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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Glen Forrest - Darlington's population is around 7,729 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 506 people (7.0%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,223 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,697 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 14 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 136 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Glen Forrest - Darlington's 7.0% growth since the census positions it within 2.9 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 61.2% 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). Anticipating future population dynamics, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected, with the area expected to expand by 327 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, recording a gain of 3.8% in total over the 17 years.

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 averaged around 8 new dwelling approvals each year, with 40 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 4 so far in FY-26. With an average of 8.7 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. New homes are being built at an average construction value of $410,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. There have also been $3.0 million in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting a shift in the area's residential character.

Relative to Greater Perth, Glen Forrest - Darlington records markedly lower building activity (76.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. This activity is likewise lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and pointing to possible development constraints. Meanwhile, recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated count of 1743 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment.

Future projections show Glen Forrest - Darlington adding 295 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Development is keeping a reasonable pace with projected growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Glen Forrest - Darlington has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 5thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 3 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include The Vines Swan View, Swan View Rise, Altrove Swan View, and City of Swan Water and Wastewater Upgrades, 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.

The exceptional employment performance in Glen Forrest - Darlington places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Glen Forrest - Darlington features a well-educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 1.5%, and 3.0% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 4,521 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.6% below Greater Perth's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Perth's 71.9%. Based on Census responses, a moderate 14.5% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in education & training, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. The area shows particularly strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. Meanwhile, accommodation & food has a limited presence with 4.5% employment compared to 6.8% regionally. The 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, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 3.0% while the labour force increased by 3.0%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. 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 Glen Forrest - Darlington. 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 Glen Forrest - Darlington's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Glen Forrest - Darlington SA2's income level is among the highest in Australia according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Glen Forrest - Darlington SA2's median income among taxpayers is $63,411 and the average income stands at $89,586, which compares to figures for Greater Perth's of $60,748 and $80,248 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $69,511 (median) and $98,204 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Glen Forrest - Darlington, between the 69th and 82nd percentiles nationally. Looking at income distribution, the predominant cohort spans 29.8% of locals (2,303 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, mirroring regional levels where 32.0% occupy this bracket. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 36.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 88.5% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Glen Forrest - Darlington, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 98.7% houses and 1.3% 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 Glen Forrest - Darlington was well beyond that of Perth metro, at 42.4%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (51.3%) or rented (6.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Perth metro average at $2,015, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $400, compared to Perth metro's $1,907 and $350. Nationally, Glen Forrest - Darlington's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are exceeding the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 81.6% of all households, comprising 39.4% couples with children, 32.6% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 18.4%, with lone person households at 17.0% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 37.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 21.3% in the SA3 area and 24.3% in the SA4 region. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 24.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 34.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (13.0%) and certificates (21.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, 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

Public transport analysis reveals 84 active transport stops operating within Glen Forrest - Darlington, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 4 individual routes, collectively providing 388 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as moderate, with residents typically located 450 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 85%, with 8% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 2.1 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. Some 14.5% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 55 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 4 weekly trips per individual stop.

Glen Forrest - Darlington's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Glen Forrest - Darlington, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 65% of the total population (5,039 people). This compares to 59.0% across Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 8.6% and 8.4% of residents, respectively, while 70.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 23.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,793 people), which is higher than the 16.3% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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 was found to be roughly in line with the wider region's average in terms of cultural diversity, with 71.8% of its population born in Australia, 90.9% being citizens, and 94.4% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Glen Forrest - Darlington is Christianity, which makes up 39.0% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.4% of the population, compared to 0.3% across Greater Perth.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Glen Forrest - Darlington are English, comprising 35.7% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 28.0%, Australian, comprising 25.6% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 8.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Welsh is notably overrepresented at 1.1% of Glen Forrest - Darlington (vs 0.7% regionally), Dutch at 2.5% (vs 1.5%) and Polish at 1.1% (vs 0.7%).

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

The 45-year median age in Glen Forrest - Darlington is significantly above Greater Perth's average of 37 and similarly considerably older than Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Perth, Glen Forrest - Darlington has a higher concentration of 55 - 64 residents (15.3%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (6.1%). Following the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 6.5% to 8.4% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 15.6% to 14.0% and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 7.2% to 6.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Glen Forrest - Darlington's age structure. Leading the demographic shift, the 75 to 84 group will grow by 43% (277 people), reaching 931 from 653. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 88% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 age groups will see reduced numbers.