Applecross - Ardross
Statistical Area - sa2

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

As of Aug 2025, Applecross - Ardross's population is around 13,206. This reflects an increase since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,725 people. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 12,855 as of June 2024 and an additional 579 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,432 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Applecross - Ardross's growth rate of 12.6% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.6%. This growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 81.7% 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 post-2032 growth estimation, 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. Examining future trends, an above median population growth is projected for Applecross - Ardross, with an expected growth of 2,246 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 14.3% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Applecross - Ardross among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Applecross - Ardross has seen approximately 146 dwellings granted development approval annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces this data on a financial year basis, with 734 homes approved over the past five years from FY-20 to FY-25, including nine approvals so far in FY-26. On average, 1.0 person per year has moved to the area for each dwelling built during these five years. This pace of new construction matches or exceeds demand, providing buyers with more options and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $833,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In FY-26 alone, there have been $46.8 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Perth, Applecross - Ardross records 185.0% more development activity per person. This level is notably higher than the national average, suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. New developments consist of 20.0% detached houses and 80.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift contrasts with the area's current housing composition, which is 69.0% houses, suggesting decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and demand for diverse housing options. With around 179 people per dwelling approval, Applecross - Ardross exhibits characteristics of a growth area.

Population forecasts indicate that the area will gain 1,890 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth beyond current forecasts.

Applecross - Ardross has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 22 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Oasis Mount Pleasant, Riviere Residences, METRONET Canning Bridge Bus Interchange Upgrade, and Polglass Way, Ardross. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Applecross - Ardross rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Applecross - Ardross has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. The unemployment rate was 1.6% as of June 2025.

Employment growth in the past year was estimated at 5.3%. There were 7,439 residents employed by June 2025, with an unemployment rate of 2.3%, below Greater Perth's 3.9%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training.

The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with a share 1.7 times the regional level. Construction employs only 7.0% of local workers, lower than Greater Perth's 9.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 5.3%, labour force grew by 5.8%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Perth had employment growth of 3.7% and unemployment rose by 0.1 percentage points. Statewide in WA, as of Sep-25, employment contracted by 0.82% (losing 14,590 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, slightly lower than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Applecross - Ardross's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.4% over ten years.

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

Applecross-Ardross has a notably high national income level according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $65,262 and the average income stands at $114,570, which compares to Greater Perth's figures of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of March 2025 would be approximately $72,839 (median) and $127,872 (average). Census data shows that household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Applecross-Ardross, between the 86th and 89th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the predominant cohort spans 31.9% of locals (4,212 people) in the $4000+ category, unlike metropolitan trends where 32.0% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 43.2% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 87.3% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

In Applecross - Ardross, as per the latest Census, 69.2% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 30.8% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Perth metro's 76.5% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Applecross - Ardross stood at 44.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.4% and rented ones at 25.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,700, surpassing Perth metro's average of $2,200. The median weekly rent in the area was $475, higher than Perth metro's $400. Nationally, Applecross - Ardross's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Applecross - Ardross has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 74.6% of all households, including 35.3% couples with children, 29.3% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 25.4%, with lone person households at 22.9% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Perth average.

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

Educational attainment in Applecross-Ardross is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 51.3% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 27.9% in Western Australia (WA) and 28.6% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.7% and graduate diplomas at 4.2%. Vocational pathways account for 21.8% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 11.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 7.2% pursuing tertiary education. The area's four schools have a combined enrollment of 3,262 students. Applecross-Ardross demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1140. Education provision is balanced with three primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs at 25.4 places per 100 residents, compared to the regional average of 19.7, indicating that the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Transport analysis indicates 55 active public transport stops operating within the Applecross-Ardross area. These stops are served by a mix of bus routes, totalling 11 individual routes. Collectively, these routes provide 1692 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 195 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 241 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 30 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Applecross - Ardross with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 78% of the total population of 10,234 people, compared to 65.2% across Greater Perth and 55.3% nationally. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.3 and 5.6% of residents respectively, while 75.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.5% across Greater Perth.

As of 2021, 22.8% of residents are aged 65 and over, totaling 3,008 people. Health outcomes among seniors in the area are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Applecross-Ardross has a high level of cultural diversity, with 24.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 40.2% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Applecross-Ardross, making up 50.5% of its population. Notably, Judaism comprises 0.2% of the population, which is higher than the regional average of 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (26.2%), Australian (18.2%), and Chinese (11.3%). Some ethnic groups have notable representation differences: South African is at 1.1%, Croatian at 1.1%, and Welsh at 0.8%, compared to regional averages of 0.9%, 1.1%, and 0.7% respectively.

Applecross - Ardross hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Applecross - Ardross is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 65-74 years make up 11.7% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years constitute 9.8%. Between 2021 and the present, the percentage of people aged 75-84 years has increased from 6.5% to 8.3%, and the percentage of individuals aged 15-24 years has risen from 11.9% to 13.0%. Conversely, the proportion of those aged 0-4 years has decreased from 4.5% to 3.5%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Applecross - Ardross's age structure. The number of individuals aged 75-84 years is projected to rise by 65%, from 1,090 to 1,801. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ are expected to account for 64% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the populations aged 0-4 years and 35-44 years are projected to decline.