WA · Swan Council

Upper Swan, 6069

Est. population · Jun 2025

609

Growth (1 yr)

+5.9%

Growth (5 yr)

+28.8%

Median age

52

Median income

$1,482/wk

Employment rate

54.7%

Languages at home

2.8%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

39.3/100
Below average

357th in WA

Verified 74% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Excellent transport
  • Education hub
  • Heritage area
  • High desirability
What Upper Swan is known for: Green suburb, Excellent transport, Education hub, Heritage area, High desirability

Suburb profile

Upper Swan is a quieter residential smaller community in Swan Council, more about homes and street life than a busy local strip. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday cafés are limited locally, with the wider metro area covering the bigger food and entertainment trips.

Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Strong connections via buses keep the wider area accessible. Housing is expensive relative to much of the state.

Reported crime has been falling recently. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.

Versus similar metro suburbs, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because community and employment, plus schools and education trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Upper Swan snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$720/wk

Population (ERP)

609

+5.9% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

6.8%

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

#24

among Metro Perth · Mature

Safety

39th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

98th

percentile in WA

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

50th

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
39.3/100 — Below average
National rank
3895th in Australia
State rank
357th in WA
Peer rank
#24 among Metro Perth · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#229 among Metro Perth suburbs
Data confidence
74%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
$720
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
2,882

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 lodgementsDepartment 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

609(June 2025)

+5.9% annual · +28.8% over 5 years · 98th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+5.9%
5-year growth
+28.8%
Change in 1 year
+34
Change in 5 years
+136
Growth rank in WA
98th 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 (~900), extrapolated at +7.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
549
Median age
52
Median household income / week
$1,482
Dwelling vacancy
6.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
15 of 222
Median monthly mortgage
$1,885
Employment rate
54.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
208 / 0 / 3

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian 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)
5,473
Against the person
1,561
Against property
2,893
Rate per 1,000 residents
8,986.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 1 residents
State safety percentile
39.4th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-58.8%

Most common offence types

  • Assault (Family)723
  • Breach Of Violence Restraint Order515
  • Drug Offences504
  • Property Damage635
  • Stealing1274

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • WA Police district crime statisticsWestern 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
1
Median school ICSEA
1,008
Median ICSEA percentile
50th
School list
  • Upper Swan Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1008 · 50th percentile · LBOTE 19% · 398 students · Top SEA quarter 9%View on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

22 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Great Northern Hwy After Cathedral Av
  • Great Northern Hwy After Copley Rd
  • Great Northern Hwy After Nolan Av
  • Great Northern Hwy Before Copley Rd
  • Great Northern Hwy Before Station St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

4 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily errands
  • Great for outdoor family life6 parks mapped in suburb
  • Well connected by public transport22 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
10.93
Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Swimming pool
Transport(3)

3 bus stops

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
48
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

Health access

Nearest hospital
RAAF Pearce Medical (10.9 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
15
Participants per 1,000 residents
24.6

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 (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • Belvoir Homestead Group1177 Great Northern Hwy, Middle Swan2531

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage registerState heritage authority · current · Updated

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 overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Hasluck
Member of Parliament
Tania LAWRENCE (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
113,257
Turnout (2025)
87.9%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+5.9 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 34.0%Labor 66.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 7.1 km away).

Coalition 42.9%Labor 57.1%

8.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +4.7 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Upper SwanLabor 47.4% · Coalition 52.6% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • Ellenbrook EastLabor 63.9% · Coalition 36.1% TPP (2025)3.9 km away
  • Aveley EastLabor 68.8% · Coalition 31.2% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
  • Ellenbrook NorthLabor 67.6% · Coalition 32.4% TPP (2025)5.9 km away
  • AveleyLabor 60.6% · Coalition 39.4% TPP (2025)6.0 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)
5/10
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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

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

More in Swan Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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