Girrawheen
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Girrawheen's population was around 10,098 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,201 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,897 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,057 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 34 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 2,468 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Girrawheen's growth of 13.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.6%), driven primarily by overseas migration contributing approximately 55.7% of overall population gains during recent periods. All drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilised growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population trends expected a increase just below the median of national areas, with an estimated expansion of 454 persons to 2041, an increase of 4.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Girrawheen among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Girrawheen received approximately 51 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totaling 257 homes. As of FY-26, 15 approvals have been recorded. On average, 4.3 new residents arrived per year for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This supply lagged demand, indicating heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New homes were built at an average cost of $286,000, reflecting more affordable housing options. In FY-26, $6.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Perth, Girrawheen had significantly less development activity, which is 50.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes.

New building activity showed 76.0% detached houses and 24.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban nature with a focus on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 363 people per dwelling approval, Girrawheen exhibited a developed market. Population forecasts indicated Girrawheen would gain 413 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favorable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Girrawheen has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 18thth percentile nationally

"Five projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include the Girrawheen Hub Precinct Redevelopment, TAFE Balga Campus Skills Hub, The Amble Estate (Former Hainsworth Primary School Site Redevelopment), and New Dining Hub and Redevelopment at Hawaiian's Newpark Shopping Centre.".

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

Employment drivers in Girrawheen are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Girrawheen's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent, with an unemployment rate of 12.8% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 6.1%. There are 4,486 employed residents currently, with an unemployment rate of 8.9%, significantly higher than Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is lower at 56.9% compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

Manufacturing stands out with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Professional & technical services have limited presence at 4.5%, compared to the regional average of 8.2%. Over the year ending June 2025, employment increased by 6.1% while labour force grew by 4.0%, reducing unemployment by 1.7 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Perth had employment growth of 3.7% and a slight rise in unemployment to 3.9%. State-wide, WA's employment contracted by 0.82% (losing 14,590 jobs) as of Sep-25, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, slightly lower than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Girrawheen's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0%% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, although this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

Girrawheen's median taxpayer income was $45,445 and average was $51,858 in financial year 2022. This is lower than the national average of $63,957 for median income and $95,100 for average income during the same period. Comparing with Greater Perth's figures, Girrawheen's median income was 5.4% lower and its average income was 44.8% lower in financial year 2022. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61%, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $50,721 (median) and $57,879 (average). Census data shows Girrawheen's household income percentiles range between the 10th and 16th nationally. Income brackets indicate that 30.8% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, similar to the surrounding region where 32.0% fall into this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Girrawheen, with only 81.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally.

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

Girrawheen's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 77.0% houses and 23.0% other dwellings. In contrast, Perth metro had 92.2% houses and 7.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Girrawheen stood at 25.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 39.3% and rented ones at 35.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,400, lower than Perth metro's average of $1,898. Median weekly rent in Girrawheen was $293, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, Girrawheen's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,400 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Girrawheen features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.2% of all households, including 26.5% couples with children, 19.9% couples without children, and 17.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.8%, with lone person households at 29.7% and group households comprising 5.0%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.8.

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

The area has lower university qualification rates at 14.9% compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 2.7% and graduate diplomas at 1.2%. Vocational credentials are held by 35.3% of residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 26.4%. Educational participation is high, with 31.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.2% in primary, 8.3% in secondary, and 4.5% in tertiary education. Girrawheen has a network of 7 schools educating approximately 2,120 students, with varied educational conditions across the area. The schools include 4 primaries, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs at 21.0 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.6, indicating Girrawheen serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Girrawheen has 60 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes that together facilitate 2,489 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 176 meters.

Each day, an average of 355 trips occur across all routes, equating to approximately 41 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Girrawheen are marginally below the national average with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Girrawheen's health indicators show below-average results with common health conditions prevalent at a rate somewhat typical of the general population but higher than the national average amongst older cohorts. Approximately 46% (~4,665 people) have private health cover, significantly lower than Greater Perth's 53.8% and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 9.1 and 7.8% of residents respectively, while 69.0% report no medical ailments, compared to 73.0% in Greater Perth.

The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 15.3% (1,547 people), compared to 13.6% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Girrawheen is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Girrawheen has a high level of cultural diversity, with 40.0% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 43.3% born overseas. The predominant religion in Girrawheen is Christianity, accounting for 46.7% of the population. Notably, Buddhism is more prevalent in Girrawheen at 6.8%, compared to the Greater Perth average of 2.7%.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are English (21.8%), Other (21.7%), and Australian (18.2%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Vietnamese comprise 5.7% in Girrawheen versus 1.9% regionally, Macedonian at 1.6% compared to 0.9%, and Serbian at 0.6% versus 0.3%.

Girrawheen's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Girrawheen's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Perth's average of 37 years. This is modestly under the Australian median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Girrawheen has a higher concentration of residents aged 15-24, at 13.7%, but fewer residents aged 35-44, at 14.2%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the percentage of residents aged 75-84 has grown from 4.5% to 5.4%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 0-4 has declined from 6.6% to 5.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Girrawheen's age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 64%, adding 345 residents to reach 887. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 72% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 15-24 and 25-34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.