Fremantle, WA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Fremantle is a port city at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia, about 19 km south-west of central Perth. Known for one of the best-preserved collections of Victorian and Edwardian streetscapes in the country, it includes the World Heritage–listed Fremantle Prison and a working commercial harbour. The settlement was founded in 1829 and proclaimed a city in 1929, served as an Allied submarine base during the Second World War, and hosted the 1987 defence of the America's Cup. To the Whadjuk Noongar people, the Traditional Custodians, the area is known as Walyalup.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Fremantle is more socio-economically advantaged than about 86% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1059, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Fremantle at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 9,251
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $1,822
- SEIFA score
- 1059
- Coordinates
- -32.0526, 115.7608
Fremantle demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Fremantle using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 32%, 42% of homes are rented, and 33% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 986 | 11% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,000 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 2,983 | 32% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,571 | 28% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,705 | 18% |
Share of the 9,245 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,153 | 28% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,111 | 27% |
| Rented | 1,689 | 42% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,622 | 40% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,306 | 32% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,116 | 27% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,066 occupied private dwellings in Fremantle.
- Median weekly rent
- $380
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,713
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,021
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,803 (33%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,124 (13%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 156 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 5,662 (70%)
- Labour-force participation
- 64.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
- Employed full-time
- 2,950
- Employed part-time
- 1,834
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Fremantle
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Fremantle is February (average daytime high around 29.9°C) and the coolest is August (around 17.6°C). The area receives roughly 624 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.8°C | 18.9°C | 23 mm |
| Feb | 29.9°C | 19°C | 20 mm |
| Mar | 28.2°C | 18.1°C | 40 mm |
| Apr | 24.2°C | 14.9°C | 42 mm |
| May | 20.7°C | 12°C | 78 mm |
| Jun | 18.2°C | 10.5°C | 99 mm |
| Jul | 17.2°C | 10.4°C | 112 mm |
| Aug | 17.6°C | 9.7°C | 97 mm |
| Sep | 19.1°C | 10.7°C | 47 mm |
| Oct | 21.6°C | 12.5°C | 37 mm |
| Nov | 25°C | 14.9°C | 21 mm |
| Dec | 28.1°C | 17.4°C | 8 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Fremantle
Where is Fremantle?
Fremantle is a suburb of Western Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Fremantle?
At the 2021 Census, Fremantle had a population of about 9,251.
Is Fremantle an advantaged area?
Fremantle has an ABS SEIFA score of 1059, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 86 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 86% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Fremantle?
Fremantle has average daytime highs of about 23.3°C and overnight lows of about 14.1°C, with roughly 624 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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