Forrestfield - Wattle Grove
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove's population was 19,729 as of Aug 2021. As of Aug 2025, it is around 22,523, reflecting an increase of 2,794 people (14.2%) since the 2021 Census. This growth was inferred from ABS estimated resident population data for June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is approximately 837 persons per square kilometer, in line with averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Forrestfield - Wattle Grove's growth of 14.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.6%. Overseas migration contributed about 39.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Future population trends indicate an expected increase just below the median for national areas, with Forrestfield - Wattle Grove expected to expand by 2,473 persons to reach a total of approximately 25,000 by 2041, reflecting an overall increase of about 9.9% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Forrestfield - Wattle Grove among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove has averaged approximately 127 new dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 635 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, and an additional five so far in FY-26. On average, around 3.9 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these years. This demand significantly outpaces supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost of $387,000, consistent with regional patterns. There has also been $42.8 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Relative to Greater Perth, Forrestfield - Wattle Grove records 60.0% more development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice, although development activity has moderated in recent periods. Recent construction comprises 95.0% detached houses and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The location has approximately 315 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. Looking ahead, Forrestfield - Wattle Grove is expected to grow by 2,236 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 22ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects that may affect this region. Notable ones include Tonkin Highway Corridor Upgrades (Roe Highway to Kelvin Road), Forrestfield/High Wycombe Industrial Area, Cell 9 Wattle Grove Urban Development, and Forrestfield North District Structure Plan. The following list details the most relevant projects.

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

The labour market in Forrestfield - Wattle Grove demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Forrestfield-Wattle Grove possesses a skilled workforce with manufacturing and industrial sectors strongly represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.8% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.2%.

As of June 2025, 12,357 residents were employed, matching Greater Perth's unemployment rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation similar to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Notably, transport, postal & warehousing has employment levels at 2.0 times the regional average. However, professional & technical employs only 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 8.2%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population to local population count. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 3.2%, alongside labour force increasing by 3.1%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points. Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 3.7%, labour force growth of 3.8%, with unemployment rising 0.1 percentage points. By Sep-25, WA's employment had contracted by 0.82% (losing 14,590 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, lagging the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Forrestfield-Wattle Grove's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0%% over five years and 12.8% over ten years.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Forrestfield-Wattle Grove has a median taxpayer income of $55,706 and an average of $65,284 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Nationally, the median income is approximately $53,912 with an average of $77,828. In Greater Perth, the median income is $58,380 and the average is $78,020. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Forrestfield-Wattle Grove would be approximately $62,173 (median) and $72,863 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Forrestfield-Wattle Grove cluster around the 57th percentile nationally. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 36.9% of residents (8,310 people). This is similar to regional levels where 32.0% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 56th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Forrestfield-Wattle Grove's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, were 91.6% houses and 8.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Perth metro's 93.9% houses and 6.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Forrestfield-Wattle Grove was 26.8%, with the rest either mortgaged (52.3%) or rented (20.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,800, below Perth metro's average of $1,907, and median weekly rent was $360, compared to Perth metro's $370. Nationally, Forrestfield-Wattle Grove's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 74.7 percent of all households, including 36.1 percent couples with children, 25.3 percent couples without children, and 12.2 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 25.3 percent, with lone person households at 22.3 percent and group households comprising 3.0 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6 people.

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

Forrestfield-Wattle Grove has a university degree holder rate of 20.6% among residents aged 15 and above, compared to Australia's 30.4%, indicating potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 28.9%. Educational participation is high, with 29.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 11.7% in primary, 8.0% in secondary, and 3.9% in tertiary education.

Forrestfield-Wattle Grove operates a network of 7 schools educating approximately 3501 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA score: 998). The educational mix includes 4 primary, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools.

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

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove has 174 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus services. There are 21 individual routes operating in the area.

Together, these routes provide 3,238 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located 224 meters from their nearest stop. On average, there are 462 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Forrestfield - Wattle Grove is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove demonstrates above-average health outcomes with prevalence of common health conditions low among its general population. However, the prevalence is higher than the national average across older and at-risk cohorts.

The rate of private health cover in the area is approximately 52% of the total population (~11,802 people), which is slightly lower than the Greater Perth average of 55.7%. Mental health issues are the most common medical condition in the area, impacting 7.8% of residents, followed by asthma at 7.1%. A total of 71.6% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% across Greater Perth. The area has a population aged 65 and over of 3,511 people, representing 15.6%, which is lower than the Greater Perth average of 20.2%.

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove 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

Forrestfield-Wattle Grove had a higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 23.9% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 34.0% born overseas. Christianity was the dominant religion in Forrestfield-Wattle Grove, comprising 42.5%. Islam's representation was notably higher at 5.6%, compared to Greater Perth's 2.3%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (27.0%), Australian (23.2%), and Other (12.7%). Some ethnic groups showed notable variations: Maori at 1.1% (vs regional 0.8%), New Zealand at 1.0%, and Indian at 4.1% (vs regional 1.9%).

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Forrestfield - Wattle Grove's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Perth's average of 37 years. This is slightly below Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Forrestfield - Wattle Grove has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (14.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (12.5%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 11.3% to 12.6%, while the 75 to 84 cohort has increased from 3.9% to 5.0%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 age group has declined from 13.4% to 12.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Forrestfield - Wattle Grove's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is expected to grow by 84%, adding 944 residents to reach a total of 2,068. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 55% of population growth, reflecting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.