Perth (West) - Northbridge
Statistical Area - sa2

Perth (West) - Northbridge lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Perth West - Northbridge's population is around 15,795 as of Aug 2025. From Jun 2024 to Aug 2025, the population increased by 526 people (3.5%). Between the 2021 Census and Aug 2025, the population grew by 3,676 people (30.3%), reaching 15,795 from a previous count of 12,119. This growth is primarily due to overseas migration contributing approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. Based on ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, the area's population is expected to increase significantly by 2041.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and to estimate growth across all areas in the years post-2032, AreaSearch is utilising the growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Considering the projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase in the top quartile of national areas is forecast, with the area expected to increase by 5,271 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 30.0% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Perth (West) - Northbridge was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Perth West - Northbridge has seen approximately 103 new homes approved annually. Development approval data, produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totals 519 approvals from FY21 to FY25, with no approvals recorded so far in FY26. An average of 7.1 new residents per dwelling constructed has been observed over these years, indicating demand significantly outpaces supply, which typically influences pricing and buyer competition. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $636,000, reflecting developers' focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $332.3 million in commercial development approvals, indicating high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Perth, Northbridge shows similar development activity per capita, maintaining market balance with surrounding areas. Recent development has been exclusively townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry points and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers.

By 2041, Northbridge is projected to grow by 4,744 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Perth (West) - Northbridge has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 13thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 70 potential impact projects. Notable ones include METRONET, EQ West Elizabeth Quay, Edith Cowan University City Campus, and Brookfield Twin Towers Elizabeth Quay. The following details those likely most relevant.

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

The labour market performance in Perth (West) - Northbridge lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Perth (West) - Northbridge has an unemployment rate of 7.9%. As of June 2025, the area's unemployment rate is 4.0% higher than Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%.

The workforce participation rate is 68.8%, slightly above Greater Perth's 65.2%. Key industries employing residents are professional & technical (with a specialization index of 2.0), accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance. Construction employment stands at 5.1%, below the regional level of 9.3%. The area hosts 11.0 workers per resident, functioning as an employment hub attracting external workers.

From June 2024 to June 2025, Northbridge's labour force decreased by 1.4% and employment declined by 3.6%, raising the unemployment rate by 2.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment grow by 3.7%. State-level data from Sep-25 shows WA employment contracted by 0.82%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to a national rate of 4.5% and national employment growth of 0.26%. Job forecasts suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local projections based on industry-specific growth rates estimate Northbridge's employment could increase by approximately 6.8%% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Perth (West) - Northbridge had a median income among taxpayers of $58,677. The average income stood at $85,105. These figures are high nationally compared to Greater Perth's median and average incomes of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $65,489 (median) and $94,986 (average). According to census data, individual earnings rank at the 90th percentile nationally ($1,176 weekly), while household income ranks at the 64th percentile. Distribution data reveals that 35.8% of locals (5,654 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, similar to the broader area's 32.0%. High housing costs consume 18.5% of income. Despite this, disposable income ranks at the 60th percentile, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Perth (West) - Northbridge features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Perth (West) - Northbridge's latest Census data shows 0.5% houses and 99.5% other dwellings. Perth metro has 37.1% houses and 62.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Perth (West) - Northbridge is 12.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.3% and rented ones at 70.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment here is $1,840, below Perth metro's $2,167. Median weekly rent in the area is $410, compared to Perth metro's $390. Nationally, mortgage repayments average $1,863 and rents are $375.

Perth (West) - Northbridge features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 43.1% of all households, including 8.6% couples with children, 29.4% couples without children, and 3.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 56.9%, with lone person households at 47.4% and group households making up 9.4%. The median household size is 1.7 people, smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.1.

Perth (West) - Northbridge demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Perth (West) - Northbridge has a high level of educational attainment among residents aged 15 and above. A total of 56.5% hold university qualifications, compared to 27.9% in Western Australia and 30.1% in Greater Perth. The area's educational advantage is notable with bachelor degrees being the most common at 36.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways account for 23.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 12.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 16.3% in tertiary education, 2.9% in primary education, and 1.9% pursuing secondary education. The area has educational provision including St George's Anglican Grammar School and Mercedes College, serving a total of 1,457 students. Northbridge demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1131. Secondary education dominates with two schools, while primary students typically attend schools in adjacent catchments. The area has fewer school places per 100 residents (9.2) compared to the regional average (17.2), suggesting some students may attend schools outside Northbridge.

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

Perth (West) - Northbridge has 223 active public transport stops. These include ferry, train, and bus services. There are 153 individual routes operating in total.

Weekly passenger trips amount to 43,631. Residents' average proximity to the nearest stop is 96 meters. Daily service frequency averages 6,233 trips across all routes. This equates to approximately 195 weekly trips per individual stop.

Perth (West) - Northbridge's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Perth (West) - Northbridge has a low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The area has an exceptionally high rate of private health cover at approximately 62% of its total population of 9,856 people. This compares to 69.8% across Greater Perth and the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues are the most common medical condition in Northbridge, affecting 8.5% of residents, followed by asthma at 5.8%. A total of 78.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.5% across Greater Perth. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 11.2%, with 1,775 people falling into this age group. This is lower than the 15.1% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors in Northbridge are strong and broadly align with the general population's health profile.

Perth (West) - Northbridge is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Perth West's Northbridge is one of Australia's most culturally diverse areas, with 43.4% speaking a language other than English at home and 62.1% born overseas. Christianity is the primary religion in Northbridge, comprising 32.9%. Buddhism is notably more prevalent here than across Greater Perth, making up 5.2% compared to 4.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (19.8%), Other (18.6%), and Chinese (12.1%). These figures differ significantly from regional averages: English is lower at 24.9%, Other is higher at 12.6%, and Chinese is substantially higher than the regional average of 5.8%. Notably, French (1.1% vs 0.8%), Spanish (1.1% vs 0.6%), and Korean (1.5% vs 0.6%) are overrepresented in Northbridge compared to Greater Perth.

Perth (West) - Northbridge's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Perth (West) - Northbridge has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Perth's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Northbridge has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (34.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of Northbridge's population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 2.6% to 3.8%, while the proportion aged 35 to 44 has increased from 18.6% to 19.8%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has declined from 14.1% to 12.7%, and the proportion aged 45 to 54 has dropped from 9.5% to 8.4%. Population forecasts for Northbridge in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes, with the strongest projected growth in the 25 to 34 cohort, which is expected to grow by 20%, adding 1,110 residents to reach a total of 6,587. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 cohort is forecast to grow by a modest 2% (6 people).