Rivervale

Rivervale lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Rivervale's population was approximately 12,852 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,955 people, a rise of 17.9% since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,897. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,481 in June 2024 and an additional 223 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,847 persons per square kilometer, placing Rivervale in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. Rivervale's growth rate exceeded both the national average (8.9%) and state averages since the 2021 census, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 74.7% of overall population gains during 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 estimates, AreaSearch employs growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population trends indicate a significant increase in the top quartile of Australian statistical areas, with Rivervale expected to gain an additional 3,752 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 26.3% over the 17-year period based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Rivervale among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Rivervale has received approximately 89 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 448 homes. As of FY-26166 approvals have been recorded. On average, each home built since FY-21 has accommodated around three new residents per year, indicating a significant demand exceeding supply. The average construction cost value for new homes over this period is $334,000.

This financial year, Rivervale has seen $7.4 million in commercial approvals, reflecting its primarily residential character. Compared to Greater Perth, Rivervale has shown slightly higher development activity, with 38.0% more approvals per person over the past five years. This has maintained good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. Recent periods have seen a moderation in development activity.

The type of new buildings shows a skew towards compact living, with 40.0% detached houses and 60.0% townhouses or apartments. This trend offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. Rivervale has demonstrated a developing market with around 251 people per dwelling approval. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Rivervale is projected to grow by 3,381 residents by 2041. Construction activity is maintaining pace with this projected growth, though increasing population could lead to growing buyer competition in the future.

Rivervale has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Wyndham LUX Perth Hotel (61-65 Great Eastern Highway), Burswood Station East Planning Framework, 6 Homelea Court Build-to-Rent Development, and Perth Airport New Runway. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The labour market in Rivervale demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Rivervale's workforce is well-educated with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.9% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1% over the past year.

In September 2025, 8,141 residents were employed, aligning with Greater Perth's unemployment rate of 4%. Workforce participation in Rivervale was higher at 71.1%, compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and mining. Mining shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, education & training has lower representation at 6.1% versus the regional average of 9.2%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 2.1%, while labour force grew by 2.4%, raising unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. Greater Perth recorded higher employment growth of 2.9%. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows WA employment contracted by 0.27% with an unemployment rate of 4.6%, compared to the national rate of 4.3% and national employment growth of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across sectors. Applying these projections to Rivervale's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The median taxpayer income for Rivervale SA2 is $60,922 based on postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. The average income for this area is $71,989 during the same period. These figures are higher than national averages of $54,340 median and $67,600 average incomes as reported in June 2022 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. As of September 2025, estimated median income for Rivervale SA2 is approximately $69,573, with an average income of around $82,211, considering a Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022. Individual earnings at the 80th percentile nationally are $1,015 weekly for Rivervale SA2 residents. However, household incomes rank lower at the 48th percentile. The income band of $1,500 - 2,999 captures 34.9% of the community (4,485 individuals), which is consistent with broader regional trends showing 32.0% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 46th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Rivervale displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Rivervale's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 42.6% houses and 57.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Perth metro had a higher proportion of houses at 60.5%, with 39.6% being other dwellings. Home ownership in Rivervale stood at 16.3%, lower than Perth metro's level. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 29.5%, and rented dwellings made up 54.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rivervale was $1,760, below the Perth metro average of $1,842. The median weekly rent figure in Rivervale was $350, equal to Perth metro's figure but lower than the national average of $375. Nationally, Rivervale's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863.

Rivervale features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 54.3 percent of all households, including 18.1 percent couples with children, 26.4 percent couples without children, and 7.5 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 45.7 percent, with lone person households at 38.4 percent and group households comprising 7.4 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.3.

Rivervale shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates of 36.7% among residents aged 15+, surpassing both the WA average of 27.9% and the SA4 region average of 29.9%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.0% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 12.7% while certificates make up 20.3%.

Educational participation is high at 27.0%, including 8.3% in tertiary education, 6.8% in primary education, and 4.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Rivervale's public transport analysis indicates 33 active stops operating within the area, all of which are bus routes. These stops are served by 7 individual routes, collectively facilitating 2,178 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically situated 195 meters from their nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 311 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 66 weekly trips per individual stop.

Rivervale's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance throughout Rivervale.

Prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population but higher than the national average among older, at-risk cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high, approximately 55% of the total population (around 7,107 people). Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 8.1 and 6.4% of residents respectively. A total of 74.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.7% across Greater Perth. Rivervale has 13.5% of its population aged 65 and over (1,740 people), requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Rivervale's population shows high linguistic diversity, with 33.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 43.8% of Rivervale residents were born outside Australia. Christianity is the dominant religion in Rivervale, comprising 39.0%.

However, Buddhism is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Perth figures, with 4.9% versus 4.1%. The top three ancestry groups are English (22.7%), Australian (18.4%), and Other (17.7%). Notable differences exist in Korean (1.0% vs regional 0.7%), Sri Lankan (0.5% vs 0.4%), and Chinese (7.2% vs 6.1%) populations.

Rivervale hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Rivervale's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Perth's average of 37 and considerably younger than Australia's median age of 38. Compared to Greater Perth, Rivervale has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (24.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.0%). 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 Rivervale's population aged 65 to 74 has increased from 7.0% to 8.1%, while the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 25.8% to 24.2%. By 2041, demographic forecasts indicate significant changes in Rivervale's population structure. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 47%, adding 684 residents to reach a total of 2,130. In contrast, the 5-14 age group is expected to show minimal growth of just 4% (37 people).