Glen Forrest - Darlington

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

Glen Forrest - Darlington's population is approximately 7,721 as of November 2025. Between the 2021 Census and this date, there has been an increase of 498 people, representing a growth rate of 6.9%. The 2021 Census reported a population of 7,223. This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,697 in June 2024 and an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. The current population density is around 136 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections for Glen Forrest - Darlington are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024, with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch uses growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). By 2041, Glen Forrest - Darlington's population is expected to increase by approximately 327 persons, reflecting a total increase of 3.9% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Glen Forrest - Darlington according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Glen Forrest - Darlington has recorded approximately eight residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling forty homes. As of FY26, two approvals have been recorded to date. On average, 8.7 people have moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating significant demand outpacing supply, which typically influences prices upwards and intensifies competition among buyers. The average construction cost of new homes is $410,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $3.0 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Perth, Glen Forrest - Darlington records notably lower building activity, 76.0% below the regional average per person, which usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This is also below national averages, possibly due to planning constraints or the area's maturity. Recent development has been exclusively detached dwellings, maintaining the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population count of 1743 people per dwelling approval reflects its quiet development environment.

AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate forecasts Glen Forrest - Darlington will gain 303 residents by 2041. Building activity appears to be keeping pace with growth projections, though heightened competition may arise as the population grows.

Glen Forrest - Darlington has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 10thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely to affect this region. Notable projects include The Vines Swan View, Swan View Rise, Altrove Swan View, and City of Swan Water and Wastewater Upgrades. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Glen Forrest - Darlington performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Glen Forrest - Darlington has a well-educated workforce. Key sectors include education & training, health care & social assistance, professional & technical services.

As of September 2025, unemployment rate is 1.6%, with estimated employment growth of 1.8% over the past year. There are 4,462 residents in work, and unemployment rate is 2.4% below Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is on par with Greater Perth's 65.2%. The area has notable concentration in education & training, at 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, accommodation & food services show lower representation at 4.5%, compared to the regional average of 6.8%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census data analysis. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.8% while labour force grew by 2.0%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.1 percentage points. Greater Perth recorded higher employment growth of 2.9%. State-level data as of 25-Nov-25 shows WA employment contracted by 0.27%, with state unemployment rate at 4.6% compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glen Forrest - Darlington's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Glen Forrest - Darlington SA2 had an extremely high national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers was $60,112 and average income stood at $85,665, compared to Greater Perth's figures of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively. As of September 2025, estimated current incomes would be approximately $68,648 (median) and $97,829 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Glen Forrest - Darlington ranked highly nationally, between the 69th and 82nd percentiles. Income distribution data showed that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominated with 29.8% of residents (2,300 people), mirroring regional levels where 32.0% occupied this bracket. Glen Forrest - Darlington demonstrated considerable affluence with 36.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retained 88.5% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

In Glen Forrest - Darlington, as per the latest Census, 98.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 1.3% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This is higher than Perth metro's house percentage of 94.8%. Home ownership in Glen Forrest - Darlington stood at 42.4%, with mortgaged properties at 51.3% and rented dwellings at 6.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,015, higher than Perth metro's average of $1,950. The median weekly rent in Glen Forrest - Darlington was $400, compared to Perth metro's $330. Nationally, Glen Forrest - Darlington's mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Glen Forrest - Darlington features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 81.6% of all households, including 39.4% couples with children, 32.6% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 18.4%, with lone person households at 17.0% and group households making up 1.6%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in Glen Forrest - Darlington places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Glen Forrest - Darlington shows a significant advantage with 37.3% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications compared to the broader SA3 area at 21.3% and the SA4 region at 24.3%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 34.0% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas accounting for 13.0% and certificates for 21.0%. Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.1% in primary education, 9.1% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Glen Forrest - Darlington has 84 active public transport stops. These are all bus stops. Four routes service these stops, offering a total of 378 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents located an average of 450 meters from the nearest stop. Buses run approximately 54 times per day across all routes, translating to about four weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Glen Forrest - Darlington is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Glen Forrest - Darlington exhibits superior health outcomes, with both younger and older age groups showing low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 63% of its total population (4,887 people) has private health cover, higher than Greater Perth's 56.3%, and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 8.6% and 8.4% of residents respectively.

Notably, 70.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 67.2% across Greater Perth. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 22.4% (1,733 people), compared to Greater Perth's 21.2%. Health outcomes among seniors in Glen Forrest - Darlington are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Glen Forrest-Darlington's population is predominantly Australian-born, with 71.8%. Citizenship stands at 90.9%, and English-only speakers account for 94.4%. Christianity is the dominant religion, practiced by 39.0% of residents.

Judaism, however, is more prevalent in Glen Forrest-Darlington than Greater Perth, representing 0.4% versus 0.1%. The top three parental ancestry groups are English (35.7%), Australian (25.6%), and Scottish (8.1%). Notable ethnic group disparities include Welsh (1.1%, compared to regional 0.9%), Dutch (2.5%, compared to regional 2.0%), and Polish (1.1%, compared to regional 0.8%).

Glen Forrest - Darlington hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Glen Forrest - Darlington is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Glen Forrest - Darlington has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (15.4%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (6.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group increased from 6.5% to 8.2% of the population, while the 45-54 age cohort decreased from 15.6% to 14.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Glen Forrest - Darlington's age structure. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 47%, reaching 931 people from 632. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 92% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are projected to decrease in number.