suburb.guide

WA · Canning Council

Shelley, 6148

Est. population · Jun 2025

5,245

Growth (1 yr)

+1.9%

Growth (5 yr)

+9.3%

Median age

42

Median income

$2,186/wk

Employment rate

60%

University qualified

42.4%

Work from home

8.9%

Languages at home

34.7%non-English

Most common: Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

45.2/100
Average

Top 36% of Western Australia's suburbs

Verified 93% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • Multicultural
  • Inner city
What Shelley is known for: Beach, Multicultural, Inner city

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Shelley, WA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Shelley, WA Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/wa/shelley-wa

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Suburb profile

Shelley is an inner metropolitan suburb of Perth, in Canning Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.

Open-space access is better than in most comparable places, with park access 72% above the peer median. Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median, well above typical levels for inner metropolitan suburbs. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high, and crime in the wider Cannington Police District remains above typical levels but is improving. Reported offences have fallen 30% year on year. Trade-offs centre on thinner dining and café options and higher rents, with dining and cafés 80% below the peer median.

Shelley is a better fit for people who value open space and socio-economic advantage more than lower rents.

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

Inner metropolitan suburb · compared with inner metropolitan suburbs in Western Australia (67)

Strengths

  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median

Weaknesses

  • Dining and café options are thinner than in comparable places
  • Median rents are a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Shelley Beach
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high
  • Crime in the wider Cannington Police District remains above typical levels but is improving

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Shelley compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$750/wk

Population (ERP)

5,245

+1.9% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

6.6%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#45

among Metro Perth · Emerging

Pop. growth

69th

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

25%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

10/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

86th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
45.2/100 — Average
State standing
Top 36% of Western Australia's suburbs
National rank
3077th in Australia
State rank
250th in WA
Peer rank
#45 among Metro Perth · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#168 among Metro Perth suburbs
Data confidence
93%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
$750
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
1,407

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 · Monthly bond summaries

Population

Estimated resident population

5,245(June 2025)

+1.9% annual · +9.3% over 5 years · 69th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.9%
5-year growth
+9.3%
Change in 1 year
+98
Change in 5 years
+446
Growth rank in WA
69th 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 (~5,500), extrapolated at +1.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
4,795
Median age
42
Median household income / week
$2,186
Dwelling vacancy
6.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
119 of 1,816
Median monthly mortgage
$2,275
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$380
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
41.7% / 33.5% / 24.9%
Employment rate
60%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
8.9% / 4.3% / 70%
Walked or cycled to work
1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,332 / 360 / 4

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

    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 · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

42.4% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 10.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified42.4% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified9.9% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational10.9% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below36.7% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Management and commerce24.6%
  • Engineering and related technologies18.5%
  • Health13.8%
  • Society and culture11.1%
  • Education10.1%
  • Natural and physical sciences6.7%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 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

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$58,809

42nd percentile in WA · 0% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$66,234

59th percentile in WA · +2% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
18.0%

93rd percentile in WA · +30% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$76,954

70th percentile in WA · +22% vs Australia

Residents with business income
11.0%

84th percentile in WA · +6% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6148 — 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
13,109
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,312
Median net rent
-$280
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,386
Taxable income vs state median
-3%
Salary / wages vs state median
+6%
Rental investment vs state median
+50%
Super vs state median
+21%
Business income vs state median
+38%

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 · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

34.7% speak a language other than English at home; 48.5% born overseas

Language at home
3,055 English only · 1,626 other
Non-English at home
34.7%
Born overseas
2,279 (48.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
18 (0.4%)
Australian citizens
3,968
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
31

Top languages other than English

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

  • Mandarin162 · 25.3%
  • Cantonese58 · 9%
  • Tamil47 · 7.3%
  • Sinhalese39 · 6.1%
  • Malayalam35 · 5.5%
  • Arabic34 · 5.3%
  • Korean33 · 5.1%
  • Hindi27 · 4.2%

Religion

42.3%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 42.3%, while 34.9% reported no religion. Hinduism is more prevalent locally than across the state. Buddhism is more prevalent locally than across the state.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion34.9%42.5%
Christianity42.3%41.1%
Hinduism6.3%2%
Islam4.4%2.5%
Buddhism6.4%2.2%
Other / not stated5.7%9.8%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic17.9%18.7%
Anglican8.8%10.1%
Christian (not further defined)4%3.4%
Baptist2.4%1.6%
Uniting Church2.2%1.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed2%1.3%

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

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Figures are for the Cannington 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)
14,034
Against the person
3,038
Against property
8,831
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
75.2
State crime-rate percentile
71.5th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-34.2%

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 · Quarterly timeseries XLSX; district-level aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
6
Median school ICSEA (6 schools)
1,105
Median ICSEA percentile
86th
School list
  • Shelley Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1136 · 92th percentile · LBOTE 65% · 439 students · Top SEA quarter 56% · 0.2 km awayView on My School →
  • Queen of Apostles SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1115 · 88th percentile · LBOTE 37% · 208 students · Top SEA quarter 47% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
  • Riverton Education Support CentreSpecial · Government · ICSEA 1068 · 75th percentile · LBOTE 78% · 44 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
  • Riverton Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1127 · 91th percentile · LBOTE 82% · 650 students · Top SEA quarter 51% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
  • Orana Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1095 · 83th percentile · LBOTE 37% · 380 students · Top SEA quarter 37% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Clontarf Aboriginal CollegeSpecial · Catholic · ICSEA 712 · 1th percentile · LBOTE 25% · 135 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Shelley Playgroupkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Childcare centres per 1,000 residents

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Public transport

22 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Corinthian Rd After Sixth Av
  • Corinthian Rd Before Beatrice Av
  • Corinthian Rd Before Sixth Av
  • Leach Hwy After Barbican St
  • Leach Hwy After Tudor Av

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

126 mapped amenities

2 pharmacies · 1 fast food · 2 places of worship · 2 playgrounds · 1 dog parks · 3 beaches

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Great for outdoor family life — 14 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 22 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
47/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.21
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.92
Food & drink(1)
  • Penang HawkerFast food

    Unit 1 114 Barbican Street East

Shopping(2)

No named venues listed.

Community(2)
  • Shelley PlaygroupKindergarten
  • Shelley Primary SchoolSchool

    Monota Avenue, Shelley

Health & services(5)
  • Ace PodiatryMedical clinic
  • Clinipath PathologyMedical clinic
  • Shelleyhub Family PracticeMedical clinic
  • Riverton Bridge PharmacyPharmacy
  • Wizard PharmacyPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(47)
  • BBQ (4)
  • Beach (2)
  • Shelley BeachBeach
  • Canning Route 2: Carousel to SouthlandsCycling route
  • Centenary Avenue Shared PathCycling route
  • Ride around the Rivers Ride 10 - Mount Henry Bridge to Riverton BridgeCycling route
  • Ride around the Rivers Ride 11 - Riverton Bridge to Woodloe's HomesteadCycling route
  • Riverton Drive East RSPCycling route
  • Riverton Drive North RSPCycling route
  • Riverton Drive RSPCycling route
  • Riverton Drive West RSPCycling route
  • Route 3: Cannington-RossmoyneCycling route
  • SE 26Cycling route
  • Park Beach Close Dog ParkDog park
  • Drinking water (8)
  • Aldam ParkPark
  • Park (6)
  • Riverton Bridge ParkPark
  • Rob Bruce ParkPark
  • Shelley Foreshore ReservePark
  • Shelley ParkPark
  • Verton ParkPark
  • Vesta ParkPark
  • Zenith ParkPark
  • Zenith Point West ParkPark
  • Picnic area
  • Playground (2)
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
  • Lagoon to Living Streams Walk TrailWalking trail
Transport(20)

20 bus stops

Other(12)
  • Bench (2)
  • City of CanningBench
  • Bicycle Parking (5)
  • Outdoor Seating (28)
  • Parking (7)
  • Picnic Table
  • Riverton Baptist Community ChurchPlace of worship
  • Saint Andrew's ChurchPlace of worship

    37 Bernier Road

  • Post Box
  • Shelter (2)
  • City of CanningWaste Basket
  • Waste Basket

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
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Sporting clubs

2 named sporting clubs in this suburb

  • Corinthian Park Tennis Club

    Tennis

  • Shelley Sailing Club

    Sailing

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 · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

9 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Aldam ParkPark
  • Riverton Bridge ParkPark
  • Rob Bruce ParkPark
  • Shelley Foreshore ReservePark
  • Shelley ParkPark
  • Verton ParkPark
  • Vesta ParkPark
  • Zenith ParkPark
  • Zenith Point West ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
7.1%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
14
Parks (OSM)
14
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 · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Places of worship

2 places of worship within ~1.5 km

  • Riverton Baptist Community Church
  • Saint Andrew's Church

    37 Bernier Road

From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
4
Nearest hospital
Bentley Health Service (4.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
3
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 3
Aged-care services
1
Residential aged-care places
57

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

  • Ace PodiatryGP
  • Clinipath PathologyGP
  • Shelleyhub Family PracticeGP
  • Riverton Bridge PharmacyPharmacy
Aged-care services
  • Joseph Cooke HouseSHELLEYResidential

Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
86
Participants per 1,000 residents
16.4

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

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

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
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

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Tangney
Member of Parliament
Sam LIM (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,584
Turnout (2025)
92.7%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+4.1 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 43.0%Labor 57.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 3.4 km away).

Coalition 44.0%Labor 56.0%

1.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +4.9 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • ShelleyLabor 55.7% · Coalition 44.3% TPP (2025)0.2 km away
  • Willetton NorthLabor 58.2% · Coalition 41.8% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
  • RivertonLabor 62.6% · Coalition 37.4% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
  • RossmoyneLabor 50.7% · Coalition 49.3% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
  • WillettonLabor 64.1% · Coalition 35.9% TPP (2025)2.0 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
10/10
IRSD decile (2021)
9/10

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

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Canning Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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