Applecross - Ardross

Population growth drivers in Applecross - Ardross are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Applecross - Ardross's population is around 13,443 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,718 people (14.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,725 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,853 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 585 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,475 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Applecross - Ardross's 14.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%), as well as the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 81.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and to estimate growth across all areas in the years post-2032, AreaSearch is utilising the growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Anticipating future population dynamics, an above-median population growth of statistical areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to increase by 2,246 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 12.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Applecross - Ardross has recorded around 220 residential properties granted approval each year, with 1,102 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 34 so far in FY-26. With an average of only 1 person per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply is meeting or surpassing demand, providing greater buyer choice and supporting potential for population growth above projections. New homes are being built at an average value of $538,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. There have also been $46.8 million in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting robust local business investment.

When measured against Greater Perth, Applecross - Ardross has 186.0% more construction activity (per person), creating greater choice for buyers, though building activity has slowed in recent years. This activity is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New development consists of 20.0% detached houses and 80.0% townhouses or apartments. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing (currently 69.0% houses), indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With around 179 people per dwelling approval, Applecross - Ardross shows characteristics of a growth area.

Future projections show Applecross - Ardross adding 1,653 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Applecross - Ardross has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 41stth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 30 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Applecross Village Redevelopment (Stage 2), METRONET Canning Bridge Bus Interchange Upgrade, Polglass Way, Ardross, and the Ogilvie Streetscape Upgrade - Canning Bridge Activity Centre, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Applecross - Ardross performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Applecross - Ardross possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 1.6%, and 0.7% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,255 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.5% below Greater Perth's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation is somewhat below standard (67.8% compared to Greater Perth's 71.9%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 14.0% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level. In contrast, construction employs just 7.0% of local workers, which is below Greater Perth's 9.3%. While local employment opportunities exist in the area, it appears many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on the ratio of the Census working population to the local population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 0.7% while the labour force increased by 0.8%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. By comparison, Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 2.3%, labour force growth of 2.6%, and unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Applecross - Ardross. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Applecross - Ardross's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Applecross - Ardross SA2's income level is exceptionally high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Applecross - Ardross SA2's median income among taxpayers is $67,671 and the average income stands at $114,403, which compares to figures for Greater Perth's of $60,748 and $80,248 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $74,181 (median) and $125,409 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Applecross - Ardross, between the 86th and 88th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate the predominant cohort spans 31.9% of locals (4,288 people) in the $4000+ category, unlike trends in the metropolitan region 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

Dwelling structure within Applecross - Ardross, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 69.2% houses and 30.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Perth metro's 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Applecross - Ardross was well beyond that of Perth metro, at 44.4%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (30.4%) or rented (25.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Perth metro average at $2,700, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $475, compared to Perth metro's $1,907 and $350. Nationally, Applecross - Ardross's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 74.6% of all households, comprising 35.3% couples with children, 29.3% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 25.4%, with lone person households at 22.9% and group households comprising 2.5% of the total. The median household size of 2.6 people matches 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 51.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 27.9% in WA and 28.6% in the SA4 region. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 34.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational pathways account for 21.8% of qualifications among those aged 15+ - advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (11.2%).

Educational participation is notably 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.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 55 active transport stops operating within Applecross - Ardross, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 11 individual routes, collectively providing 1,686 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 195 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 78%, with 11% by bus and 6% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling. Some 14.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 240 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 demonstrates outstanding results across Applecross - Ardross, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 78% of the total population (10,485 people). This compares to 59.0% across Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be arthritis and asthma, impacting 6.3% and 5.6% of residents, respectively, while 75.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. The area has 23.6% of residents aged 65 and over (3,167 people), which is higher than the 16.3% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Applecross - Ardross 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

Applecross - Ardross scores highly on cultural diversity, with 24.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 40.2% born overseas. The main religion in Applecross - Ardross is Christianity, which makes up 50.5% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.2% of the population, compared to 0.3% across Greater Perth.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Applecross - Ardross are English, comprising 26.2% of the population, Australian, comprising 18.2% of the population, and Chinese, comprising 11.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 4.0%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: South Australian is notably overrepresented at 1.1% of Applecross - Ardross (vs 1.0% regionally), Croatian at 1.1% (vs 0.8%) and Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.7%).

Applecross - Ardross's median age exceeds the national pattern

The 43-year median age in Applecross - Ardross is considerably higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 as well as substantially exceeding the 38-year national average. The age profile shows 75 - 84 year-olds are particularly prominent (8.7%), while the 25 - 34 group is comparatively smaller (9.6%) than in Greater Perth. In the period since 2021, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 6.5% to 8.7% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 11.9% to 13.3%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 13.4% to 12.3% and the 0 to 4 group dropped from 4.5% to 3.4%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Applecross - Ardross's age structure. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to rise substantially, expanding by 627 people (53%) from 1,173 to 1,801. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 65% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.