is 0.7%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 6,460 residents in work while the unemployment rate is 3.2% below Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation lags significantly at 62.4%, compared to Greater Perth's 71.6%. Based on Census responses, a moderate 14.1% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area shows particular strength in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs just 4.1% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 9.3%. There are 1.5 workers for every resident, indicating that Nedlands functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.8% alongside a 2.8% employment decline, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. In contrast, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 2.9% and labour force growth of 3.0%, with a marginal rise in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Nedlands' employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.6% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

Nedlands suburb has a median taxpayer income of $79,102 and an average income of $214,131 based on the latest postcode level ATO data compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This places Nedlands in the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Perth's median income of $60,748 and average income of $80,248. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $86,712 (median) and $234,730 (average), accounting for a 9.62% growth in wages since financial year 2023. The 2021 Census data shows Nedlands' household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 86th and 95th percentiles. Distribution data indicates that 38.5% of residents (4,792 people) fall into the $4,000+ income bracket, contrasting with the broader area where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is dominant at 32.0%. Economic strength in Nedlands is evident through 48.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings 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' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 75.2% houses and 24.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Perth metro had 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Nedlands was 44.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.2% and rented ones at 26.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Nedlands was $3,347, higher than Perth metro's average of $1,907. Median weekly rent in Nedlands was $500, compared to Perth metro's $350. 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 make up the remaining 26.9%, consisting of 20.5% lone person households and 6.3% group households. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is 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

Nedlands has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 64.6% holding university qualifications. This figure is significantly higher than the state average of 27.9% for Western Australia and the Greater Perth average of 30.1%. The area's strong educational background is highlighted by the prevalence of bachelor degrees (38.5%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.8%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Technical qualifications also contribute to this figure, representing 13.4% of educational achievements in Nedlands, with advanced diplomas accounting for 7.5% and certificates for 5.9%.

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 34.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% pursuing tertiary education, 9.9% in primary education, and 9.2% engaged in secondary education.

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

Nedlands has 91 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These are covered by 18 different routes, offering a total of 4,223 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically living 176 meters from the nearest stop. As primarily residential, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the dominant mode at 72%, followed by buses at 12% and walking at 7%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 14.1% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 603 trips daily, equating to approximately 46 weekly trips per individual stop.

Nedlands's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Nedlands' health outcomes show exceptional results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 112% of Nedlands' total population (13,964 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Perth's 59.0%.

Nationally, the average is 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 6.3% and 6.3% of residents respectively. 73.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Perth's 71.9%. Nedlands has 21.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,638 people), higher than Greater Perth's 16.3%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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

Nedlands was found to have a higher level of cultural diversity than most other local markets, with 18.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 35.7% born overseas. The predominant religion in Nedlands is Christianity, accounting for 47.3% of the population. However, Judaism stands out as being overrepresented in Nedlands, comprising 0.6% of the population compared to 0.3% across Greater Perth.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups in Nedlands are English (26.9%), Australian (21.4%), and Chinese (9.1%), with Chinese representation being significantly higher than the regional average of 4.0%. There are also notable differences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Welsh is overrepresented at 0.9% compared to the regional average of 0.7%, French at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and South African at 0.8% compared to 1.0%.

Nedlands's median age exceeds the national pattern

Nedlands has a median age of 41 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Perth, Nedlands has an over-representation of the 15-24 cohort (20.7% locally), while the 35-44 age group is under-represented (10.3%). This concentration of young residents is higher than the national average of 12.5%. According to the 2021 Census, younger residents have lowered Nedlands' median age by 1.2 years to 41. The 15-24 age group has grown from 14.6% to 20.7%, and the 75-84 cohort has increased from 6.8% to 8.3%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has decreased from 10.9% to 9.4%, and the 35-44 group has dropped from 11.6% to 10.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Nedlands' age profile. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 128%, adding 559 residents to reach 995. Notably, combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 63% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts.