South Lake - Cockburn Central

An assessment of population growth drivers in South Lake - Cockburn Central reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, South Lake - Cockburn Central's population is around 13,022 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,299 people (11.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,723 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,878 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 171 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,463 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. South Lake - Cockburn Central's 11.1% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 64.0% 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 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). Moving forward with demographic trends, an above-median population growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is projected, with the area expected to increase by 2,344 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 16.9% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions South Lake - Cockburn Central among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

South Lake - Cockburn Central has seen around 66 new homes approved each year, totalling 332 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26308 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 2.7 people per year moving to the area per new home constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), suggesting solid demand that supports property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $285,000. There have also been $54.2 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

Relative to Greater Perth, South Lake - Cockburn Central shows approximately 57% of the construction activity per person while it places among the 79th percentile of areas assessed nationally, though development activity has picked up in recent periods. New building activity shows 56.0% detached dwellings and 44.0% medium and high-density housing, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points, from family homes to more affordable compact living. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 79.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 197 people per dwelling approval, South Lake - Cockburn Central shows characteristics of a growth area.

Looking ahead, South Lake - Cockburn Central is expected to grow by 2,200 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

South Lake - Cockburn Central has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 29thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 30 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Glen Iris Local Shopping Centre (Glen Iris Estate), Stockland Bull Creek Shopping Centre Upgrade, Glen Iris Estate, and Yangebup Primary School Expansion and Modernisation, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in South Lake - Cockburn Central remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

South Lake - Cockburn Central possesses a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 5.4%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,431 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 1.3% above Greater Perth's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Perth's 71.9%. Based on Census responses, a low 6.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. The area has a particular employment specialization in manufacturing, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. On the other hand, mining is under-represented, with only 5.8% of South Lake - Cockburn Central's workforce compared to 7.0% in Greater Perth. While local employment opportunities exist in the area, it appears many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on the count of Census working population to local population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 0.3% while the labour force increased by 0.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 2.3% and labour force growth of 2.6%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within South Lake - Cockburn Central. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to South Lake - Cockburn Central's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.3% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The South Lake - Cockburn Central SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $63,213 and an average of $77,076 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is well above average nationally, contrasting with Greater Perth's median income of $60,748 and average income of $80,248. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $69,294 (median) and $84,491 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in South Lake - Cockburn Central cluster around the 52nd percentile nationally. Distribution data shows 35.4% of the population (4,609 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 32.0% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 49th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

South Lake - Cockburn Central is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within South Lake - Cockburn Central, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 78.6% houses and 21.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Perth metro's 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within South Lake - Cockburn Central was in line with that of Perth metro, at 29.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (42.6%) or rented (28.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Perth metro average at $1,680, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $360, compared to Perth metro's $1,907 and $350. Nationally, South Lake - Cockburn Central's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

South Lake - Cockburn Central features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 68.4% of all households, comprising 28.2% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 11.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 31.6%, with lone person households at 27.2% and group households comprising 4.4% of the total. The median household size of 2.4 people is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational attainment in South Lake - Cockburn Central aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

At 25.8%, university qualification levels in South Lake - Cockburn Central sit marginally below the Australian average of 30.4%, though the modest gap indicates reasonable educational competitiveness. Bachelor degrees lead at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 36.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (25.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.6% in primary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 5.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 106 active transport stops operating within South Lake - Cockburn Central, comprising a mix of trains and buses. These stops are serviced by 22 individual routes, collectively providing 5,010 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 197 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 80%, with 11% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. A relatively low 6.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 715 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 47 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

The level of general health in South Lake - Cockburn Central is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

South Lake - Cockburn Central demonstrates above-average health outcomes, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population, though higher than the national average across older, at-risk cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high, at approximately 57% of the total population (~7,422 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 9.0% and 8.0% of residents, respectively, while 68.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 18.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,418 people), which is higher than the 16.3% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, though they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

South Lake - Cockburn Central 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

South Lake - Cockburn Central is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 20.7% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 35.2% born overseas. The main religion in South Lake - Cockburn Central is Christianity, which makes up 44.4% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Islam, which comprises 2.1% of the population, compared to 3.2% across Greater Perth.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in South Lake - Cockburn Central are English, comprising 26.9% of the population, Australian, comprising 22.7% of the population, and Other, comprising 11.6% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Croatian is notably overrepresented at 1.0% of South Lake - Cockburn Central (vs 0.8% regionally), South Australian at 0.8% (vs 1.0%) and Serbian at 0.5% (vs 0.3%).

South Lake - Cockburn Central's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

With a median age of 37, South Lake - Cockburn Central is equal to the Greater Perth figure of 37 and remains comparable to Australia's 38 years. The 65 - 74 age group shows strong representation at 10.3% compared to Greater Perth, whereas the 5 - 14 cohort is less prevalent at 10.5%. In the period since 2021, the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 8.8% to 10.3% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 4.4% to 5.7%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.9% to 11.7% and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 16.6% to 15.5%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in South Lake - Cockburn Central's age structure. Leading the demographic shift, the 75 to 84 group will grow by 85% (631 people), reaching 1,378 from 746. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those 65+ comprising 60% of projected growth. On the other hand, the 5 to 14 and 35 to 44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.