Orelia

Orelia is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, Orelia's population is estimated at around 4,976, reflecting an increase of 441 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,535. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 4,827 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 19 validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density is approximately 1,698 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Orelia's growth of 9.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 53.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors. 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 the 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 suggest a population increase just below the median of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with the suburb expected to grow by 645 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 11.6% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Orelia had around 12 dwellings receiving development approval annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 63 homes. So far in FY-26, 18 approvals have been recorded. Between FY-21 and FY-25, there were approximately 5.8 people moving to the area for each dwelling built.

This demand significantly exceeds new supply, leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. The average construction value of new dwellings was $340,000, below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. Orelia records markedly lower building activity compared to Greater Perth, with 82.0% fewer approvals per person. This constrained new construction reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, though building activity has accelerated in recent years. New development consists of 94.0% standalone homes and 6.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's suburban nature.

With around 203 people per dwelling approval, Orelia shows characteristics of a growth area. Population forecasts indicate Orelia will gain 577 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely to affect this region. Key projects are the Kwinana Education Precinct, Hammond West Private Estate (Vivente), Westport-Kwinana Container Port, and Cassia Estate Bertram. The following 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.

Employment drivers in Orelia are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Orelia's workforce is balanced across white and blue collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. The unemployment rate was 14.4% in the past year, showing a 1.6% employment growth.

As of June 2025, 2,347 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate stands at 10.5%, above Greater Perth's 3.9%. Workforce participation is lower at 58.5% compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Manufacturing employment is notably high, at 1.9 times the regional average.

Professional & technical jobs comprise only 3.2% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 8.2%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.6%, while the labour force grew by 5.4%, raising the unemployment rate by 3.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment rise by 3.7%, labour force grow by 3.8%, and unemployment increase by 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Orelia's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.7% over five years and 12.3% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Orelia's median income among taxpayers is $56,169, with an average of $65,524. This is approximately average nationally, compared to Greater Perth's median of $58,380 and average of $78,020. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $64,145 (median) and $74,828 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Orelia all fall between the 16th and 17th percentiles nationally. The data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 30.1% of residents (1,497 people), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.0% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.5% of income remaining, ranking at the 16th percentile.

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

The dwelling structure in Orelia, as per the latest Census, consisted of 81.8% houses and 18.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Perth metro had 93.0% houses and 7.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Orelia was at 23.4%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (43.3%) or rented (33.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,343, below Perth metro's average of $1,724. The median weekly rent figure in Orelia was recorded at $250, compared to Perth metro's $315. Nationally, Orelia's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 64.6% of all households, including 24.8% couples with children, 21.1% couples without children, and 17.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.4%, with lone person households at 31.5% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 10.4%, considerably lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 7.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.8%) and certificates (33.0%). Educational participation is high at 29.5%, comprising 10.4% in primary, 8.5% in secondary, and 3.1% in tertiary education.

Orelia Primary School and Gilmore College serve a total of 1,461 students. The area's ICSEA score is 924, indicating varied educational conditions. There is one primary and one secondary institution providing education, with the area offering 29.4 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 13.7. This attracts students from surrounding communities, making it an education hub.

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

Transport analysis shows 44 active stops in Orelia, served by buses via five routes offering 605 weekly passenger trips. Average distance to nearest stop is 149 meters. Daily service averages 86 trips across all routes, equating to about 13 weekly trips per stop.

Service frequency averages 86 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Orelia is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a slightly higher degree among older age cohorts

Orelia faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, particularly among older age cohorts.

The area has a private health cover rate of approximately 53%, which is higher than the average SA2 area and covers around 2,648 people. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in Orelia, affecting 10.4% and 9.5% of residents respectively. Conversely, 64.1% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.4% across Greater Perth. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 15.2% (756 people) compared to the 10.4% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those of the broader population.

Orelia 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

Orelia's population was found to be more linguistically diverse than most local markets, with 14.3% speaking a language other than English at home as of the latest data from 20XX. Additionally, 30.6% of its residents were born overseas by the year 20XY. Christianity was identified as the dominant religion in Orelia, comprising 40.3% of the population.

However, Judaism showed a significant overrepresentation in Orelia, making up 0.2% of the population compared to none across Greater Perth during the same period. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were English at 28.7%, Australian at 26.9%, and Other at 8.3%. Notably, Maori ethnicity was overrepresented in Orelia at 2.3% compared to the regional average of 2.1%, New Zealand-born residents stood at 1.4% versus the regional 1.1%, and Filipino individuals comprised 3.0% of the population against a regional average of 5.3%.

Orelia's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Orelia is close to Greater Perth's average of 37 years and equivalent to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Orelia has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (13.9%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (12.8%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 12.8% to 14.1%, while the proportion of those aged 35-44 has decreased from 14.9% to 14.0%. By 2041, Orelia's age composition is expected to change significantly. The number of residents aged 75-84 is projected to grow by 64%, reaching 440 from 268. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 54% of the population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for those aged 0-4 and 5-14.