WA · Cockburn Council

Rottnest Island, 6161

Est. population · Jun 2025

202

Growth (1 yr)

+3.6%

Growth (5 yr)

+20.2%

Median age

Median income

$2,042/wk

Employment rate

82.1%

University qualified

24.8%

Work from home

2.4%

Languages at home

21.1%non-English

Most common: Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi

2021 Census · usual residence

Beach
Excellent transport
Green suburb
Heritage area
Regional centre

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Suburb profile

Rottnest Island is a major regional centre in Western Australia, in Cockburn Council. It is close to the With Garden Island and the Rats' Nest Island.

Employment is a very strong feature of the suburb, with employment 56% above the peer median. Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for major regional centres. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places. University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, and population growth is an exceptional strength. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high.

Overall, Rottnest Island suits people prioritising employment and university qualifications.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Western Australia (122)

Strengths

Employment is a relative strength
University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
Population growth is a relative strength
Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

No relative weaknesses against comparable places.

What stands out

Rottnest Island Beach
Pinky Beach
With Garden Island
Rats' Nest Island
Thomson Bay
Island

Who it suits

StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Rottnest Island compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$540/wk

Population (ERP)

202

+3.6% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

47.9%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Pop. growth

91st

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

89%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Housing

All types (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv): $540

Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv): 93

Median weekly rent from WA rental bond lodgements. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

WA rental bond lodgements — Department of Communities (WA) · wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv · Updated 1 July 2026 at 4:51 pm AWST · Monthly bond summaries

Population

Estimated resident population

202(June 2025)

+3.6% annual · +20.2% over 5 years · 91th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology

Annual growth: +3.6%
5-year growth: +20.2%
Change in 1 year: +7
Change in 5 years: +34
Growth rank in WA: 91th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~250), extrapolated at +2.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population: 166
Median age: 33
Median household income / week: $2,042
Dwelling vacancy: 47.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings: 57 of 119
Median monthly mortgage: $0
Median weekly rent (2021 Census): $113
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented): 0% / 10.8% / 89.2%
Employment rate: 82.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car): 2.4% / 3.2% / 2.4%
Walked or cycled to work: 69%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats): 43 / 12 / 0 (+ 7 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated 13 September 2026 at 11:43 am AWST
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated 20 July 2026 at 9:15 am AWST · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

24.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 18.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.

University qualified24.8% · 23.8% WA
Diploma qualified15.4% · 9.3% WA
Trade / vocational18.8% · 17.8% WA
Year 12 or below40.9% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

Management and commerce26.7%
Food, hospitality and personal services25.6%
Engineering and related technologies10%
Health10%
Society and culture10%
Architecture and building5.6%

How these groups are defined

Measure	Definition
University qualified	Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified	Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational	Certificate III + IV
Year 12	Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12	Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated 12 September 2026 at 7:47 pm AWST
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24): $52,780
Median salary / wages (2023–24): $54,487
Residents with rental investments: 11.0%
Median super balance (2023–24): $13,028
Residents with business income: 5.0%

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6161 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison

Taxpayers in this postcode: 186
Taxpayers reporting net rent: 21
Median net rent: $952
Taxpayers reporting business income: 9
Taxable income vs state median: -13%
Salary / wages vs state median: -13%
Rental investment vs state median: -8%
Super vs state median: -80%
Business income vs state median: -37%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in WA, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated 15 September 2026 at 12:53 pm AWST · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

21.1% speak a language other than English at home; 46.8% born overseas

Language at home: 112 English only · 30 other
Non-English at home: 21.1%
Born overseas: 66 (46.8%)
Australian citizens: 103
Languages spoken at home (other than English): 4

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

Spanish7 · 41.2%
Mandarin4 · 23.5%
Hindi3 · 17.6%
Nepali3 · 17.6%

Religion

43.4%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 43.4%, while Christianity accounts for 34.9%.

Measure	Suburb	State
No religion	43.4%	42.5%
Christianity	34.9%	41.1%
Other / not stated	21.7%	16.4%

Christian denominations

Denomination	Suburb	State
Catholic	21.7%	18.7%
Anglican	7.8%	10.1%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated 13 September 2026 at 11:43 am AWST
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Figures are for the Fremantle Police District, not this suburb alone.

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates

Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026): 13,209
Against the person: 3,166
Against property: 8,312
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised): 55.3
State crime-rate percentile: 62.2th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year): -30.9%

Most common offence types

Assault (Family)
Drug Offences
Fraud & Related Offences
Property Damage
Stealing

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

WA Police district crime statistics — Western Australia Police Force · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated 1 October 2026 at 12:07 am AWST · Quarterly timeseries XLSX; district-level aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

116 mapped amenities

1 cafes · 54 beaches · 1 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

Limited walkable amenities nearby
Great for outdoor family life — 2 parks mapped in suburb

Walkability proxy: 4/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents: 6.02
Food & drink per 1,000 residents: 6.02
Parks per 1,000 residents: 12.05

Food & drink(1)

Kalli'sCafe

Sport & outdoors(80)

Beach (39)
Catherine BeachBeach
City of York BayBeach
East Lady Edeline BeachBeach
East Mabel CoveBeach
Fairbridge BluffBeach
North Mabel CoveBeach
North Point WestBeach
Paterson BeachBeach
Pinky BeachBeach
Pinky's Beach ClubBeach
Ricey BeachBeach
Rocky BayBeach
Stark BayBeach
The BasinBeach
West Mabel CoveBeach
Colebatch AvenueCycling route
Forrest AvenueCycling route
KingswayCycling route
Ngank Yira BidiCycling route
Pinjar BidiCycling route
Rottnest Island State ReserveNature reserve
Snorkelling - Geordie Bay LagoonNature reserve
Snorkelling - Little Parakeet BayNature reserve
Snorkelling - Offshore BommiesNature reserve
Snorkelling - The GrottosNature reserve
Public toilets
2022 Walking Trail Route 1Walking trail
2022 Walking Trail Route 2Walking trail
2022 Walking Trail Route 3Walking trail
2022 Walking Trail Route 4Walking trail
2022 Walking Trail Route 5Walking trail
2022 Walking Trail Route 7Walking trail
2022 Walking Trail Route 8Walking trail
2022 Walking Trail Toute 6Walking trail
Bickley Bay Walk TrailWalking trail
Clean Up Route 6 - Little Armstrong Bay to Geordie BayWalking trail
Gabbi Karniny Bidi (The Lakes)Walking trail
Karlinyah Bidi (Northern Beaches)Walking trail
Ngank Wen BidiWalking trail
Ngank Yira Bidi (Bickley Bay)Walking trail
Wardan Nara Bidi (Salmon Bay)Walking trail

Camping & holiday parks(1)

Campground

Entertainment(5)

Viewpoint (5)

Transport(2)

1 bus stops · 1 train stations

Other(18)

H2 Spur LineAttraction
Bench (6)
Bicycle Parking (3)
Washdown PadCar wash
BorefieldsInformation
Information (2)
Oliver Hill Battery - The Fence of DefenceInformation
Oliver Hill Battery WorkshopsInformation
The VistaInformation
Waste ManagementInformation
WRANS HouseInformation
Parking
Picnic Table (2)
Bus & Information ShelterShelter
LPG Filling StationShelter
Shelter
Waste Transfer Station
Water Point

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated 5 September 2026 at 5:20 pm AWST
OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated 5 September 2026 at 1:55 pm AWST

Sporting clubs

2 named sporting clubs in this suburb

Cricket Club
Cricket
Rottnest Island Country Club
Golf

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated 3 September 2026 at 3:23 pm AWST · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

Snorkelling - Geordie Bay LagoonNature reserve
Snorkelling - The GrottosNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated 1 July 2026 at 4:53 pm AWST

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area: 8.5%
Woodland / forest cover: 8.5%
Parks & woodland features (OSM): 70
Parks (OSM): 2
Typical summer maximum: 29°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated 7 September 2026 at 3:59 pm AWST · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital: Clear Orthodontic Studio (23.1 km)
Nearest hospital type: Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency: Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb: 0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

Hospitals, GPs and aged care — OpenStreetMap + AIHW GEN aged care service list · current · Updated 7 September 2026 at 3:57 pm AWST

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026): 3
Participants per 1,000 residents: 14.9

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated 20 July 2026 at 9:29 am AWST · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min: 29° / 16°
Rainfall: 51 mm · ~6 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min: 24° / 13°
Rainfall: 198 mm · ~25 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min: 17° / 8°
Rainfall: 552 mm · ~69 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min: 21° / 10°
Rainfall: 212 mm · ~26 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated 4 July 2026 at 6:57 pm AWST

Future & Planning

Heritage

11 heritage places

Battery Observation Post & Timber Signal StationN of main lighthouse, Rottnest Island9146
WRANS House, Wadjemup/ Rottnest IslandRottnest Island (Wadjemup)27033
Bathurst Lighthouse & QuartersBathurst Pnt, Rottnest Island517
Forge and Grain Crushing Mill (fmr)Kitson Av, Rottnest Island524
Kingstown BarracksPhillip Pnt & Bickley Pnt, Rottnest Island525
Old ChapelKitson St, Rottnest Island523
Pilots House (Cottages K1 and K2)Vincent Way, Rottnest Island531
Rottnest Island HotelForrest Av, Rottnest Island522
Rottnest Island Light StationWadjemup Rd, Rottnest Island3254
Thomson Bay Settlement, Wadjemup/ Rottnest IslandThomson Bay, Rottnest Island516

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated 1 July 2026 at 4:53 pm AWST

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone: Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay: No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via WA bush fire prone area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain mapping against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated 7 September 2026 at 3:56 pm AWST

Politics & representation

Federal electorate: Fremantle
Member of Parliament: Josh WILSON (Australian Labor Party)
Results from: 2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025): 118,331
Turnout (2025): 89.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025): +1.8 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 31.3%Labor 68.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 24.9 km away).

Coalition 26.9%Labor 73.1%

4.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

North FremantleLabor 65.0% · Coalition 35.0% TPP (2025)22.5 km away
Fremantle SouthLabor 79.6% · Coalition 20.4% TPP (2025)22.7 km away
Fremantle EastLabor 75.9% · Coalition 24.1% TPP (2025)23.0 km away
East Fremantle NorthLabor 60.5% · Coalition 39.5% TPP (2025)23.8 km away
White Gum ValleyLabor 81.7% · Coalition 18.3% TPP (2025)23.8 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated 11 July 2026 at 3:59 pm AWST · 2025 election with by-election overlays

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021): 8/10
IRSD decile (2021): 5/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated 1 July 2026 at 4:27 pm AWST

More in Cockburn Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Western Australia.

Last updated 1 October 2026 at 12:07 am AWST