Huntingdale - Southern River
Statistical Area - sa2

Huntingdale - Southern River lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Huntingdale - Southern River's population was around 26,182 as of August 2025. This reflected an increase of 4,313 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,869. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 25,308 in June 2024 and an additional 916 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 1,453 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Huntingdale - Southern River's growth of 19.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.6%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 40.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 uses 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 project an above median growth for statistical areas across the nation, with Huntingdale - Southern River expected to expand by 5,417 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 17.4% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Huntingdale - Southern River was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Huntingdale - Southern River has averaged around 240 new dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 1,204 homes approved over the past five financial years between FY-21 and FY-25, and an additional 56 in FY-26 to date. On average, approximately three people move to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. This demand significantly outpaces supply, typically driving up prices and increasing competition among buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $380,000, aligning with regional patterns. In FY-26, there have been $14.8 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Perth, Huntingdale - Southern River records 128.0% more development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. Recent development has consisted entirely of standalone homes, preserving the area's traditional suburban character and appealing to families seeking space.

The location currently has approximately 100 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Looking ahead, Huntingdale - Southern River is projected to grow by 4,543 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Huntingdale - Southern River has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 37 projects likely to affect this region. Notable ones include Sutherlands Park Leisure, Aquatic and Sports Hub (SPLASH), Parkside Estate, Southern River Business Park, and the Sutherland Park Master Plan. The following list details those most relevant.

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

The employment environment in Huntingdale - Southern River shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Huntingdale - Southern River has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.6% in the past year.

As of June 2025, 14,160 residents were employed, an unemployment rate of 3.7%, and workforce participation at 70.4%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area has a notable concentration in transport, postal & warehousing, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Professional & technical services employ only 6.1% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 8.2%.

In the 12 months prior to June 2025, employment increased by 3.2%, labour force by 3.1%, reducing unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Perth had employment growth of 3.7% and unemployment rose slightly. State-level data from Sep-25 shows WA employment contracted by 0.82%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National unemployment was 4.5%, with national employment growth at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts indicate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local projections suggest Huntingdale - Southern River's growth may be approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections.

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

Huntingdale - Southern River has a median taxpayer income of $60,512 and an average income of $71,285, based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is higher than the national average, which was $58,380 median and $78,020 average in Greater Perth during the same period. As of March 2025, these figures are estimated to be approximately $67,537 (median) and $79,561 (average), adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Huntingdale - Southern River cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 is dominant, with 38.9% of residents (10,184 people) falling into this category, similar to regional levels where 32.0% occupy this bracket. Housing costs consume 16.0% of income in the area, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 73rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Huntingdale - Southern River is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure in Huntingdale - Southern River, as evaluated at the 2016 Census, comprised 98.2% houses and 1.9% other dwellings. In comparison, Perth metro had 88.9% houses and 11.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Huntingdale - Southern River was 22.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 59.7% and rented dwellings at 18.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,950, compared to Perth metro's $1,733. The median weekly rent figure for Huntingdale - Southern River was $380, higher than Perth metro's $330. Nationally, Huntingdale - Southern River's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $380 compared to the national figure of $375.

Huntingdale - Southern River features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 84.1% of all households, consisting of 49.7% couples with children, 21.2% couples without children, and 12.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for 15.9%, with lone person households at 14.1% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 3.1 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.8.

The educational profile of Huntingdale - Southern River exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

University qualification levels in Huntingdale-Southern River are 26.1%, slightly below the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees lead at 18.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 34.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (10.8%) and certificates (23.9%).

Educational participation is high at 33.6%, including primary (12.7%), secondary (9.5%), and tertiary education (5.1%). There are six schools educating approximately 2,894 students in Huntingdale-Southern River, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1033). The educational mix includes four primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (11.1) are below the regional average (13.9), indicating some students attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Huntingdale-Southern River has 98 active public transport stops, all bus services. Six routes operate here, offering a total of 1,266 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is good, with residents usually 223 meters from the nearest stop.

Daily service averages 180 trips across all routes, about 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

Huntingdale - Southern River's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Huntingdale - Southern River's health outcomes show notably positive results, with younger cohorts exhibiting low prevalence of common conditions such as asthma and mental health issues at 6.7% and 6.4%, respectively. Approximately 55% (~14,400 people) have private health cover, surpassing Greater Perth's 51.2%.

About three-quarters (76.9%) report no medical ailments, compared to 73.3% in Greater Perth. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 10.3% (2,696 people), contrasting with Greater Perth's 14.7%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

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

Huntingdale-Southern River has a high level of cultural diversity, with 35.1% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 43.7% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Huntingdale-Southern River, comprising 39.5% of the population. However, Islam is overrepresented compared to Greater Perth, making up 13.3% of Huntingdale-Southern River's population versus an 11.8% regional average.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.2%), Australian (19.5%), and Other (19.3%). Notably, South African ancestry is overrepresented at 1.4%, compared to the regional figure of 0.8%. Indian ancestry stands at 6.5% versus a regional average of 5.4%, and Chinese ancestry is represented at 7.4%, close to the regional percentage of 7.5%.

Huntingdale - Southern River hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Huntingdale - Southern River's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and considerably younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Huntingdale - Southern River has a higher percentage of residents aged 5-14 (16.1%) but fewer residents aged 75-84 (2.9%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 13.9% to 14.8%, while the percentage of those aged 0 to 4 has declined from 7.5% to 6.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Huntingdale - Southern River. The 45 to 54 age group is projected to grow by 27%, adding 955 residents and reaching a total of 4,438. Conversely, the 5 to 14 and 35 to 44 age groups are projected to decline in population.