South Perth - Kensington

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

South Perth - Kensington's population is 19,453 as of May 2026. This reflects a 12.9% increase since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,226 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 19,447 in June 2025 and an additional 446 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,506 persons per square kilometer, placing South Perth - Kensington in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth exceeded the national average of 9.3%, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 93.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Based on demographic trends, above median population growth is projected for national statistical areas. By 2041, South Perth - Kensington is expected to expand by 2,313 persons, reflecting a total gain of 11.9% over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions South Perth - Kensington among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

South Perth - Kensington has received approximately 141 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 705 homes. As of FY26, 36 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 people moved to the area per dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. However, this figure has increased to 5.9 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. The average construction value of development projects is $598,000, indicating a focus on premium segment properties.

In FY26, $45.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Perth, South Perth - Kensington has experienced 22.0% higher construction activity per person over the past five years. New building activity comprises 18.0% detached dwellings and 82.0% townhouses or apartments, shifting from the area's existing housing composition of 45.0% houses. With around 338 people moving in per dwelling approval, South Perth - Kensington is showing signs of a developing market. By 2041, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 2,307 residents.

Current construction levels are expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

South Perth - Kensington has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 33rdth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 48 such projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Lumiere South Perth, Riva Como, The Pearl, and Peninsula Place, with the following projects being particularly relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in South Perth - Kensington rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

South Perth - Kensington has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate in the area was 1.9% as of an unspecified date. Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 1.8%.

As of December 2025, 11,907 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.2%, which is below Greater Perth's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in South Perth - Kensington was broadly similar to Greater Perth's rate of 69.7%. According to Census responses, a low 12.8% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries among residents included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

The area showed particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level. Conversely, construction was under-represented, with only 6.4% of South Perth - Kensington's workforce compared to 9.3% in Greater Perth. Many residents appeared to commute elsewhere for work based on the count of Census working population to local population. In the 12-month period ending in an unspecified date, employment increased by 1.8% alongside labour force increasing by 1.9%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. In contrast, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 2.3% and labour force growth of 2.6%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within South Perth - Kensington. These projections suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to South Perth - Kensington's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years. However, it is important to note that this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that South Perth - Kensington SA2 has exceptionally high incomes nationally. The median income is $66,612 and the average income stands at $108,651. This contrasts with Greater Perth's figures of a median income of $60,748 and an average income of $80,248. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.93% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $73,893 (median) and $120,527 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in South Perth - Kensington, between the 73rd and 87th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 28.0% of locals (5,446 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 32.0% in the same category. A substantial proportion of high earners, at 35.8%, indicates strong economic capacity throughout South Perth - Kensington. Housing accounts for 14.1% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 75th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

South Perth - Kensington displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

South Perth - Kensington's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 44.7% houses and 55.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Perth metro's 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Perth - Kensington stood at 33.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.8% and rented ones at 40.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,388, higher than the Perth metro average of $1,907. The median weekly rent figure was $375, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, South Perth - Kensington's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,388 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were comparable at $375.

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

Family households comprise 61.3% of all households, including 24.4% couples with children, 28.7% couples without children, and 6.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.7%, with lone person households at 33.6% and group households comprising 5.1%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

South Perth - Kensington shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

In South Perth - Kensington, the proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 50.4% of residents in this area have such qualifications, compared to 27.9% in Western Australia as a whole and 29.9% in the smaller statistical area level four region. This educational advantage is notable for its substantial size. Bachelor degrees are the most common type of university qualification held by residents, with 32.4%.

Postgraduate qualifications follow at 13.5%, and graduate diplomas account for 4.5%. Vocational pathways are also represented among those aged 15 and above, with 23.5% of residents holding such qualifications. Advanced diplomas make up 10.7% of these vocational qualifications, while certificates account for 12.8%. Educational participation in the area is high, with 29.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% pursuing tertiary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 7.0% engaged in primary education.

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

South Perth-Kensington has 121 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 16 routes, providing 3,916 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 133 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility. In this predominantly residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 76%, with buses at 13% and cycling at 3%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 12.8% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 559 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 32 weekly trips per stop. A map accompanies this data, showing the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

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

South Perth - Kensington shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 75% of the total population (14,648 people), compared to 59.0% in Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 7.0 and 6.9% of residents respectively. 73.3% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.9% in Greater Perth. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 20.9% of residents aged 65 and over (4,061 people), higher than the 16.1% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in South Perth - Kensington was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

South Perth-Kensington has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 18.2% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 35.7% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in South Perth-Kensington, accounting for 46.0% of the population. Notably, Judaism comprises 0.4% of the population, slightly higher than the Greater Perth average of 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (28.3%), Australian (20.8%), and Other (10.1%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences in representation: South Australian is at 0.9%, Croatian at 0.9%, and Welsh at 0.7%, compared to regional averages of 1.0%, 0.8%, and 0.7% respectively.

South Perth - Kensington's population is slightly older than the national pattern

South Perth - Kensington has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Perth's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Perth average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented at 11.1% locally, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 9.0%. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has grown from 5.4% to 7.6%, and the 25-34 cohort has increased from 14.8% to 16.1%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.3% to 11.8%, and the 0-4 group has dropped from 4.5% to 3.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests South Perth - Kensington's age profile will evolve significantly. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to grow by 931 people (63%), from 1,476 to 2,408. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 70% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.