Rockingham (WA), WA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Rockingham is a coastal city on the southern edge of the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia, about 47 kilometres south of central Perth on the shores of Cockburn Sound. It lies on the Country of the Noongar people. The town takes its name from the Rockingham, a ship chartered by the settler Thomas Peel that arrived in 1830 and was later wrecked offshore, prompting nearby campers to adopt the name. Surveyed in 1847, Rockingham grew as a timber-exporting port until the opening of Fremantle's inner harbour drew trade away in the 1890s. It later reinvented itself as a seaside resort and is now a satellite city of Perth, known for its beaches, the dolphins and islands of Shoalwater Bay, and the naval base on nearby Garden Island.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Rockingham (WA) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 17% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 918, 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.
Rockingham (WA) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 15,312
- Median age
- 49
- Median weekly household income
- $1,169
- SEIFA score
- 918
- Coordinates
- -32.2799, 115.7354
Rockingham (WA) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Rockingham (WA) 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 mid-life (45–64) at 28%, 37% of homes are rented, and 37% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,949 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,584 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 3,335 | 22% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,277 | 28% |
| Seniors (65+) | 4,154 | 27% |
Share of the 15,299 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,316 | 34% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,803 | 26% |
| Rented | 2,544 | 37% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4,526 | 66% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,390 | 20% |
| Flats & apartments | 977 | 14% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 6,907 occupied private dwellings in Rockingham (WA).
- Median weekly rent
- $300
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,517
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,661
- Median weekly personal income
- $671
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 5,316 (37%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,454 (10%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 297 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 5,553 (43%)
- Labour-force participation
- 52.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 8.1%
- Employed full-time
- 3,854
- Employed part-time
- 2,076
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 Rockingham (WA)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Rockingham (WA) is February (average daytime high around 29.2°C) and the coolest is August (around 17.4°C). The area receives roughly 628 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.1°C | 18.9°C | 18 mm |
| Feb | 29.2°C | 19.2°C | 24 mm |
| Mar | 27.5°C | 18.2°C | 35 mm |
| Apr | 23.7°C | 15.3°C | 41 mm |
| May | 20.2°C | 12.6°C | 79 mm |
| Jun | 18°C | 11.4°C | 103 mm |
| Jul | 17.1°C | 11.1°C | 121 mm |
| Aug | 17.4°C | 10.4°C | 98 mm |
| Sep | 18.8°C | 11.3°C | 48 mm |
| Oct | 21.2°C | 13°C | 37 mm |
| Nov | 24.6°C | 15.2°C | 17 mm |
| Dec | 27.4°C | 17.5°C | 7 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Rockingham (WA)
Where is Rockingham (WA)?
Rockingham (WA) is a suburb of Western Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Rockingham (WA)?
At the 2021 Census, Rockingham (WA) had a population of about 15,312.
Is Rockingham (WA) an advantaged area?
Rockingham (WA) has an ABS SEIFA score of 918, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 17 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 17% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Rockingham (WA)?
Rockingham (WA) has average daytime highs of about 22.8°C and overnight lows of about 14.5°C, with roughly 628 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Rockingham (WA)?
Rockingham (WA) is one of the most populous suburbs in Western Australia — the 15th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 15,312 usual residents).
Where Rockingham (WA) ranks
Rockingham (WA) appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Western Australia#15 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Western Australia
More suburb guides in Western Australia
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.