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City of PerthCommunity profile

City of Perth

Dwelling type

In the City of Perth, 95.0% of the dwellings were medium or high density, compared to 24% in Greater Perth.

Dwelling Type is an important determinant of the City of Perth's residential role and function. A greater concentration of higher density dwellings is likely to attract more young adults and smaller households, often renting. Larger, detached or separate dwellings are more likely to attract families and prospective families. The residential built form often reflects market opportunities or planning policy, such as building denser forms of housing around public transport nodes or employment centres.

Dwelling Type statistics should be viewed in conjunction with Household Size, Household Types, Housing Tenure and Age Structure for a more complete picture of the housing market in the City of Perth.

If you're looking at this data to prepare a housing strategy, learn more here.

Q:

Derived from the Census:

'Dwelling Structure is derived from the ABS address register supplemented with information from Census Field Officers.'

Dwelling structure
City of Perth - Dwellings (Enumerated)20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Greater Perth %Number%Greater Perth %2016 to 2021
Separate house4612.675.63462.374.6+115
Medium density1,6759.617.61,85512.619.6-180
High density14,96985.46.112,20682.85.1+2,763
Caravans, cabin, houseboat30.00.390.10.3-6
Other3642.10.22591.80.2+105
Not stated540.30.1700.50.2-16
Total Private Dwellings17,526100.0100.014,745100.0100.0+2,781
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Dwelling type
City of Perth20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Greater Perth %Number%Greater Perth %2016 to 2021
Occupied private dwellings14,36179.491.712,45981.989.4+1,902
Unoccupied private dwellings3,62420.08.22,64917.410.5+975
Non private dwellings1060.60.11000.70.1+6
Total dwellings18,091100.0100.015,208100.0100.0+2,883
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 461 separate houses in the area, 1,675 medium density dwellings, and 14,969 high density dwellings.

Analysis of the types of dwellings in the City of Perth in 2021 shows that 2.6% of all dwellings were separate houses; 9.6% were medium density dwellings, and 85.4% were in high density dwellings, compared with 75.6%, 17.6%, and 6.1% in the Greater Perth respectively.

In 2021, a total of 79.4% of the dwellings in the City of Perth were occupied on Census night, compared to 91.7% in Greater Perth. The proportion of unoccupied dwellings was 20.0%, which is larger compared to that found in Greater Perth (8.2%).

Emerging groups

The total number of dwellings in the City of Perth increased by 2,883 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the type of dwellings found in the City of Perth between 2016 and 2021 were:

  • High density (+2,763 dwellings)
  • Medium density (-180 dwellings)
  • Separate house (+115 dwellings)
  • Other (+105 dwellings)

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