Calista
Statistical Area - sa2

Calista is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Calista's population was 7,434 as of the 2021 Census. By Nov 2025, it is around 7,902, an increase of 468 people (6.3%). This growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 7,790 in June 2024 and 52 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 521 persons per square kilometer. Calista's 6.3% growth since the census is within 2.6 percentage points of the national average (8.9%). Overseas migration contributed approximately 96.7% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses 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 estimates, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort from the ABS's latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population projections indicate an above median growth for national statistical areas. Calista is expected to grow by 1,204 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 13.8% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Calista, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Calista has seen approximately 12 dwellings granted development approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 64 homes were approved, with an additional 6 approved so far in FY-26. On average, around 1.4 new residents have been added annually per dwelling constructed during these years.

This balance between supply and demand supports stable market conditions. The average construction cost value for new properties is $195,000, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalling $3.6 million have been recorded, reflecting the area's primarily residential character. Compared to Greater Perth, Calista has significantly lower building activity, at 89.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties.

This trend is also evident when compared to national averages, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. All recent building activity in Calista consists of standalone homes, preserving its low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. As of now, the area has an estimated 794 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections indicate that Calista will add approximately 1,092 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth in the future.

Calista has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 42ndth percentile nationally

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Westport-Kwinana Container Port, Parmelia Primary School Modernisation Stage 2, Mandurah Line, and Anketell Road Upgrade (Leath Road to Kwinana Freeway). The following list details those likely to be most 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 labour market performance in Calista lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Calista's workforce is balanced across white and blue collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. The unemployment rate was 13.5% in June 2025, higher than Greater Perth's 3.9%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.1%. As of June 2025, 3,589 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 9.7%, and workforce participation at 56.2%. Health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade are dominant sectors. Manufacturing employment is particularly high, at 1.9 times the regional average.

Professional & technical services show lower representation, at 4.2% compared to the regional average of 8.2%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited, as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.1%, labour force by 5.8%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 3.1 percentage points. Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 3.7% during the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Calista's employment mix, local growth is estimated at approximately 5.8% over five years and 12.6% over ten years.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

Calista's median taxpayer income was $57,626 and average was $66,563 in financial year 2022 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is slightly above national average, contrasting with Greater Perth's median income of $58,380 and average income of $78,020. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $65,809 (median) and $76,015 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Calista all fall between the 11th and 14th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows 29.9% of the population (2,362 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.0% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.5% of income remaining, ranking at the 13th percentile.

Calista is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Calista, as per the latest Census evaluation, 87.6% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 12.4% being other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. In comparison, Perth metropolitan area had 93.0% houses and 7.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Calista stood at 22.4%, with mortgaged properties making up 44.5% and rented dwellings accounting for 33.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,300, lower than Perth metro's average of $1,724. The median weekly rent figure in Calista was recorded at $275, compared to Perth metro's $315. Nationally, Calista's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

Calista features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 62.5% of all households, including 23.7% couples with children, 20.5% couples without children, and 16.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.5%, with lone person households at 33.3% and group households making up 4.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.7.

Calista faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area has university qualification rates of 12.6%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.9%) and certificates (31.5%).

Educational participation is high at 29.3%, including 11.4% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education. Calista has a network of 6 schools educating approximately 1,061 students, with 5 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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

Calista has 49 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together offer 749 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically living just 211 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 107 trips per day across all routes, which works out to about 15 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Calista is well below average with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Calista faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data.

A variety of health conditions affect both younger and older age groups in the area. The rate of private health cover is approximately 52%, which is higher than the average for SA2 areas but still leads to around 4,140 people being without it. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 11.7% and 9.1% of residents respectively. However, 60.9% of residents report having no medical ailments at all, compared to 71.4% in Greater Perth. Calista has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 18.9% (around 1,491 people) falling into this age bracket, compared to just 10.4% in Greater Perth. The health outcomes among seniors in Calista are broadly similar to those of the general population.

Calista 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

Calista's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 12.1% speaking a language other than English at home and 31.3% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Calista, making up 40.3% of its population. However, the category 'Other' showed significant overrepresentation in Calista at 1.0%, compared to Greater Perth's 2.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (31.8%), Australian (25.1%), and Other (8.3%). Notable differences existed for certain ethnic groups: Maori was overrepresented at 2.2% in Calista versus 2.1% regionally, Welsh at 0.9% versus 0.7%, and New Zealand at 1.1% versus 1.1%.

Calista's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Calista has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Perth's figure of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Perth average, Calista has a notably higher proportion of individuals aged 55-64 (12.4%) but a lower proportion of those aged 35-44 (12.8%). Between 2021 and present, the population aged 65-74 has increased from 8.2% to 9.0%, while the 5-14 age group has decreased from 13.8% to 11.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Calista's age profile. The number of individuals aged 85 and above is projected to increase by 391 people (147%), rising from 267 to 659. Notably, the combined population growth in all age groups above 65 will account for 78% of total population growth, reflecting Calista's aging demographic trend. Conversely, the populations aged 15-24 and 0-4 are expected to decrease.