Parmelia - Orelia
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Parmelia - Orelia's population is around 12,721 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,435 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,286 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,301 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 204 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,624 persons per square kilometer. The area's 12.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%). Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 53.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, 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). Moving forward, an above median population growth is projected for the area, with an expected increase of 1,604 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 9.3% over the 17 years.

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

Parmelia - Orelia averaged approximately 73 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 365 homes. As of FY26, 55 approvals have been recorded. Each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25 attracted an average of 2.6 new residents per year, indicating strong demand that supports property values. The average expected construction cost for new homes is $217,000, which is lower than regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers.

This financial year has seen $4.0 million in commercial approvals, reflecting limited commercial development focus compared to Greater Perth, where Parmelia - Orelia has 58.0% less development activity per person. The area's new construction primarily consists of detached dwellings (93.0%) and townhouses or apartments (7.0%), maintaining its traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes. With around 149 people per approval, Parmelia - Orelia is considered a developing area. Future projections indicate the area will grow by approximately 1,184 residents by 2041, suggesting that current construction levels should adequately meet demand and create favourable conditions for buyers while potentially facilitating growth beyond current forecasts.

Looking ahead, Parmelia - Orelia is expected to grow by 1,184 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Parmelia - Orelia has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

Nine projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly. These include Parmelia Primary School Modernisation Stage 2, Parmelia Community Centre Redevelopment, Parmelia Oval Sports Pavilion Upgrade, and Kwinana Education Precinct. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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The labour market performance in Parmelia - Orelia lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Parmelia-Orelia has a balanced workforce consisting of white and blue-collar jobs. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent, with an unemployment rate of 13.7% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.1%. There are 5,800 residents in work, but the unemployment rate is high at 9.8%, significantly above Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation lags behind Greater Perth, at 58.1% compared to 65.2%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

The area has a strong focus on manufacturing, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services employ only 3.4% of local workers, below Greater Perth's 8.2%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by the Census working population versus resident population count. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.1%, while labour force grew by 5.8%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 3.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment growth of 3.7% and a minimal increase in unemployment of 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Parmelia-Orelia's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.6% over five years and 12.3% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for local population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Parmelia - Orelia had a median income among taxpayers of $55,729. The average level stood at $65,010. This was approximately average nationally and compared to levels of $58,380 and $78,020 across Greater Perth respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $63,643 (median) and $74,241 (average) as of September 2025. Census data revealed household, family and personal incomes in Parmelia - Orelia all fell between the 16th and 20th percentiles nationally. The largest segment comprised 31.8% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,045 residents), reflecting patterns seen in the broader area where 32.0% similarly occupied this range. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 82.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 19th percentile.

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

In Parmelia-Orelia, as per the latest Census evaluation, 89.4% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 10.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This compares to Perth metro's 93.0% houses and 7.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Parmelia-Orelia stood at 23.2%, with mortgaged properties at 45.4% and rented ones at 31.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,333, lower than Perth metro's average of $1,724. Weekly rent in the area was $270, compared to Perth metro's $315. Nationally, Parmelia-Orelia's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Parmelia - Orelia features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 66.6% of all households, including 26.0% couples with children, 21.6% couples without children, and 17.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.4%, with lone person households at 30.0% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.7.

Parmelia - Orelia faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 11.5%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 40.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (8.6%) and certificates (32.0%).

Educational participation is high at 29.4%, including 10.6% in primary education, 8.7% in secondary education, and 3.1% pursuing tertiary education. Parmelia-Orelia's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 2,160 students as of the latest data. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 955) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with 3 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (17.3 places per 100 residents vs 13.9 regionally), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Parmelia-Orelia has 116 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus stations. They are served by 11 routes, which together facilitate 1,805 weekly passenger trips.

Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 163 meters to the nearest stop. Services run frequently, with an average of 257 trips per day across all routes. This equates to approximately 15 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Parmelia - Orelia is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows significant challenges for Parmelia - Orelia, with high prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups.

The area has a private health cover rate of approximately 52% (6,602 people), slightly higher than the average SA2 area. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 10.4% and 9.0% of residents respectively. Only 64.1% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 71.4% in Greater Perth. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 15.2% (1,927 people), compared to the 10.4% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Parmelia - Orelia 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

Parmelia-Orelia has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 16.8% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 33.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Parmelia-Orelia, accounting for 41.6% of its population. Islam is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Perth, making up 1.7% versus 1.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (29.7%), Australian (24.4%), and Other (8.5%). Notably, Maori (2.4%) and Filipino (4.5%) populations are higher than regional averages, while New Zealand (1.1%) is equal to the regional average.

Parmelia - Orelia's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Parmelia-Orelia's median age is 37, matching Greater Perth's figure and closely resembling Australia's 38 years. The 15-24 age group makes up 14.2% of Parmelia-Orelia's population, higher than Greater Perth's percentage, while the 25-34 cohort comprises 13.0%. Between 2021 and the present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.9% to 14.2%, while the 35-44 cohort has decreased from 14.6% to 13.6%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Parmelia-Orelia's age structure. Notably, the 75-84 group is projected to grow by 64%, reaching 1,062 people from 648. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 58% of projected growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are expected to experience population declines.