Family-friendly ranking · WA

The for families suburbs in Western Australia.

Suburbs ranked by average school ICSEA score and family-household percentage. Filtered to Western Australia suburbs only.

About this ranking

Family-friendly suburbs balance four things: schools you'd actually send your kids to, parks and bike paths that get used, walkable neighbourhood retail, and a price point that doesn't lock you out of upgrading rooms when the family grows. We rank by the strongest measurable proxy (school ICSEA) and weight by the share of households that are families with dependents.

Western Australia property market in 2026

Western Australia has been the most explosive market of the last four years, with Perth median house prices roughly doubling between 2020 and 2025. The combination of mining-sector wages, internal migration, and historically tight supply created a genuine boom. As 2026 unfolds, the pace is moderating but not reversing, rental vacancies remain near 1%, and supply additions are well below population-driven demand. Regional WA (Geraldton, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie) has tracked Perth with a lag.

Buyer tip, WA

WA has the Keystart shared-equity loan scheme, which is uniquely generous: lower deposit thresholds, no LMI, and access for buyers earning up to $135K (couples). Worth checking eligibility before defaulting to a standard lender pre-approval.

Watch out, WA

Perth's commodity-cycle exposure means downturns can be sharper than east-coast markets. Build a buffer for the next mining-sector slowdown, don't borrow at maximum capacity assuming current Perth prices represent a permanent floor.

Methodology

Suburbs are scored on average ICSEA across primary and secondary schools (sourced from ACARA), filtered to suburbs where families with dependents make up at least 40% of households (ABS Census 2021). Population-weighted to avoid outliers from very small localities.

Best for

First home buyers planning to start a family in the next 5 years; existing families upsizing into a longer-term home; relocating families researching new areas.

By stateAll Australia NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS NT ACT

Showing top 50 suburbs in Western Australia

#	Suburb	State	Avg ICSEA	Family HH %	Profile
1	Claremont 6010	WA	1,177	61%	View profile →
2	Nedlands 6009	WA	1,177	73%	View profile →
3	Subiaco 6008	WA	1,176	57%	View profile →
4	Mount Claremont 6010	WA	1,163	74%	View profile →
5	City Beach 6015	WA	1,159	80%	View profile →
6	Wembley Downs 6019	WA	1,148	78%	View profile →
7	Mount Pleasant 6153	WA	1,146	74%	View profile →
8	Shelley 6148	WA	1,136	79%	View profile →
9	Ardross 6153	WA	1,135	77%	View profile →
10	Mount Lawley 6050	WA	1,134	60%	View profile →
11	North Perth 6006	WA	1,134	62%	View profile →
12	Gwelup 6018	WA	1,126	79%	View profile →
13	Joondanna 6060	WA	1,123	56%	View profile →
14	South Perth 6151	WA	1,122	58%	View profile →
15	Woodlands 6018	WA	1,122	71%	View profile →
16	Brentwood 6153	WA	1,116	65%	View profile →
17	Burswood 6100	WA	1,115	59%	View profile →
18	East Perth 6004	WA	1,113	51%	View profile →
19	Karrinyup 6018	WA	1,112	77%	View profile →
20	Salter Point 6152	WA	1,110	77%	View profile →
21	Duncraig 6023	WA	1,110	82%	View profile →
22	Riverton 6148	WA	1,103	78%	View profile →
23	Victoria Park 6100	WA	1,103	55%	View profile →
24	Scarborough 6019	WA	1,102	58%	View profile →
25	Darlington 6070	WA	1,100	82%	View profile →
26	Melville 6156	WA	1,095	73%	View profile →
27	Mount Hawthorn 6016	WA	1,095	75%	View profile →
28	Leeming 6149	WA	1,091	84%	View profile →
29	Canning Vale 6155	WA	1,081	86%	View profile →
30	Mullaloo 6027	WA	1,074	84%	View profile →
31	Wattle Grove 6107	WA	1,073	87%	View profile →
32	Yokine 6060	WA	1,073	60%	View profile →
33	Gooseberry Hill 6076	WA	1,072	81%	View profile →
34	Bennett Springs 6063	WA	1,072	85%	View profile →
35	Leederville 6007	WA	1,071	56%	View profile →
36	Ocean Reef 6027	WA	1,065	86%	View profile →
37	Edgewater 6027	WA	1,060	77%	View profile →
38	Hamersley 6022	WA	1,059	77%	View profile →
39	Southern River 6110	WA	1,059	87%	View profile →
40	Osborne Park 6017	WA	1,057	51%	View profile →
41	Babakin 6428	WA	1,054	69%	View profile →
42	East Victoria Park 6101	WA	1,053	64%	View profile →
43	Cowaramup 6284	WA	1,053	81%	View profile →
44	Yallingup 6282	WA	1,052	79%	View profile →
45	Dayton 6055	WA	1,048	81%	View profile →
46	Wandi 6167	WA	1,047	84%	View profile →
47	Denmark 6333	WA	1,046	58%	View profile →
48	Bassendean 6054	WA	1,043	65%	View profile →
49	Padbury 6025	WA	1,042	77%	View profile →
50	Hocking 6065	WA	1,042	82%	View profile →

#1Claremont

WA 6010

Avg ICSEA

1,177

Family HH %

61%

View profile →

#2Nedlands

WA 6009

Avg ICSEA

1,177

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#3Subiaco

WA 6008

Avg ICSEA

1,176

Family HH %

57%

View profile →

#4Mount Claremont

WA 6010

Avg ICSEA

1,163

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#5City Beach

WA 6015

Avg ICSEA

1,159

Family HH %

80%

View profile →

#6Wembley Downs

WA 6019

Avg ICSEA

1,148

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#7Mount Pleasant

WA 6153

Avg ICSEA

1,146

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#8Shelley

WA 6148

Avg ICSEA

1,136

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#9Ardross

WA 6153

Avg ICSEA

1,135

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#10Mount Lawley

WA 6050

Avg ICSEA

1,134

Family HH %

60%

View profile →

#11North Perth

WA 6006

Avg ICSEA

1,134

Family HH %

62%

View profile →

#12Gwelup

WA 6018

Avg ICSEA

1,126

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#13Joondanna

WA 6060

Avg ICSEA

1,123

Family HH %

56%

View profile →

#14South Perth

WA 6151

Avg ICSEA

1,122

Family HH %

58%

View profile →

#15Woodlands

WA 6018

Avg ICSEA

1,122

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#16Brentwood

WA 6153

Avg ICSEA

1,116

Family HH %

65%

View profile →

#17Burswood

WA 6100

Avg ICSEA

1,115

Family HH %

59%

View profile →

#18East Perth

WA 6004

Avg ICSEA

1,113

Family HH %

51%

View profile →

#19Karrinyup

WA 6018

Avg ICSEA

1,112

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#20Salter Point

WA 6152

Avg ICSEA

1,110

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#21Duncraig

WA 6023

Avg ICSEA

1,110

Family HH %

82%

View profile →

#22Riverton

WA 6148

Avg ICSEA

1,103

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#23Victoria Park

WA 6100

Avg ICSEA

1,103

Family HH %

55%

View profile →

#24Scarborough

WA 6019

Avg ICSEA

1,102

Family HH %

58%

View profile →

#25Darlington

WA 6070

Avg ICSEA

1,100

Family HH %

82%

View profile →

#26Melville

WA 6156

Avg ICSEA

1,095

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#27Mount Hawthorn

WA 6016

Avg ICSEA

1,095

Family HH %

75%

View profile →

#28Leeming

WA 6149

Avg ICSEA

1,091

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#29Canning Vale

WA 6155

Avg ICSEA

1,081

Family HH %

86%

View profile →

#30Mullaloo

WA 6027

Avg ICSEA

1,074

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#31Wattle Grove

WA 6107

Avg ICSEA

1,073

Family HH %

87%

View profile →

#32Yokine

WA 6060

Avg ICSEA

1,073

Family HH %

60%

View profile →

#33Gooseberry Hill

WA 6076

Avg ICSEA

1,072

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#34Bennett Springs

WA 6063

Avg ICSEA

1,072

Family HH %

85%

View profile →

#35Leederville

WA 6007

Avg ICSEA

1,071

Family HH %

56%

View profile →

#36Ocean Reef

WA 6027

Avg ICSEA

1,065

Family HH %

86%

View profile →

#37Edgewater

WA 6027

Avg ICSEA

1,060

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#38Hamersley

WA 6022

Avg ICSEA

1,059

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#39Southern River

WA 6110

Avg ICSEA

1,059

Family HH %

87%

View profile →

#40Osborne Park

WA 6017

Avg ICSEA

1,057

Family HH %

51%

View profile →

#41Babakin

WA 6428

Avg ICSEA

1,054

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#42East Victoria Park

WA 6101

Avg ICSEA

1,053

Family HH %

64%

View profile →

#43Cowaramup

WA 6284

Avg ICSEA

1,053

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#44Yallingup

WA 6282

Avg ICSEA

1,052

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#45Dayton

WA 6055

Avg ICSEA

1,048

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#46Wandi

WA 6167

Avg ICSEA

1,047

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#47Denmark

WA 6333

Avg ICSEA

1,046

Family HH %

58%

View profile →

#48Bassendean

WA 6054

Avg ICSEA

1,043

Family HH %

65%

View profile →

#49Padbury

WA 6025

Avg ICSEA

1,042

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#50Hocking

WA 6065

Avg ICSEA

1,042

Family HH %

82%

View profile →

Common questions

About this ranking.

What is ICSEA and why does it matter?

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is ACARA's measure of the educational backgrounds of students at a school, used as a proxy for school resourcing and outcomes. Higher ICSEA generally correlates with stronger NAPLAN performance and higher senior-year retention. We use it because it's published consistently across all Australian schools, but it's not a direct quality measure, so always verify with site visits and NAPLAN data.

Why don't you rank by NAPLAN scores directly?

NAPLAN scores are published by My School (ACARA) but reproducing them in rankings is restricted. ICSEA is the next-best public proxy and correlates strongly with NAPLAN outcomes for like-for-like school cohorts.

How do school catchments affect this ranking?

We rank suburbs by the average ICSEA of schools located in or directly serving the suburb. Catchment boundaries cut through suburbs, so two houses on the same street can fall into different catchments. Always verify the in-catchment school for the specific address before making an offer.

Other rankings

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