Mount Hawthorn - Leederville
Statistical Area - sa2

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 was approximately 13,223 as of November 2025. This figure represents a growth of 1,351 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,872. The increase is inferred from an estimated resident population of 13,168 in June 2024 and 139 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,390 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 11.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.9%. Overseas migration contributed 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 by this data and post-2032 growth estimations, AreaSearch uses ABS's latest Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Population projections indicate an above median growth for the area, with an expected expansion of 2,175 persons to reach a total population of approximately 15,497 by 2041, marking a 16.0% increase over the 17-year period.

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

Mount Hawthorn-Leederville has seen approximately 63 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 317 homes were approved, with an additional 9 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 4.2 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built during these years, indicating a significant demand exceeding new supply.

The average construction cost of new homes was approximately $241,000, aligning with regional trends. This financial year has seen around $54.3 million in commercial approvals registered, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Perth, Mount Hawthorn-Leederville has roughly two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 26th percentile nationally when assessed for buyer choice.

This results in relatively constrained options for buyers, driving interest in existing dwellings. New development consists predominantly of detached houses (88%) and townhouses or apartments (12%), maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (64% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. The area shows signs of maturity and established status, with around 701 people per approval. Looking ahead, Mount Hawthorn-Leederville is projected to grow by approximately 2,120 residents by 2041. Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth; however, buyers may encounter growing competition as the population increases.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 8thth percentile nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 29 projects potentially impacting the area. Notable projects include 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 most relevant.

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.

While Mount Hawthorn - Leederville retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.6%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville has a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation, an unemployment rate of 3.6% as of June 2025. It had 8,131 residents in work, which is 0.2% below Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation was 74.4%, compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Key industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Professional & technical had a particularly strong presence, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. Manufacturing had limited presence at 2.9% compared to the regional 5.5%.

The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.8, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force decreased by 1.4%, employment by 2.3%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.9 percentage points. Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 3.7% and labour force growth of 3.8%, with unemployment rising by 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May 2025, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's industry mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.4% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Mount Hawthorn - Leederville had a median income among taxpayers of $70,474 and an average income of $98,941. These figures place the area in the top percentile nationally, compared to Greater Perth's median of $58,380 and average of $78,020. With a 14.2% increase based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $80,481 (median) and $112,991 (average). Census 2021 income data shows Mount Hawthorn - Leederville ranks highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes between the 93rd and 94th percentiles. The $4000+ bracket dominates with 30.4% of residents (4,019 people), differing from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category is predominant at 32.0%. Higher earners make up a substantial presence, with 44.5% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing accounts for 13.5% of income, and residents rank in the 94th percentile for disposable income. 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

Mount Hawthorn-Leederville's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 64.4% houses and 35.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Perth metro's 37.1% houses and 62.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville was at 27.9%, with the rest mortgaged (39.2%) or rented (33.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,383, above Perth metro's average of $2,167. 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 constitute 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 account for the remaining 32.0%, with lone person households at 26.9% and group households comprising 5.0%. The median household size is 2.4 people, 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

Educational attainment in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville is notably higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2016 Census data, 52.6% of residents aged 15 years and above hold university qualifications, compared to 27.9% in Western Australia and 30.1% in Greater Perth. This educational advantage is evident in the types of qualifications held: Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.8%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational pathways account for 23.0% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.9% and certificates 13.1%.

Educational participation is high in the area, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2016 Census data. This includes 9.7% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 7.3% pursuing tertiary education. Mount Hawthorn-Leederville operates a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 2,270 students, with above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1072). The educational mix includes 3 primary schools, 4 secondary schools, and 1 K-12 school.

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 1737 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 152 meters from the nearest stop.

Buses run an average of 248 trips per day across all routes, which equates 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 shows excellent health outcomes, notably with younger individuals having a low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 71% of its total population of 9,388 people have private health cover, significantly higher than the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 8.6 and 6.9% of residents respectively. A majority, 74.6%, report being free from any 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.

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville 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

Mount Hawthorn-Leederville was found to have higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 15.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 28.6% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Mount Hawthorn-Leederville, comprising 41.5% of its population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Perth, making up 0.7% versus 0.6%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (26.2%), Australian (21.8%), and Irish (9.1%). Some ethnic groups show notable variations: Italian is overrepresented at 7.7% (versus 5.3% regionally), Welsh at 0.8% (versus 0.7%), and Polish at 1.0% (matching the regional figure).

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

Mount Hawthorn - Leederville has a median age of 37, matching Greater Perth's figure and closely aligning with Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group 35-44 is strongly represented at 17.2%, higher than Greater Perth's percentage, while the 75-84 cohort is less prevalent at 3.5%. Between 2021 and the present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 10.4% to 11.5% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 15.0% to 13.6%, and the 0 to 4 age group has dropped from 6.6% to 5.5%. Looking forward to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Mount Hawthorn - Leederville's age structure. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 104%, adding 485 people and reaching a total of 952 from the current 466. Meanwhile, both the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to have reduced numbers.