Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood's population is around 25,660 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,981 people (8.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 23,679 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 25,639 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 70 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,558 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood's 8.4% growth since the census positions it within 1.5 percentage points of the national average (9.9%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 66.8% 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). As we examine future population trends, an above-median population growth of statistical areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to expand by 3,477 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 13.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood has averaged around 25 new dwelling approvals per year, with 128 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 23 so far in FY-26. With an average of 9.7 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 value of $259,000. Additionally, $15.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating steady commercial investment activity.

When measured against Greater Perth, Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood has significantly less development activity (91.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties, though building activity has accelerated in recent years. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 95.0% detached houses and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The location has approximately 788 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Looking ahead, Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood is expected to grow by 3,456 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 12thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 32 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Brighton Estate Master Planned Community, Butler District Planning Scheme Amendment No. 212, Butler Boulevard Medical Centre, and Butler Village Medical 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.

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.

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood possesses a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with manufacturing and industrial sectors strongly represented, an unemployment rate of 7.9%, and 3.7% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 13,337 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 3.8% above Greater Perth's rate of 4.1%, showing room for improvement, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Perth's 71.9%. Based on Census responses, a low 6.5% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in construction, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. In contrast, professional & technical services employ just 4.5% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 8.2%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw employment increasing by 3.7% alongside the labour force increasing by 4.2%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 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 Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood. 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 Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.0% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $59,306 and an average of $73,611 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is above the national average, contrasting with Greater Perth's median income of $60,748 and average income of $80,248. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $65,011 (median) and $80,692 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood, between the 34th and 37th percentiles. The data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 34.4% of residents (8,827 people), mirroring regional levels where 32.0% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 79.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 32nd percentile.

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 91.0% houses and 9.1% 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 Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood was lagging that of Perth metro, at 14.6%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (52.6%) or rented (32.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Perth metro average at $1,733, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $340, compared to Perth metro's $1,907 and $350. Nationally, Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 74.4% of all households, comprising 33.5% couples with children, 22.7% couples without children, and 16.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 25.6%, with lone person households at 23.2% and group households comprising 2.4% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (14.8%) substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 10.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 42.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.5%) and certificates (30.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.9% in primary education, 9.8% in secondary education, and 4.1% 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 107 active transport stops operating within Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood, comprising a mix of trains and buses. These stops are serviced by 10 individual routes, collectively providing 3,412 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 196 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 78%, with 13% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A relatively low 6.5% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 487 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 31 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data indicates relatively positive outcomes for Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood residents, with AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions showing results broadly in line with national benchmarks. The prevalence of common health conditions is quite low among the general population, though higher than the national average across older, at-risk cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~14,215 people), compared to 59.0% across Greater Perth.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.4% and 8.1% of residents, respectively, while 68.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 16.2% of residents aged 65 and over (4,156 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, though they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 14.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 42.3% born overseas. The main religion in Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood is Christianity, which makes up 44.2% of the people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Islam, which comprises 1.5% of the population, compared to 3.2% across Greater Perth.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood are English, comprising 34.4% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 28.0%, Australian, comprising 21.2% of the population, and Other, comprising 9.9% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Maori is notably overrepresented at 2.4% of Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood (vs 0.9% regionally), South Australian at 1.8% (vs 1.0%) and Welsh at 0.9% (vs 0.7%).

Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

At 34 years, Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood's median age is somewhat lower than the Greater Perth average of 37 and similarly considerably younger than Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Perth, Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood has a higher concentration of 15 - 24 residents (14.9%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (12.8%). Since the 2021 Census, the 55 to 64 age group has grown from 8.6% to 10.5% of the population, while the 65 to 74 cohort increased from 6.5% to 7.7%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 15.4% to 13.8% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 13.7% to 12.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 69%, adding 1,022 residents to reach 2,511. Senior residents (65+) will drive 60% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts.