Kalamunda, WA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Kalamunda perches on the Darling Scarp in the hills east of Perth, a few hundred metres above the coastal plain. Its name comes from Noongar words recorded in the nineteenth century — cala, for home or fire, and munda, for forest — and was made official in 1901; the settlement had first been called Gooseberry Hill. Frederick and Elizabeth Stirk made the first lasting European home here in 1881, and the Zig Zag railway, cut down the scarp, opened the hills to timber and to orchards of apples and stone fruit. Now a leafy outer suburb, Kalamunda keeps its past at a village museum and marks the northern end of the long Bibbulmun walking track, with forest parks and the Zig Zag scenic drive nearby.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Kalamunda is more socio-economically advantaged than about 83% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1049, 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.
Kalamunda at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 7,163
- Median age
- 49
- Median weekly household income
- $1,622
- SEIFA score
- 1049
- Coordinates
- -31.9741, 116.0514
Kalamunda demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Kalamunda 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 seniors (65+) at 29%, 15% of homes are rented, and 33% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,160 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 717 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,279 | 18% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,973 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,046 | 29% |
Share of the 7,175 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,385 | 49% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 957 | 34% |
| Rented | 420 | 15% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,518 | 89% |
| Townhouses & semis | 261 | 9% |
| Flats & apartments | 36 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,818 occupied private dwellings in Kalamunda.
- Median weekly rent
- $360
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,100
- Average household size
- 2.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,199
- Median weekly personal income
- $773
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,282 (33%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 462 (7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 71 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,632 (63%)
- Labour-force participation
- 57.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6%
- Employed full-time
- 1,885
- Employed part-time
- 1,227
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 Kalamunda
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Kalamunda is January (average daytime high around 31.2°C) and the coolest is July (around 15.5°C). The area receives roughly 739 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.2°C | 17.4°C | 23 mm |
| Feb | 30.6°C | 17.5°C | 24 mm |
| Mar | 27.8°C | 16.5°C | 43 mm |
| Apr | 23.3°C | 13.6°C | 45 mm |
| May | 19.2°C | 10.8°C | 81 mm |
| Jun | 16.5°C | 9.2°C | 103 mm |
| Jul | 15.5°C | 8.7°C | 140 mm |
| Aug | 16.2°C | 8.3°C | 122 mm |
| Sep | 18.2°C | 9.2°C | 69 mm |
| Oct | 21.3°C | 10.9°C | 49 mm |
| Nov | 25.5°C | 13.3°C | 30 mm |
| Dec | 29.4°C | 15.8°C | 10 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Kalamunda
Where is Kalamunda?
Kalamunda is a suburb of Western Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Kalamunda?
At the 2021 Census, Kalamunda had a population of about 7,163.
Is Kalamunda an advantaged area?
Kalamunda has an ABS SEIFA score of 1049, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 83 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 83% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Kalamunda?
Kalamunda has average daytime highs of about 22.9°C and overnight lows of about 12.6°C, with roughly 739 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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