Piara Waters - Forrestdale

Piara Waters - Forrestdale lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

According to evaluations by AreaSearch, the population of Piara Waters - Forrestdale stands at approximately 23,549 as of May 2026. This represents a gain of 7,500 people (46.7%) from the 2021 Census, which documented a population of 16,049 people. This shift is calculated using the ABS estimated resident population of 21,815 as of June 2025 alongside 2,044 validated new addresses recorded since the Census. Such population numbers translate to a density of 612 persons per square kilometer, indicating low density and room for potential expansion. The growth rate of 46.7% since the 2021 census outstripped the national figure of 9.3% and the state benchmark, making it a regional leader. Population gains were primarily fueled by interstate migration, which accounted for roughly 49.5% of the total increases, though overseas migration and natural growth also made positive contributions.

AreaSearch incorporates ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 unit, published in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For SA2 areas lacking this data, and to calculate expansion past 2032, AreaSearch employs cohort-specific growth rates from the latest Greater Capital Region projections of the ABS (published in 2023, utilizing 2022 data). Looking at demographic outlooks, a major population surge is expected, placing this area in the top quartile of statistical areas assessed by AreaSearch. The population is projected to grow by 6,031 persons by 2041 relative to the latest annual ERP numbers, showing an overall expansion of 18.2% over the 16 years.

The level of residential development activity in Piara Waters - Forrestdale was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Piara Waters - Forrestdale records approximately 389 building approvals annually, summing to 1,946 homes over the last 5 financial years. In FY-26 to date, 480 approvals have been documented. Since an average of 3.2 new residents per year have arrived for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), the incoming supply is failing to match demand, which typically intensifies buyer competition and drives prices upward. Meanwhile, new houses are being constructed at an average cost of $229,000, which sits below regional benchmarks and provides more budget-friendly options for buyers. Furthermore, commercial approvals totaling $57.0 million have been logged during this financial year, showing strong commercial momentum.

Compared with Greater Perth, Piara Waters - Forrestdale registers 105.0% more construction activity per person, giving purchasers a wider selection. This volume is far higher than the national average, indicating substantial interest from developers. Recent builds are dominated by standalone homes at 99.0%, with townhouses or apartments making up 1.0%, maintaining the low-density character of the area with a focus on detached homes that appeal to buyers wanting space. With approximately 60 people per residential approval, Piara Waters - Forrestdale exhibits the hallmarks of a developing corridor.

Future projections indicate that Piara Waters - Forrestdale will add 4,297 residents by 2041, based on the latest quarterly calculations from AreaSearch. Considering current building trends, the delivery of new housing should comfortably satisfy demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth above current forecasts.

Piara Waters - Forrestdale has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 27thth percentile nationally

Local infrastructure projects, major planning policies, and development initiatives are key drivers of regional performance. AreaSearch has identified 51 projects expected to influence the local area. Key developments include Piara Waters Lifestyle Resort, Aarya Estate by Satterley, Ayana Estate, and Nicholson Road Local Shopping Centre, with details on the most relevant projects provided in the following list.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Piara Waters - Forrestdale performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

The workforce in Piara Waters - Forrestdale is highly qualified, with strong representation in key service sectors, an unemployment rate of only 1.5%, and an estimated job growth rate of 1.7% over the last year. In March 2026, 12,285 residents were employed. The unemployment rate is 2.7% below the Greater Perth figure of 4.2%, and labor force participation is exceptionally high at 79.6% compared to 70.2% in Greater Perth. Census data indicates that a low 7.4% of residents worked from home, though the influence of COVID-19 restrictions should be kept in mind.

The primary employment sectors for local residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. On the other hand, accommodation & food services has a small footprint, employing 5.8% of the workforce compared to 6.8% across the region. Comparison of the Census working population against the resident population suggests this highly residential locality provides relatively few jobs within its borders.

AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS statistics shows that during the 12 months leading to March 2026, the employed population grew by 1.7% and the labor force expanded by 2.0%, leading to a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. In comparison, Greater Perth experienced a 2.0% employment increase, 2.5% labor force growth, and a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. National employment projections from Jobs and Skills Australia released in May-25 offer additional context for future demand in Piara Waters - Forrestdale. These five and ten-year forecasts have been applied to the local workforce structure to model future patterns. Although national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, the rates of change differ markedly by industry. Applying these sectoral projections to the employment composition of Piara Waters - Forrestdale suggests local employment will rise by 6.5% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, based on a basic weighting calculation for illustration that excludes local population projections.

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

Aggregated ATO data from AreaSearch for financial year 2023 ranks the Piara Waters - Forrestdale SA2 among the top income tiers nationally. Taxpayers in this SA2 record a median income of $68,395 and an average income of $80,291, compared to $60,748 and $80,248 respectively for Greater Perth. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 10.93% since financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 would be roughly $75,871 for the median and $89,067 for the average. In the 2021 Census, household, family, and individual incomes all ranked highly, placing between the 85th and 89th percentiles nationwide. Analysis shows that 44.4% of the population (10,455 individuals) earn weekly incomes between $1,500 - 2,999, which aligns with regional trends where 32.0% fall into this bracket. A significant 34.9% earn more than $3,000 per week, indicating local affluence that supports retail activity. High housing costs take up 17.0% of incomes, but robust earnings keep disposable income in the 87th percentile, with the SEIFA index for income placing the area in the 7th decile.

Piara Waters - Forrestdale is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

According to the latest Census, residential options in Piara Waters - Forrestdale consisted of 98.6% separate houses and 1.4% other dwelling types like semi-detached properties and apartments, compared to 77.8% separate houses and 22.1% other dwellings across the Perth metropolitan region. Home ownership rates in Piara Waters - Forrestdale were lower than the Perth metropolitan average, standing at 9.8%, while mortgaged properties accounted for 73.7% and rented homes made up 16.5%. The median monthly mortgage payment of $2,028 was higher than the Perth metropolitan average of $1,907, and the median weekly rent of $420 exceeded the metro average of $350. Nationally, mortgage payments in Piara Waters - Forrestdale are higher than the Australian median of $1,863, and weekly rents are considerably higher than the national figure of $375.

Piara Waters - Forrestdale features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Families make up the vast majority of households at 86.3%, consisting of couples with children at 57.7%, couples without children at 19.3%, and single-parent homes at 8.3%. Non-family households account for the remaining 13.7%, which includes lone-person households at 11.7% and group housing at 2.0%. The median household size of 3.2 individuals is larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Piara Waters - Forrestdale shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Academic credentials in Piara Waters - Forrestdale are high, with 38.8% of residents aged 15+ holding a university degree, compared to 22.7% in the surrounding SA3 area and 27.9% across WA. This strong educational profile positions the community well for professional services and knowledge-based roles. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification at 27.2%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 9.0% and graduate diplomas at 2.6%. Vocational and technical training is also highly represented, with 33.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational qualifications, including advanced diplomas at 12.9% and certificates at 20.9%.

Enrolment in formal study is high, with 33.9% of the population currently studying. This group is composed of 14.7% in primary schools, 6.9% in secondary education, and 4.7% enrolled in tertiary institutions.

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

Public transport infrastructure includes 41 active bus stops operating in Piara Waters - Forrestdale. These stops are served by 5 distinct routes, delivering a combined total of 946 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is rated as good, with residents living an average of 319 meters from the nearest stop. Because the area is primarily residential, most workers commute out of the suburb, with private vehicles being the dominant mode of travel at 82% and trains accounting for 11%. Car ownership averages 1.8 vehicles per household, which is above the regional average. A low 7.4% of residents work from home, based on 2021 Census data that may reflect pandemic conditions.

Services run at an average of 135 trips per day across all routes, which averages out to approximately 23 weekly trips for each transport stop.

Piara Waters - Forrestdale's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health indicators demonstrate strong outcomes in Piara Waters - Forrestdale, according to AreaSearch evaluations of mortality rates and chronic illness prevalence, showing a low occurrence of common medical conditions across all age groups. Additionally, private health insurance uptake is exceptionally high, covering approximately 60% of the population (14,011 people).

The most prevalent medical conditions recorded in the community are asthma and mental health conditions, affecting 5.2% and 4.9% of residents respectively. Conversely, 83.9% of residents reported having no chronic health conditions, compared to 71.9% in Greater Perth. Residents aged 65 and older represent 5.4% of the population (1,262 people), which is lower than the Greater Perth average of 16.1%. Senior health profiles are highly positive, showing national rankings that align closely with the broader local population.

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

Piara Waters - Forrestdale displays a diverse cultural profile, with 44.8% of residents speaking a non-English language at home and 49.6% born outside Australia. Christianity is the main religious affiliation, representing 40.9% of the population. The most notable religious variation is in the Other category, which accounts for 6.7% of the population, considerably higher than the Greater Perth average of 1.4%.

Regarding ancestral background, the three largest groups in Piara Waters - Forrestdale are Other at 19.5% of the population (well above the regional average of 11.2%), English at 19.0% (substantially lower than the regional average of 28.0%), and Australian at 16.4%. There are also notable differences in other backgrounds, with Indian residents representing 12.9% of the community (compared to 2.6% regionally), South Australian residents at 1.9% (compared to 1.0%), and Filipino residents at 2.8% (compared to 1.4%).

Piara Waters - Forrestdale hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

The median age of 32 years in Piara Waters - Forrestdale is younger than the Greater Perth average of 37 and the national average of 38. Compared to Greater Perth, the local area has a higher share of residents aged 35 - 44 (23.6%) but fewer aged 55 - 64 (5.7%). The proportion of residents aged 35 - 44 is significantly higher than the national average of 14.3%. Since the 2021 Census, the 45 to 54 cohort has increased from 9.5% to 12.2% of the population, and the 15 to 24 group has risen from 9.1% to 10.7%. In contrast, the 25 to 34 age bracket declined from 18.9% to 14.2%, and the 0 to 4 group fell from 11.4% to 8.4%. Demographic models indicate the age profile will change by 2041, with the 45 to 54 group projected to grow the most at 66%, adding 1,903 residents to reach 4,784, while population declines are expected for the 5 to 14 and 35 to 44 age groups.