Bicton - Palmyra

Population growth drivers in Bicton - Palmyra are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bicton - Palmyra's population is around 16,221 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,443 people (9.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,778 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,132 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 24 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,566 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Bicton - Palmyra has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 1.1% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 68.5% 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). Regarding demographic trends, an above-median population growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is projected, with the area expected to grow by 2,557 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 15.2% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Bicton - Palmyra when compared nationally

Bicton - Palmyra has recorded around 28 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 142 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 13 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 10.1 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), demand is significantly outpacing supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers, while new homes are being built at an average construction cost of $471,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Additionally, $4.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature.

When measured against Greater Perth, Bicton - Palmyra records markedly lower building activity (71.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 95.0% standalone homes and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. New construction favours detached housing more than current patterns suggest (61.0% at Census), demonstrating ongoing robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. The location has approximately 644 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Population forecasts indicate Bicton - Palmyra will gain 2,468 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Bicton - Palmyra has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 11 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Blackwall Reach Precinct Redevelopment, The Point Palmyra, The Point Attadale, and Point Walter Recreation and Conference Centre Redevelopment, 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.

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 labour market strength in Bicton - Palmyra positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Bicton - Palmyra possesses a highly educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 2.1%, and 1.0% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 9,460 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.0% below Greater Perth's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Perth's 71.9%. Based on Census responses, a low 10.1% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in education & training, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, retail trade shows lower representation at 8.0% versus the regional average of 9.3%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.0% and the labour force increased by 0.9%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 2.3%, labour force growth of 2.6%, with 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 Bicton - Palmyra. 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 Bicton - Palmyra's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 14.0% 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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Bicton - Palmyra SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $66,838 with the average level standing at $91,244. This is extremely high nationally and compares to levels of $60,748 and $80,248 across Greater Perth respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $73,268 (median) and $100,022 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, personal income ranks at the 78th percentile ($994 weekly), while household income sits at the 55th percentile. Distribution data shows 27.7% of the population (4,493 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 32.0% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 15.1% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 57th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Bicton - Palmyra, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 61.4% houses and 38.6% 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 Bicton - Palmyra was well beyond that of Perth metro, at 36.0%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (39.0%) or rented (25.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Perth metro average at $2,115, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $350, compared to Perth metro's $1,907 and $350. Nationally, Bicton - Palmyra's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

Bicton - Palmyra features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 63.5% of all households, comprising 27.6% couples with children, 25.1% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.5%, with lone person households at 33.7% and group households comprising 2.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Bicton - Palmyra shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Bicton - Palmyra significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 40.2% 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 27.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 30.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (18.9%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 7.2% in secondary education, and 6.8% 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 46 active transport stops operating within Bicton - Palmyra comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 9 individual routes, collectively providing 1,930 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 240 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward - the car remains the dominant mode at 83%, with 7% by bus and 5% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, below the regional average. A relatively low 10.1% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 275 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 41 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bicton - Palmyra'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 Bicton - Palmyra, 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 67% of the total population (10,835 people). This compares to 59.0% across Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 8.3% and 7.5% of residents, respectively, while 70.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 22.3% of residents aged 65 and over (3,620 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.

In terms of cultural diversity, Bicton - Palmyra records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bicton - Palmyra was found to be above average in terms of cultural diversity, with 9.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 25.6% born overseas. The main religion in Bicton - Palmyra is Christianity, which makes up 48.0% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.1% 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 Bicton - Palmyra are English, comprising 31.4% of the population, Australian, comprising 24.0% of the population, and Irish, comprising 9.5% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Croatian is notably overrepresented at 1.3% of Bicton - Palmyra (vs 0.8% regionally), Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.7%) and Italian at 5.6% (vs 4.2%).

Bicton - Palmyra's population is slightly older than the national pattern

At 41 years, Bicton - Palmyra's median age is significantly above the Greater Perth average of 37 as well as somewhat older than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Greater Perth average, the 65 - 74 cohort is notably over-represented (10.9% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (12.1%). Following the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 6.0% to 7.8% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.7% to 12.6%. Demographic modeling suggests Bicton - Palmyra's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 65%, adding 830 residents to reach 2,102. Demographic aging continues as residents 65 and older represent 67% of anticipated growth. On the other hand, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts.