Wattle Grove (WA)

Population growth drivers in Wattle Grove are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the suburb of Wattle Grove's population was estimated at around 7463 as of Feb 2026. This reflected an increase of 916 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6547. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of resident population at 7234 following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 895 persons per square kilometer, roughly inline with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Wattle Grove's growth of 14% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 9.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 39%.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, growth rates by age cohort from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) were used. Future demographic trends suggest an increase just below the median of statistical areas analysed, expecting a population growth of 334 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 2.8% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Wattle Grove among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Wattle Grove shows an average of around 53 new dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, approximately 269 homes were approved, with a further 5 approved so far in FY26. Each year, on average, 2.9 new residents are gained for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $387,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This year has seen $15.1 million in commercial approvals, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Perth, Wattle Grove records 104.0% more development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. However, development activity has moderated recently.

New developments consist of 91.0% detached dwellings and 9.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes. With around 259 people per approval, Wattle Grove reflects a transitioning market. Population forecasts indicate the area will gain approximately 207 residents by 2041. Current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Wattle Grove has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 41stth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Cell 9 Wattle Grove Urban Development, Forrestfield/High Wycombe Industrial Area, Hartfield Park Master Plan Stage 2: Co-Location, and Tonkin Highway Corridor - Roe Highway to Kelvin Road. The following list details those most likely to be 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 employment environment in Wattle Grove shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Wattle Grove has an educated workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.7%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.1%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 4,098 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.3% lower than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation in Wattle Grove is higher at 77.6%, compared to Greater Perth's 71.6%. According to Census responses, a low 7.6% of residents work from home. The key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training.

Notably, transport, postal & warehousing has higher representation with levels at 1.7 times the regional average. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 8.0%, compared to the regional average of 9.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 2.1% alongside labour force growth of 2.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.1 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 2.9%. 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. Applying these projections to Wattle Grove's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.2% 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 Wattle Grove had a higher income level than the national average according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year ending June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Wattle Grove was $62,677 while the average income stood at $73,454. These figures compared to those for Greater Perth which were $60,748 and $80,248 respectively. Based on a 9.62% growth in wages since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $68,707 and average income around $80,520 by September 2025. According to data from the 2021 Census, incomes in Wattle Grove ranked highly nationally, with household, family and personal incomes all between the 75th and 87th percentiles. Income distribution showed that 41.3% of residents (3,082 people) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, similar to the regional level where 32.0% occupied this bracket. Wattle Grove exhibited significant affluence with 32.8% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing expenses accounted for 15.1% of income. The area's strong earnings placed residents within the 86th percentile for disposable income. According to SEIFA data, Wattle Grove's income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

Wattle Grove is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Wattle Grove's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 99.7% houses and 0.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Perth metro had 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wattle Grove was at 21.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 64.2% and rented ones at 14.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,993, higher than Perth metro's $1,907. Median weekly rent in Wattle Grove was $430, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, Wattle Grove's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,993 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Wattle Grove features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 87.2% of all households, including 55.3% couples with children, 21.0% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 12.8%, with lone person households at 11.0% and group households making up 2.1%. The median household size is 3.3 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Wattle Grove shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 31.6%, exceeding the SA3 area average of 22.5% and WA's rate of 27.9%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 21.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are held by 33.9% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 22.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 36.2% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (15.1%), secondary education (9.5%), and tertiary education (5.1%).

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

Wattle Grove has 70 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 459 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically living 201 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential zone, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 89% of residents. On average, there are 1.9 vehicles per dwelling, which exceeds the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 7.6% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, an average of 65 trips are made daily, equating to approximately six weekly trips per individual stop.

Wattle Grove'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 Wattle Grove. AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence shows both younger and older age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is high, at approximately 56% of the total population (around 4,206 people), compared to 59.0% in Greater Perth. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.2 and 5.6% of residents respectively. A majority, 79.4%, report being completely free from medical ailments, higher than the 71.9% across Greater Perth. Wattle Grove has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 10.1% (753 people), compared to 16.3% in Greater Perth. Senior health outcomes align with national rankings, broadly in line with the general population.

Wattle Grove is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Wattle Grove's cultural diversity is notable, with 41.0% of its population born overseas and an equal percentage speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Wattle Grove, accounting for 41.6% of the population. However, Islam is significantly overrepresented compared to the Greater Perth average, comprising 10.5% of Wattle Grove's population.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.3%), Australian (19.4%), and Other (18.5%). Notably, Indian, Filipino, and Chinese ethnicities are also overrepresented in Wattle Grove compared to regional averages: Indian at 8.4% vs 2.6%, Filipino at 3.1% vs 1.4%, and Chinese at 7.6% vs 4.0%.

Wattle Grove hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

At age 34 years, Wattle Grove's median age is lower than Greater Perth's average of 37 years, and considerably younger than Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Wattle Grove has a higher percentage of residents aged 5-14 (18.4%), but fewer residents aged 25-34 (10.9%). This 5-14 concentration is above the national average of 12.1%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 11.5% to 13.4%, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 1.5% to 3.4%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 age group has declined from 12.0% to 10.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Wattle Grove. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 62%, adding 158 residents to reach a total of 412. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups.