Somerville (WA)

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

Somerville's population is estimated at around 4,341 as of Feb 2026, reflecting an increase of 176 people since the 2021 Census. This reflects a growth rate of 4.2%. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024. The population density is approximately 952 persons per square kilometer, which aligns with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 57.99999999999999% of overall population gains during recent periods in the suburb of Somerville (WA).

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 for estimating growth post-2032, AreaSearch uses ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Considering these projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 473 persons to reach a total of 4,814 by 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 9.1% over 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Somerville, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

AreaSearch analysis indicates Somerville had around 14 dwelling approvals per year. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 70 homes were approved, with an additional 3 approved in FY-26 as of the current date. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with varied buyer choices.

The average construction cost for new properties is $246,000, lower than regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing options. This financial year, commercial approvals totalled $11.6 million, indicating moderate commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of WA, Somerville shows 96.0% higher construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. However, recent periods have seen a moderation in development activity. Nationally, Somerville's development activity is lower, reflecting market maturity and potential development constraints.

New developments consist of 62.0% detached houses and 38.0% medium to high-density housing, with an increasing mix of townhouses and apartments catering to different price points. The area has an estimated 502 people per dwelling approval, indicating a quiet, low activity development environment. By 2041, Somerville is projected to grow by 396 residents based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Current development patterns suggest new housing supply should meet demand, potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Somerville has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Ten infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Fabric Street Temporary Workforce Accommodation, Goldfields Pipeline Renewal (Stage 1), Kalgoorlie-Boulder Water Bank Project, and KCGM 800-Bed Workers Accommodation Camp. The following list details those likely to be 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.

The exceptional employment performance in Somerville places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Somerville has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.2%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.5% over the past year (AreaSearch data aggregation). As of September 2025, 2,609 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0% below Rest of WA's rate of 3.3%.

Workforce participation is high at 79.8%, compared to Rest of WA's 67.2%. Only 3.8% of residents work from home (Census data). Employment is concentrated in mining, education & training, and health care & social assistance sectors. Mining employment is particularly notable, at 2.5 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing employ 0.0% of local workers, below Rest of WA's 9.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.5%, labour force grew by 0.5%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged (AreaSearch analysis). In contrast, Rest of WA experienced employment growth of 1.4% and labour force growth of 1.2%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Somerville. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Somerville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.1% over five years and 11.7% over ten years (simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes).

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

The suburb of Somerville has one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch data from the ATO for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Somerville is $87,215 and the average income stands at $101,052, which compares to figures for Rest of WA's of $59,973 and $74,392 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 are approximately $95,605 (median) and $110,773 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Somerville rank highly nationally, between the 96th and 97th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 32.8% of residents (1,423 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to regional levels where 31.1% occupy this bracket. Economic strength is evident with 49.9% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 88.2% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Somerville is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census evaluated dwelling structures in Somerville as 72.4% houses and 27.7% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro WA had 88.5% houses and 11.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Somerville was at 15.8%, with the rest mortgaged (46.5%) or rented (37.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Somerville was $2,123, above Non-Metro WA's average of $1,560. Weekly rent in Somerville was $330, compared to Non-Metro WA's $265. Nationally, Somerville's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,123 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $330 than the national figure of $375.

Somerville has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 75.7% of all households, including 42.3% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 6.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 24.3%, with lone person households at 21.3% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of WA average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in Somerville fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Educational qualifications in Somerville lag behind regional benchmarks, with 22.1% of residents aged 15 years and over holding university degrees compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. This gap suggests potential for educational development and skill enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most common at 15.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 42.7% of residents aged 15 years and over holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.0%) and certificates (33.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.2% in primary education, 9.6% in secondary education, and 2.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis shows 15 active public transport stops in Somerville, served by two routes offering 126 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 299 meters to the nearest one. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area, with cars being the dominant mode at 92%. The average vehicle ownership is 1.8 per dwelling, higher than the regional average. Only 3.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census). Service frequency averages 18 trips per day across all routes, resulting in about 8 weekly trips per individual stop.

Service frequency averages 18 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 8 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Somerville, as per AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age cohorts exhibit low incidence of common health conditions. Private health cover is notably high at approximately 67% of the total population (2,921 people), compared to 56.4% in the rest of WA and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 5.5 and 5.0% of residents respectively. Notably, 81.5% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 69.3% in the rest of WA. Working-age residents display low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 4.9% of residents aged 65 and over (212 people), lower than the 19.2% in the rest of WA. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, ranking higher than the general population nationally.

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

Somerville's cultural diversity exceeds most local markets, with 16.6% speaking a language other than English at home and 28.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 47.6%. Hinduism, however, is significantly overrepresented at 2.8%, compared to 0.5% regionally.

For ancestry, Australian (26.5%), English (26.4%), and Other (10.4%) are the top groups, with Other being substantially higher than the regional average of 5.0%. Notably, New Zealand is overrepresented at 1.9%, Maori at 3.0%, and South African at 1.3%, each exceeding their respective regional averages by a significant margin.

Somerville's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Somerville's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Rest of WA's 40 years and considerably younger than the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 19.3% of Somerville's population compared to Rest of WA, while the 65-74 cohort represents 4.2%. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has increased from 15.6% to 19.3%, the 35-44 cohort has risen from 15.5% to 16.6%, but the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 15.1% to 13.6% and the 5-14 group has dropped from 15.8% to 14.4%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Somerville. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to increase by 239 people (29%), from 837 to 1,076. Conversely, population declines are expected for the 75-84 and 65-74 cohorts.