Middle Swan - Herne Hill
Statistical Area - sa2

Middle Swan - Herne Hill has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Middle Swan - Herne Hill's population was around 6,526 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 848 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,678. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,389 in June 2024 and an additional 167 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 203 persons per square kilometer. Middle Swan - Herne Hill's growth rate of 14.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 47.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) were utilized to estimate post-2032 growth. Based on demographic trends, an above median population growth is projected for the area, with an expected increase of 1,110 persons to reach a total population of 7,636 by 2041, marking a 14.9% increase over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Middle Swan - Herne Hill among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Middle Swan - Herne Hill has averaged approximately 38 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 193 homes. As of FY26, 26 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.7 new residents are associated with each home built annually between FY21 and FY25, indicating a significant demand exceeding supply. New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $296,000.

This financial year has seen $48.4 million in commercial approvals, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Perth, Middle Swan - Herne Hill shows reduced construction activity, with 51.0% fewer approvals per person, which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The area's new development consists of 93.0% detached dwellings and 7.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving its low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With approximately 138 people per dwelling approval, the location indicates an expanding market.

Population forecasts suggest Middle Swan - Herne Hill will gain 973 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Middle Swan - Herne Hill has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 28thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 21 projects likely to influence the area. Key projects include Bushmead Residential Estate, Midland Health Campus Redevelopment (St John of God Midland Public & Private Hospitals Expansion), Midland Redevelopment Scheme - Central Precinct (Stage 2), and Maarakool Primary School. 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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Employment conditions in Middle Swan - Herne Hill remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Middle Swan - Herne Hill has a balanced workforce with representation across white and blue collar jobs. The manufacturing and industrial sectors are strongly represented here, with an unemployment rate of 5.3% as of June 2025.

This is 1.4 percentage points higher than Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%. There were 3,438 residents employed in the area during this period. The workforce participation rate was 60.8%, which is below Greater Perth's rate of 65.2%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

However, there is a notable concentration in transport, postal & warehousing, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. In contrast, professional & technical services employ only 4.4% of local workers, which is below Greater Perth's rate of 8.2%. Many residents appear to commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3%, while the labour force grew by 4.1%, causing a decrease in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 3.7% and labour force growth of 3.8%, with a slight rise in unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage point. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project an expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Middle Swan - Herne Hill's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0%% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, although this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

Middle Swan - Herne Hill's income level aligns with national averages according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $52,786 and the average income stands at $64,357, compared to Greater Perth's figures of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, current estimates are approximately $60,282 (median) and $73,496 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes rank modestly in Middle Swan - Herne Hill, between the 35th and 36th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 32.4% of residents (2,114 people), aligning with the metropolitan region where this cohort likewise represents 32.0%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 37th percentile.

Middle Swan - Herne Hill is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Middle Swan - Herne Hill, as per the latest Census, 85.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 14.4% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This compares to Perth metro's figures of 89.1% houses and 10.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Middle Swan - Herne Hill stood at 34.0%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 41.0% and rented ones 25.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,625, lower than Perth metro's average of $1,842. Median weekly rent in the area was $320, compared to Perth metro's $340. Nationally, Middle Swan - Herne Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Middle Swan - Herne Hill has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 70.2% of all households, including 28.3% couples with children, 25.4% couples without children, and 15.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 29.8%, with lone person households at 26.8% and group households comprising 3.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.8.

Educational outcomes in Middle Swan - Herne Hill fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 16.3%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are held by 39.4% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 29.0%. Educational participation is high, with 27.2% currently enrolled in formal education: 8.7% in primary, 8.3% in secondary, and 3.5% in tertiary education.

Seven schools operate within Middle Swan - Herne Hill, educating approximately 3,605 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 957) with balanced educational opportunities. There are four primary and three secondary schools serving distinct age groups. The area functions as an education hub with 55.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.7, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Transport analysis indicates 89 active transport stops within Middle Swan - Herne Hill, comprising various bus routes. These stops are serviced by 17 individual routes, collectively providing 969 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 175 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 138 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 10 weekly trips per stop.

Health outcomes in Middle Swan - Herne Hill are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Middle Swan - Herne Hill shows below-average health outcomes, with common conditions more prevalent than average across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is at approximately 52%, slightly higher than the average SA2 area but lower than Greater Perth's 54.1%.

Mental health issues affect 8.4% of residents, while arthritis impacts 7.5%. Conversely, 68.0% report no medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Perth. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.8%, or 1,358 people, compared to Greater Perth's 12.6%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Middle Swan - Herne Hill was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Middle Swan-Herne Hill has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 28.7% of its population born overseas and 19.0% speaking a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in Middle Swan-Herne Hill is Christianity, making up 53.7% of the population, which is higher than the Greater Perth average of 44.4%. The top three ancestry groups are English (29.5%), Australian (22.9%), and Other (7.2%), the latter being lower than the regional average of 13.3%.

Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: Croatian is overrepresented at 3.0% compared to the regional average of 0.9%, Italian at 6.4% versus 3.9%, and Filipino at 2.7% compared to 2.4%.

Middle Swan - Herne Hill's median age exceeds the national pattern

Middle Swan - Herne Hill's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Perth average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in Middle Swan - Herne Hill at 11.1%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.7%. According to the 2021 Census, the 35-44 age group has grown from 12.1% to 13.9% of the population, and the 15-24 cohort increased from 11.9% to 13.4%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group declined from 13.2% to 11.9%, and the 55-64 group dropped from 14.0% to 12.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that Middle Swan - Herne Hill's age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 64%, adding 283 residents to reach 730. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 74% of the population growth, while declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.