Roleystone

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

According to evaluations by AreaSearch, the population of Roleystone stands at approximately 7,836 as of May 2026. This represents a growth of 593 individuals (8.2%) from the 2021 Census, which documented 7,243 residents. This shift is calculated using the June 2025 ABS estimated resident population of 7,831 alongside 38 validated new addresses confirmed since the Census. With this population level, the density ratio is 104 persons per square kilometer, indicating low density and capacity for future expansion. The post-census expansion rate of 8.2% is within 1.1 percentage points of the national figure (9.3%), showing solid local growth dynamics. This growth was mostly driven by net overseas migration, which accounted for roughly 58.1% of the population increase, though natural increase and interstate moves were also positive contributors.

AreaSearch incorporates projections from the ABS and Geoscience Australia published in 2024, using 2022 as the baseline year. For regions without direct coverage, and for projections beyond 2032, growth rates by age bracket from the 2023 ABS Greater Capital Region projections (utilising 2022 data) are applied. Looking ahead, demographic models project population growth above the national median, with the locality expected to add 947 residents by 2041 based on the most recent annual ERP statistics, representing a 12.0% increase over the 16-year timeframe.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Roleystone when compared nationally

Approximately 19 residential dwellings receive building approvals in Roleystone each year, with 96 residential units approved across the previous 5 financial years (from FY-21 to FY-25) and 19 approvals recorded during FY-26 so far. With an average of 4.4 additional occupants per year for each new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, residential supply is falling short of demand, which typically intensifies buyer competition and drives upward pressure on prices. Newly approved homes carry an average estimated construction cost of $347,000. Additionally, commercial development remains low, with $1.7 million in commercial approvals recorded this financial year.

Construction activity in Roleystone is significantly below the regional average, running 76.0% lower per capita than in Greater Perth. This restricted flow of new housing generally reinforces demand and sustains values for established homes. The volume of approvals also falls below the national benchmark, reflecting the mature nature of the suburb and potentially indicating local planning constraints. Furthermore, all recent building permits have been for detached houses, maintaining the low-density profile of the suburb and appealing to buyers seeking standalone properties. The quiet nature of local development is highlighted by the ratio of 608 residents for every single dwelling approval.

Demographic forecasts suggest Roleystone will add 942 residents by 2041, based on the latest quarterly calculations from AreaSearch. If building activity remains at its current modest levels, the supply of new housing may fail to keep pace with population growth, potentially heightening competition among buyers and supporting property appreciation.

Roleystone has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

Local infrastructure projects, planning choices, and development initiatives are major factors in shaping residential property performance. A total of 10 key projects have been identified by AreaSearch as having a potential impact on the local area. Among the most notable works are the Cross Park Cricket and Netball Facility, the Roleystone Theatre Redevelopment, the Challenge Park Cycle Facility, and the Kelmscott District Centre Precinct Structure Plan, with the accompanying lists highlighting the developments most relevant to the suburb.

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

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Roleystone ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Roleystone has a skilled resident workforce, characterized by prominent industrial and manufacturing sectors, a low unemployment rate of 2.6%, and an estimated 1.8% annual increase in jobs. As of March 2026, there are 4,394 employed residents. The local unemployment rate is 1.6 percentage points lower than the Greater Perth rate of 4.2%, while the participation rate matches the Greater Perth level of 70.2%. Census data indicates that a modest 10.7% of working residents operated from home, though this figure may have been influenced by pandemic-related lockdown measures.

Local workers are primarily employed in construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The suburb exhibits a clear specialization in construction, where the share of employment is 1.2 times the Greater Perth average. Conversely, health care & social assistance accounts for only 11.0% of the local workforce, compared to 14.8% across the broader capital city. A comparison between the number of locally employed workers and the total resident workforce suggests that local employment options within the suburb itself are relatively constrained.

An analysis of SALM and ABS statistics by AreaSearch indicates that during the 12 months ending March 2026, the employed population grew by 1.8% while the total labor force expanded by 2.0%, leading to a 0.2 percentage point rise in the unemployment rate. Over the same period in Greater Perth, employment grew by 2.0%, the labor force increased by 2.5%, and the unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points. The national employment projections released by Jobs and Skills Australia in May-25 offer additional perspective on potential future demand in Roleystone. These five- and ten-year forecasts have been applied to the local workforce structure to model future employment trends. While total national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates vary widely by industry sector. Applying these sector-specific growth rates to the local employment profile indicates that Roleystone's resident employment is projected to expand by 5.9% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, assuming a basic weighted extrapolation based on industry mix without adjusting for local population shifts.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Based on financial year 2023 ATO data compiled by AreaSearch, the Roleystone SA2 ranks among the highest income bands in the country. Taxpayer records show a median income of $64,416 and an average income of $79,629, which compares to the Greater Perth benchmarks of $60,748 and $80,248. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 10.93% since financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 are approximately $71,457 for median income and $88,332 for average income. Census data places household, family, and individual earnings in the 69th percentile nationally. The local earnings profile shows that 32.0% of residents (2,507 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, which is identical to the 32.0% recorded across the broader region. A substantial 33.4% of the population are high earners with weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, indicating strong household financial capacity. Residents retain 87.1% of their earnings after deducting housing costs, demonstrating healthy purchasing power, and the area is situated in the 7th decile of the SEIFA index for income.

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

According to the latest Census, the housing mix in Roleystone is heavily dominated by detached dwellings, which represent 98.3% of the stock, while semi-detached properties, apartments, and other housing types make up the remaining 1.7%. This contrasts with the broader Perth metropolitan area, where houses constitute 77.8% and alternative dwelling types account for 22.1%. Home ownership rates are also higher in Roleystone, with 38.9% of homes owned outright, while 54.3% are held with a mortgage and 6.9% are rented. The median monthly mortgage payment in Roleystone was $2,056, higher than the Perth metro median of $1,907, while the median weekly rent was $350, matching the Perth metro benchmark. On a national level, Roleystone's median mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, whereas its median weekly rent is lower than the national figure of $375.

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

Families make up the vast majority of local households at 82.5%, consisting of couples with children at 37.5%, couples without children at 36.2%, and single-parent households at 8.3%. Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 17.5% of households, with lone person households representing 16.1% and group shared households making up 1.4%. The median household size in the suburb is 2.7 residents, slightly above the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Roleystone performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The proportion of residents with tertiary qualifications in Roleystone is lower than regional and national levels, with 25.0% of the population aged 15 and over holding a university degree, compared to 30.4% across Australia. Among those with university qualifications, Bachelor degrees are the most common at 17.6%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 4.5% and graduate diplomas at 2.9%. Conversely, vocational training is highly prevalent, with 41.5% of residents aged 15 and over holding technical qualifications, consisting of advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 29.7%.

Enrolment in education is strong, with 26.8% of the local population currently undertaking formal study. Primary school students make up 9.3% of the population, secondary students account for 8.3%, and tertiary students represent 4.2%.

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

An analysis of public transport infrastructure shows 41 active transit stops within the suburb, consisting of bus services. These stops are connected to 1 individual routes, which combine to offer 170 passenger services each week. Accessibility to public transit is moderate, with residents living an average of 569 meters from their nearest stop. Because Roleystone is primarily residential, the majority of working residents travel outside the suburb for employment, with private vehicles remaining the primary mode of transport at 86%, followed by rail transport at 7%. The average number of motor vehicles per household is 2.1, which is higher than the regional benchmark. Additionally, a relatively low proportion of residents (10.7%) worked from home, according to the 2021 Census, which may reflect conditions during the pandemic.

Transit services average 24 daily trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 4 weekly passenger departures per individual stop.

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

According to AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality data and chronic illness statistics, Roleystone displays excellent general health outcomes. The occurrence of common medical conditions is low across all age groups, and there is a high rate of private health insurance coverage, which is held by roughly 58% of the population, representing about 4,576 individuals.

Arthritis and mental health conditions are the most frequently reported diagnoses in the area, affecting 8.7% and 7.6% of residents respectively. However, 69.7% of the population reported having no chronic medical conditions, compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. Residents under the age of 65 experience better health outcomes than the national average. Residents aged 65 and over make up 22.4% of the population (1,753 people), which is higher than the Greater Perth proportion of 16.1%. The health status of these senior residents remains very high, with national health benchmarks corresponding closely to those of the wider population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Roleystone records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Roleystone exhibits above average levels of cultural diversity, with 7.0% of the population using a language other than English in their homes and 29.6% born outside Australia. Christianity is the most common religious affiliation, representing 41.9% of residents. The most distinct religious overrepresentation relative to the wider metropolitan area is Judaism, which accounts for 0.2% of residents in Roleystone compared to 0.3% across Greater Perth.

In terms of ancestral background, the three largest groups in Roleystone are English at 36.7% of the population, which is higher than the metropolitan average of 28.0%, Australian at 24.4%, and Scottish at 7.7%. There are also notable differences in the concentration of other ethnic backgrounds, with Dutch ancestry representing 2.7% of the population compared to 1.5% regionally, Welsh ancestry at 0.9% compared to 0.7%, and South Australian ancestry at 0.8% compared to 1.0%.

Roleystone hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age of Roleystone's population is 44, which is higher than the Greater Perth median of 37 and the national median of 38. The 65 - 74 age group is well represented, accounting for 12.2% of residents, while the 25 - 34 cohort is less common at 8.0% of the population. Since the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 has increased from 5.2% to 8.5%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 15.3% to 13.7%, and the 25 - 34 group has declined from 9.3% to 8.0%. Demographic models indicate that the suburb's age profile will change by 2041, led by a 49% growth in the 75 to 84 cohort, which is expected to rise by 326 people from 663 to 990. This aging trend is prominent, with residents aged 65 and over projected to account for 66% of the overall population growth, while the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age cohorts are expected to decrease in size.