Manning - Waterford
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Manning - Waterford reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Manning-Waterford's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 13,005. This figure represents an increase of 1,352 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,653. The change is inferred from ABS estimates in June 2024 and validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 2,111 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Manning-Waterford's growth rate of 11.6% since the 2021 Census exceeds both the national average (8.9%) and its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.7% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, growth rates by age cohort from the ABS's latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) are used. Future population trends project an above median growth for statistical areas nationwide, with Manning-Waterford expected to expand by 2,472 persons to 2041, reflecting an 18.9% increase over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Manning - Waterford among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Manning-Waterford averaged approximately 63 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25315 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved in FY26 as of the present time. On average, 3.2 people moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years, indicating a significant demand outpacing supply, which typically influences prices and intensifies competition among buyers.

The average construction cost value of new homes was $389,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, commercial development approvals totaled $26.7 million, signifying balanced commercial development activity in the area. Compared to Greater Perth, Manning-Waterford exhibited 19.0% lower construction activity per person while ranking among the 58th percentile of areas assessed nationally.

Recent construction comprised 80.0% detached houses and 20.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's suburban character with a focus on family homes. The population density was approximately 297 people per dwelling approval, suggesting potential for growth. Projections indicate Manning-Waterford will grow by 2,459 residents by 2041. Development is keeping pace with projected growth, though increasing competition among buyers may arise as the population expands.

Manning - Waterford has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects likely to affect the area. Notable ones include Westfield Carousel Expansion, Sam Kerr Football Centre, Queens Park Regional Open Space, Australian Hockey Centre, and Curtin University B316 Sciences Building. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The labour market in Manning - Waterford demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Manning-Waterford has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 3.7% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.4%. There were 7,105 residents in work while the unemployment rate was 0.2% below Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation lagged significantly at 60.1%, compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Leading employment industries among residents comprised health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

Professional & technical services showed notable concentration with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. Construction employed only 6.4% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 9.3%. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 3.4% while labour force grew by 3.1%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 3.7%, labour force growth of 3.8%, and a rise in unemployment of 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released May 2025, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Manning-Waterford's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Manning - Waterford had a median taxpayer income of $52,793 and an average income of $75,169. These figures are higher than the national averages of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively for Greater Perth. By September 2025, adjusting for Wage Price Index growth of 14.2%, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $60,290 and $85,843 respectively. The 2021 Census shows Manning - Waterford's household income at the 75th percentile ($2,146 weekly) and personal income at the 50th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 25.2% of residents earn over $4,000 weekly, compared to regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 32.0%. A substantial 37.1% of residents earn over $3,000 weekly. Housing accounts for 13.5% of income, with strong earnings placing residents in the 78th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Manning-Waterford, as per the latest Census, consisted of 84.1% houses and 15.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Perth metro's 49.3% houses and 50.7% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Manning-Waterford was 38.9%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (34.7%) or rented (26.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,500, higher than Perth metro's average of $2,200. The median weekly rent figure for Manning-Waterford was recorded at $341, compared to Perth metro's $360. Nationally, Manning-Waterford's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Manning - Waterford features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.2% of all households, including 35.2% couples with children, 26.6% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.8%, consisting of 22.1% lone person households and 4.7% group households. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.2.

Educational attainment in Manning - Waterford aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Manning-Waterford has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above. Specifically, 44.7% hold university qualifications, which is significantly higher than the broader benchmarks of 27.9% in Western Australia and 29.9% in the SA4 region. This indicates a substantial educational advantage for the area, positioning it strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 29.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%).

Vocational pathways account for 24.4% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 10.8% and certificates 13.6%. Educational participation is also notably high in Manning-Waterford, with 33.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.8% in tertiary education, 9.7% in secondary education, and 8.1% pursuing primary education. The four schools in Manning-Waterford have a combined enrollment reaching 2,025 students as of the latest data available. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions with an ICSEA score of 995, indicating balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes two primary schools, one secondary school, and one K-12 school.

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

Transport analysis shows 81 active stops operating in Manning-Waterford area, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are served by 8 individual routes, collectively offering 2,108 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 163 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 301 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 26 weekly trips per individual stop.

Manning - Waterford's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows relatively positive outcomes for Manning - Waterford residents. Prevalence of common health conditions is quite low across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~7,425 people), compared to 67.8% across Greater Perth. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 7.1 and 6.5% of residents respectively. 72.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 72.6% across Greater Perth. As of 2021, 20.8% of residents are aged 65 and over (2,708 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Manning-Waterford has a high cultural diversity, with 25.9% speaking a language other than English at home and 37.8% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 51.0%. Buddhism is overrepresented at 4.5%, compared to Greater Perth's 3.4%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.3%), Australian (19.9%), and Chinese (11.7%). Notably, French, Polish, and Croatian ethnicities have similar representations in Manning-Waterford as in the region at large: French is 0.7%, Polish is 0.9%, and Croatian is 0.8%.

Manning - Waterford's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Manning-Waterford is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. The 15-24 age cohort is notably over-represented at 18.4% locally compared to Greater Perth's average, while the 35-44 year-olds are under-represented at 11.9%. This concentration of the 15-24 age group is higher than the national average of 12.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 16.0% to 18.4%, while the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 11.1% to 12.8%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 11.6% to 9.6%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 12.4% to 11.3%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Manning-Waterford, with the 75 to 84 age group expected to grow by 74% (640 people), reaching 1,511 from 870. Residents aged 65 and older represent 58% of anticipated growth, while the 35 to 44 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.