South Perth, WA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
South Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, set across Perth Water — a wide reach of the Swan River — directly opposite the city centre, and is the seat of the City of South Perth. The area is part of the lands of the Noongar people; the river itself was named by the Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh, whose 1697 expedition noted its black swans. South Perth is prized for its long river frontage, where the Esplanade and Sir James Mitchell Park look across the water to the Perth skyline, and apartment towers cluster around Mill Point. It is also home to Perth Zoo. The suburb connects to the city by the Narrows Bridge and by ferry across the river from Mends Street Jetty.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
South Perth is more socio-economically advantaged than about 95% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1099, 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.
South Perth at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 12,596
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $2,026
- SEIFA score
- 1099
- Coordinates
- -31.9764, 115.8642
South Perth demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile South Perth 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 29%, 42% of homes are rented, and 40% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,508 | 12% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,559 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 3,627 | 29% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,267 | 26% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,634 | 21% |
Share of the 12,595 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,853 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,221 | 22% |
| Rented | 2,370 | 42% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,906 | 34% |
| Townhouses & semis | 2,055 | 37% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,655 | 29% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 5,623 occupied private dwellings in South Perth.
- Median weekly rent
- $375
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,200
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,864
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,147
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,741 (40%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,520 (21%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 118 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 8,104 (76%)
- Labour-force participation
- 65.7%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.4%
- Employed full-time
- 4,267
- Employed part-time
- 2,379
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 South Perth
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in South Perth 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 South Perth
Where is South Perth?
South Perth is a suburb of Western Australia, Australia.
What is the population of South Perth?
At the 2021 Census, South Perth had a population of about 12,596.
Is South Perth an advantaged area?
South Perth has an ABS SEIFA score of 1099, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 95 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 95% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in South Perth?
South Perth 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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