Median house price
—
No data available
WA · Rockingham Council
Shoalwater, 6169
Est. population · Jun 2025
4,790
Growth (1 yr)
+0.8%
Growth (5 yr)
+8.1%
Median age
49
Median income
$1,225/wk
Employment rate
48%
Languages at home
7.6%non-English
Most common: German, Serbian, Tagalog
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Excellent transport
- Green suburb
- Education hub
- Cycling
Suburb profile
Life in Shoalwater revolves around the coast, with the feel of a mid-sized suburb that never strays far from the water. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. The suburb has a clear multicultural mix alongside longer-term local households.
Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas. Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs.
Reported crime has been falling recently. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Desirability lands around average here: softer local dining and lifestyle amenities weighing on the result versus similar coastal suburbs, even with schools and education holding up better.
At a glance
Shoalwater snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$590/wk
Population (ERP)
4,790
+0.8% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
17.9%
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
#15
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Safety
20th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
42nd
percentile in WA
Advantage (IRSAD)
3/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
44th
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
- 45.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 38% of Western Australia's suburbs
- National rank
- 2767th in Australia
- State rank
- 259th in WA
- Peer rank
- #15 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #39 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 80%
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)
- $590
- Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
- 3,162
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 (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
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
4,790(June 2025)
+0.8% annual · +8.1% over 5 years · 42th percentile in WA
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.8%
- 5-year growth
- +8.1%
- Change in 1 year
- +40
- Change in 5 years
- +359
- Growth rank in WA
- 42th 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 (~5,000), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 4,368
- Median age
- 49
- Median household income / week
- $1,225
- Dwelling vacancy
- 17.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 401 of 2,236
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,668
- Employment rate
- 48%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,406 / 122 / 298
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs 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
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
- 15,958
- Against the person
- 4,478
- Against property
- 8,154
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 3,331.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 1 residents
- State safety percentile
- 19.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -14.3%
Most common offence types
- Assault (Family)1887
- Breach Of Violence Restraint Order1527
- Drug Offences1799
- Property Damage1506
- Stealing4067
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- WA Police district crime statistics — Western Australia Police Force · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Quarterly timeseries XLSX; district-level aggregates
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 993
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 44th
School list
- Safety Bay Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1000 · 47th percentile · LBOTE 18% · 592 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
- Rockingham Beach Education Support CentreSpecial · Government · ICSEA 993 · 43th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 67 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
- Rockingham Beach Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 993 · 44th percentile · LBOTE 17% · 406 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- childcarechildcare
- childcarechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
28 public transport stops in this suburb
- Safety Bay Rd After Boundary Rd
- Safety Bay Rd After East Rd
- Safety Bay Rd After Otway Pl
- Safety Bay Rd After Richmond Av
- Safety Bay Rd After Shoalwater Rd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Amenities
88 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 2 playgrounds · 30 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Decent local green space — 6 parks in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 28 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 33 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 57/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.23
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.23
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.37
Food & drink(1)
- Pengo'sCafe
Shopping(1)
- Shoalwater IGASupermarket
Sport & outdoors(33)
- Playground (2)
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (30)
Transport(23)
23 bus stops
Other(8)
- Bbq (3)
- Bench (12)
- Bicycle Parking (4)
- Fountain (2)
- Public toilets
- Shelter
- Shower (4)
- Water Point (3)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Apex ReservePark
- Lions ParkPark
- Oceanrunner ReservePark
- Picnic AreaPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 6
- Parks (OSM)
- 6
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Waikiki Private Hospital (5.4 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 121
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 25.3
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 · 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 (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via WA bush fire prone area mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Brand
- Member of Parliament
- Madeleine KING (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 112,457
- Turnout (2025)
- 86.3%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -0.1 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 33.1%Labor 66.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.5 km away).
Coalition 34.4%Labor 65.7%
1.3 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -1.0 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- Safety BayLabor 65.6% · Coalition 34.4% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
- Rockingham NorthLabor 62.6% · Coalition 37.4% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
- Rockingham CentralLabor 70.1% · Coalition 29.9% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
- RockinghamLabor 67.6% · Coalition 32.4% TPP (2025)2.6 km away
- Safety Bay CentralLabor 61.4% · Coalition 38.6% TPP (2025)2.7 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 · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Rockingham Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Western Australia.