South Perth

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

The population of South Perth is estimated at around 14,109 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,513 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,596 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 13,867 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 436 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,739 persons per square kilometer, placing South Perth in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. South Perth's growth of 12.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%). Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 91.0% of overall population gains 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 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 project an above median growth for national areas, with South Perth expected to increase by 2,012 persons to reach a total of 16,121 by 2041, reflecting a 13.2% increase over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, South Perth has experienced around 120 dwellings receiving development approval each year over the past five financial years ending June 2025. This totals an estimated 602 homes. As of July 2026, 17 approvals have been recorded in this financial year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an average of 1.8 new residents per year per dwelling constructed was observed. However, recent data shows this has increased to 5.8 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, reflecting South Perth's growing popularity.

New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $1,419,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This financial year has seen $39.9 million in commercial approvals registered, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Perth, South Perth has slightly more development activity, being 42.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period ending June 2025. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods.

In terms of building types, new construction shows 17.0% detached houses and 83.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards compact living to offer affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 34.0% houses. South Perth reflects a developing area with around 203 people per approval. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, South Perth is expected to grow by 1,864 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

South Perth has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 37thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 21 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Lumiere South Perth, Riva Como, The Pearl, and 8 Parker Street Luxury Apartments. The following details projects expected to have the most relevance.

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

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South Perth ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

South Perth has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.1% as of September 2025, lower than Greater Perth's 4.0%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.1%.

Residents' work participation rate is similar to Greater Perth's 71.6%. Only 13.1% of residents worked from home based on Census responses. Key employment sectors are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Professional & technical services have a particularly notable concentration with levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

Construction has limited presence with 6.1% employment compared to the regional 9.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the working population count versus resident population. Over a 12-month period, employment increased by 2.1% alongside labour force growth of 2.1%, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 1.9%. This contrasts with Greater Perth where employment rose by 2.9%, labour force grew by 3.0%, and unemployment marginally increased. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to South Perth's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of South Perth had a high national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $65,940 and the average income stood at $107,831, compared to Greater Perth's figures of $60,748 and $80,248 respectively. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62%, estimated incomes would be approximately $72,283 (median) and $118,204 (average). Census data showed individual earnings stood at the 88th percentile nationally ($1,147 weekly). The dominant earnings bracket was $1,500 - 2,999 with 29.3% of residents (4,133 people), similar to the broader area where 32.0% occupied this range. Notably, 33.5% earned above $3,000 weekly. Housing accounted for 13.7% of income, placing residents within the 71st percentile for disposable income. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

South Perth displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

South Perth's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 33.9% houses and 66.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Perth metro's figures of 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Perth stood at 34.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.4% and rented ones at 43.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,200, exceeding the Perth metro average of $1,907. The median weekly rent in South Perth was $375, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, South Perth's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were comparable at $375.

South Perth features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 58.0% of all households, including 20.3% couples with children, 30.1% couples without children, and 6.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 42.0%, with lone person households at 36.7% and group households comprising 5.3%. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in South Perth places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

In South Perth, educational attainment is notably high, with 51.0% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This exceeds the broader benchmarks of 27.9% in Western Australia (WA) and 29.9% in the Small Area 4 (SA4) region. The area's educational advantage is evident in its high proportion of Bachelor degrees (32.4%), postgraduate qualifications (14.3%), and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational pathways are also well-represented, with 23.7% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above consisting of advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (12.6%).

Educational participation is significantly high in the area, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in tertiary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 5.8% pursuing primary education.

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

South Perth has 78 active public transport stops serving a mix of ferry and bus routes. These are operated by 9 different routes, collectively facilitating 3,151 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 128 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most commutes are outward-bound. Car remains the dominant mode at 74%, followed by bus at 14% and cycling at 2%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 13.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 450 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 40 weekly trips per stop.

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

South Perth's health outcomes show excellent 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. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (9,876 people), compared to 59.0% in Greater Perth and 55.7% nationally.

Asthma and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 6.5 and 6.4% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 73.6%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.9% in Greater Perth. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.6% (3,329 people), compared to 16.3% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

South Perth 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

South Perth's cultural diversity was notable, with 21.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 39.8% born overseas. Christianity dominated the religious landscape, comprising 46.1%. Judaism, however, was disproportionately represented at 0.5%, compared to Greater Perth's 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (27.6%), Australian (18.9%), and Other (11.2%). Some ethnicities showed significant differences: South African at 0.9% vs regional 1.0%, French at 0.7% vs 0.5%, Croatian at 0.9% vs 0.8%.

South Perth's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in South Perth is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 65-74 age group constitutes 12.8% of South Perth's population, compared to a lower prevalence of the 5-14 cohort at 7.1%. Post-Census data from 2021 shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 6.2% to 8.6%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.3% to 10.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes. Notably, the 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 64% (an increase of 770 people), reaching a total of 1,984 from 1,213. The combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 72% of the total population growth, reflecting South Perth's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.