Mount Hawthorn - Leederville

Population growth drivers in Mount Hawthorn - Leederville are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's population is around 13,223 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,351 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,872 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,168 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 139 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,390 persons per square kilometer. Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's growth rate of 11.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 74.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises 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 national areas, with the area expected to increase by 2,175 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 16.0% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Mount Hawthorn - Leederville when compared nationally

Mount Hawthorn-Leederville averaged approximately 63 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 317 homes. As of FY26, there have been 10 recorded approvals. Each year, an average of 4.2 new residents has accompanied every home built between FY21 and FY25, indicating a significant demand exceeding supply. New properties are constructed at an average value of $241,000, aligning with broader regional development trends.

This financial year saw $54.3 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Perth, Mount Hawthorn-Leederville has roughly two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 25th percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. Recent construction consists of 88% detached houses and 12% medium-high density housing, preserving the area's suburban nature while attracting space-seeking buyers.

Notably, developers are constructing more detached housing than previously implied (64% at Census), reflecting strong demand for family homes amidst densification trends. The location currently has approximately 701 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. By 2041, Mount Hawthorn-Leederville is projected to grow by 2,120 residents according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Construction maintains a reasonable pace with population growth, although buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 5thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 29 such projects that are likely to impact the area. Among these key projects are Litis Stadium Development and Britannia Reserve Upgrades, Scarborough Beach Road Streetscape Upgrade, Anzac Cottage Apartments, and Scarborough Beach Road Activity Corridor Plan (Mount Hawthorn section). The following list details those projects most likely to be relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.9%, Mount Hawthorn - Leederville has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate is 3.9%.

As of September 2025, 7,969 residents are employed, matching Greater Perth's 4.0% unemployment rate and surpassing its average workforce participation at 74.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, professional & technical jobs are 1.8 times the regional average while manufacturing is lower at 2.9% versus the regional 5.5%. The area's worker-to-resident ratio of 0.8 indicates ample local employment opportunities.

Between September 2024 to September 2025, labour force decreased by 2.9%, employment fell by 3.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment grow by 2.9% and labour force expand by 3.0%. Statewide in WA, as of 25-November-25, employment contracted by 0.27% with an unemployment rate of 4.6%, lagging the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's employment mix suggests local employment could grow by 7.0% in five years and 14.4% in ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2022, Mount Hawthorn - Leederville SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $70,474 and an average income of $98,941. This places it in the top percentile nationally, compared to Greater Perth's median and average incomes of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% from financial year ending June 2022 to September 2025, estimated current incomes would be approximately $80,481 (median) and $112,991 (average). From the 2021 Census, Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 93rd and 94th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 30.4% of individuals earn over $4,000 per week (4,019 individuals), contrasting with Greater Perth where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 32.0%. The district's affluence is evident with 44.5% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 13.5% of income. Mount Hawthorn - Leederville residents rank in the 93rd percentile for disposable income, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Mount Hawthorn-Leederville, as per the latest Census, 64.4% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 35.6% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Perth metropolitan area's 37.1% houses and 62.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville stood at 27.9%, with mortgaged properties at 39.2% and rented ones at 33.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,383, higher than Perth metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville was $425, compared to Perth metro's $390. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 68.0% of all households, including 32.7% couples with children, 25.9% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.0%, with lone person households at 26.9% and group households making up 5.0%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.1.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville has a higher level of educational attainment than the broader region. Among residents aged 15+, 52.6% have university qualifications compared to 27.9% in Western Australia and 30.1% in Greater Perth. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with 34.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.8% and graduate diplomas at 5.7%. Vocational pathways account for 23.0% of qualifications among those aged 15+, including advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 13.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.7% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 7.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Mount Hawthorn-Leederville has 68 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by eight different routes that together facilitate 1,737 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 152 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 248 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 25 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's health outcomes show notably positive results, especially for younger populations who exhibit a low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 71% (9,388 people) have private health cover, significantly higher than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 8.6% and 6.9% of residents respectively. A total of 74.6% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Perth's 74.5%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 12.8% (1,685 people) compared to Greater Perth's 15.1%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Mount Hawthorn - Leederville was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Hawthorn-Leederville, surveyed in 2016, had a higher proportion of residents speaking a language other than English at home (15.3%) compared to most local areas. Additionally, 28.6% of its population was born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville, with 41.5%.

Judaism, however, was more prevalent here at 0.7%, slightly higher than the Greater Perth average of 0.6%. Regarding ancestry, English (26.2%) and Australian (21.8%) were the top two groups, followed by Irish (9.1%). Notably, Italian (7.7%), Welsh (0.8%), and Polish (1.0%) ethnicities had a higher representation in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville compared to regional averages of 5.3%, 0.7%, and 1.0% respectively.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Mount Hawthorn-Leederville's median age is 37, matching Greater Perth's figure and closely resembling Australia's median of 38 years. The 35-44 age group comprises 17.2% of the population compared to Greater Perth, while the 75-84 cohort makes up only 3.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 10.4% to 11.5%, whereas the 45-54 group decreased from 15.0% to 13.6% and the 0-4 group dropped from 6.6% to 5.5%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville's age structure. Notably, the 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 104%, reaching 952 people from its current figure of 466. Meanwhile, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are projected to decrease in number.