Spearwood

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

Spearwood's population was approximately 13,040 as of May 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 1,772 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,268 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,932 in June 2025 and an additional 246 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of approximately 2,000 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Spearwood's population growth of 15.7% since the 2021 census exceeded both the national average (9.3%) and the state average, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 60.1% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, 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. Future population trends project an above median growth for Australian statistical areas, with Spearwood expected to grow by 2,343 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 17.1% over the 16-year period.

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

Spearwood averaged approximately 94 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 473 homes. As of FY26, 91 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.1 new residents arrived per year for each dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25, indicating high demand exceeding supply. New properties are constructed at an average cost of $265,000.

This financial year, $3.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting Spearwood's residential character. Compared to Greater Perth, Spearwood has 15.0% less new development per person but ranks among the 83rd percentile nationally. New development consists of 82.0% detached houses and 18.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character focused on family homes.

The location has approximately 123 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Population forecasts estimate Spearwood will gain 2,235 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Spearwood has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects likely to impact this region. Key projects include Spearwood Housing Project by Uniting WA, Phoenix Activity Centre Redevelopment, Shoreline North Coogee, and Windfall Residences Port Coogee. 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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AreaSearch analysis reveals Spearwood recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Spearwood's workforce is skilled with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 5.6% as of the past year, with estimated employment growth at 1.2%. As of December 2025, 6751 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.5% higher than Greater Perth's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation in Spearwood was lower at 65.4%, compared to Greater Perth's 69.7%. According to Census responses, only 6.3% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Manufacturing shows particular specialization with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 5.4%, compared to the regional average of 8.2%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over a 12-month period ending in Spearwood, employment increased by 1.2% while the labour force grew by 0.9%, leading to a unemployment rate decrease of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment rise by 2.3%, labour force grow by 2.6%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Spearwood's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Spearwood SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $59,681 and an average of $75,109. This is high nationally compared to Greater Perth's median of $60,748 and average of $80,248. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.93% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $66,204 (median) and $83,318 (average). Census data shows household, family and personal incomes rank modestly in Spearwood, between the 34th and 41st percentiles. The $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 30.6% of the community (3,990 individuals), similar to regional levels at 32.0%. Housing affordability pressures are severe with only 83.5% of income remaining, ranking at the 34th percentile. Spearwood's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

Spearwood's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 74.3% houses and 25.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Perth metro had a higher proportion of houses at 77.8%, with 22.1% being other dwellings. Home ownership in Spearwood was 35.7%, compared to the lower figure of 29.0% for rented dwellings and 35.3% for mortgaged ones. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Spearwood was $1,733, which is less than Perth metro's average of $1,907. The median weekly rent in Spearwood was recorded at $350, matching the Perth metro figure. Nationally, Spearwood's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were also less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 66.1% of all households, including 25.8% couples with children, 27.3% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.9%, with lone person households making up 30.2% and group households comprising 3.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Spearwood shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

In Spearwood Trail region, as of the latest available data, 20.7% of residents aged 15 years and above hold university degrees, compared to Australia's national average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 15.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 3.3% and graduate diplomas at 2.2%. Vocational credentials are held by 38.8% of residents aged 15 years and above, with advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 28.4%. Currently, 24.7% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, including 7.8% in primary education, 6.3% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

A substantial 24.7% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 7.8% in primary education, 6.3% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Spearwood has 66 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These are covered by six routes that together facilitate 1,422 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 188 meters to the nearest stop. As a mainly residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 86%, while trains account for 6%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 6.3% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. All routes combined offer an average of 203 trips daily, equating to around 21 weekly trips per individual stop.

Spearwood's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data shows Spearwood residents have relatively positive outcomes. Mortality rates and health conditions are largely in line with national benchmarks.

Common health conditions are seen across both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover is high, at approximately 57% of the total population (~7,380 people), compared to 59.0% across Greater Perth. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (8.9%) and arthritis (8.4%). 68.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.9% in Greater Perth. Under-65 population has better than average health outcomes. Spearwood has 22.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,884 people), higher than the 16.1% in Greater Perth. National rankings are broadly in line with the general population.

Spearwood 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

Spearwood has a higher level of cultural diversity than most local markets, with 25.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 36.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Spearwood, making up 57.0% of people, compared to 45.0% across Greater Perth. The top three ancestry groups in Spearwood are English (24.5%), Australian (19.7%), and Italian (11.3%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 4.2%.

Notably, Croatian (5.3%) and Serbian (1.3%) populations are overrepresented compared to the regional averages of 0.8% and 0.3%, respectively. Additionally, Filipino ancestry at 2.8% is also higher than the regional average of 1.4%.

Spearwood's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Spearwood's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and slightly above Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Spearwood has a notably higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (8.1% locally) but a lower proportion of those aged 15-24 (10.5%). According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 7.0% to 8.1%, while the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 13.0% to 11.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Spearwood's age profile will change significantly. The 65 to 74 cohort is projected to grow by 38%, adding 534 residents to reach 1,934. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 63% of the population growth. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 0 to 4 age cohorts.