Murdoch - Kardinya
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Murdoch-Kardinya's population is around 14,077 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,588 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,489 people. The change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 14,047 in June 2024 and additional 146 validated new addresses since the Census date. This equates to a density ratio of 1,627 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Murdoch-Kardinya's growth rate of 12.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.6%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 95.5% of overall population gains in recent periods.

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 and post-2032 growth estimation, AreaSearch utilises ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Projected demographic shifts indicate above median population growth nationally, with Murdoch-Kardinya expected to grow by 2,275 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 15.9% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Murdoch - Kardinya when compared nationally

Murdoch-Kardinya has recorded approximately 101 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with 507 homes approved over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, and four approved so far in FY-26. On average, 2.5 new residents per year have been recorded for each dwelling over these five financial years, indicating solid demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average construction cost value of $401,000, aligning with broader regional development trends.

Additionally, $333.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Perth, Murdoch-Kardinya has slightly more development, with 23.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period from FY-21 to FY-25. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values, though development activity has moderated in recent periods.

New development consists of 93.0% detached dwellings and 7.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. The location currently has approximately 418 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area. Future projections indicate Murdoch-Kardinya adding 2,245 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Murdoch - Kardinya has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 43rdth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Kardinya Park Shopping Centre Redevelopment, New Women and Babies Hospital, Kardinya Rise Estate, and North Lake Road - Winterfold Road Intersection Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Murdoch - Kardinya ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Murdoch - Kardinya has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 2.4% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Perth's 3.9%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.4%. There were 7,962 residents employed while the participation rate lagged behind Greater Perth's at 59.7%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Notably, education & training has a high concentration with levels at 1.2 times the regional average.

Conversely, mining shows lower representation at 5.0% compared to the regional average of 7.0%. The area functions as an employment hub with 1.3 workers per resident, attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between Jun-24 and Jun-25, employment increased by 5.4%, labour force grew by 5.8%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Perth saw employment grow by 3.7% with an unemployment increase of 0.1 percentage points. State-wide, WA employment contracted by 0.82% (losing 14,590 jobs) as of Sep-25, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, employment grew by 0.26% while the unemployment rate was 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Murdoch - Kardinya's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2022. Murdoch - Kardinya had median taxpayer income of $54,940 and average income of $71,892. These figures are above national averages of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively in Greater Perth. As of March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $61,319 and average income is $80,239, based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% since financial year ending June 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 55th percentile ($1,824 weekly), and personal income is at the 37th percentile. Income analysis shows 29.2% of residents (4,110 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, similar to the region where 32.0% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, residents retain 86.9% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Murdoch-Kardinya's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 84.3% houses and 15.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Perth metro's 76.5% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Murdoch-Kardinya stood at 45.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.8% and rented ones at 21.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,015, lower than Perth metro's $2,200. Median weekly rent in Murdoch-Kardinya was $400, matching Perth metro's figure. Nationally, mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents exceeded the national average of $375.

Murdoch - Kardinya features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.4% of all households, including 30.8% couples with children, 31.9% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.6%, with lone person households at 21.7% and group households comprising 4.9%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Murdoch - Kardinya exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates of 36.1% among residents aged 15+, exceeding both the WA average of 27.9% and the SA4 region average of 28.6%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 24.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas comprise 11.2% while certificates account for 18.5%.

Educational participation is high at 30.0%, including 12.4% in tertiary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing primary education. Six schools operate within Murdoch - Kardinya, educating approximately 1,972 students. Murdoch - Kardinya has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1070). The educational mix includes one primary school, three secondary schools, and two K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents stand at 14.0, below the regional average of 19.6, with some students potentially attending schools in adjacent areas. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Murdoch-Kardinya has 102 active public transport stops offering train and bus services. These are served by 30 routes, providing a total of 5,958 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 184 meters to the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency averages 851 trips across all routes, translating to about 58 weekly trips per individual stop.

Murdoch - Kardinya'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 indicates relatively positive outcomes for Murdoch - Kardinya 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 55% of the total population (~7,784 people), compared to 65.2% across Greater Perth. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 7.8% and 7.0% of residents respectively. Seventy-point-two percent of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.5% across Greater Perth. The area has 24.6% of residents aged 65 and over (3,467 people), which is higher than the 22.4% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Murdoch-Kardinya has a significant cultural diversity, with 27.5% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 39.9% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Murdoch-Kardinya, accounting for 52.3% of the population. Notably, Buddhism is more prevalent here than in Greater Perth, comprising 3.7% compared to 2.9%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.0%), Australian (19.1%), and Other (10.9%). There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Croatian is overrepresented at 1.6% (vs regional 1.1%), South African at 1.0% (vs regional 0.9%), and Italian at 6.6% (vs regional 4.9%).

Murdoch - Kardinya hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Murdoch-Kardinya's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median age of 38 years. As per the 2021 Census, Murdoch-Kardinya has a notably over-represented cohort aged 15-24 at 17.2%, compared to Greater Perth's average, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 8.4%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the 15-24 age group grew from 15.5% to 17.2%, and the 75-84 cohort increased from 7.6% to 8.8%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 13.5% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Murdoch-Kardinya's age profile. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 140%, adding 752 residents to reach 1,289. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 69% of the population growth, while declines are anticipated for the 5-14 and 35-44 age cohorts.