Beckenham vs Thornlie

Beckenham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 38 in Thornlie. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Thornlie, about half of households are couple families. Beckenham is closer to the city centre: 13.4 km, against 17.8 km. On these figures, Beckenham tends to suit young adults.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Thornlie

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (13 vs 5)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (91% vs 81%)
  • But Beckenham has more parks and reserves (24 vs 17)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Thornlie

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($450,000 vs $593,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Beckenham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (37% vs 22%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Beckenham

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (13.4 km vs 17.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (22 min vs 28 min)
  • But Thornlie is more walkable (76/100 vs 64/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Thornlie

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (17% vs 12%)
  • is more walkable (76/100 vs 64/100)
  • But Beckenham has more units and townhouses to downsize into (19% vs 9%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Beckenham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (20.9% vs 2.2%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.2% vs 5.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Beckenham and Thornlie drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Beckenham Thornlie
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Beckenham Thornlie
Walkability 64 / 76
Beckenham — Walkability: 64/100 Thornlie — Walkability: 76/100
Safety 27 / 28
Beckenham — Safety: 27/100 Thornlie — Safety: 28/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Beckenham — Low fire risk: 100/100 Thornlie — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 36 / 58
Beckenham — Low flood risk: 36/100 Thornlie — Low flood risk: 58/100

Demographics

Thornlie has more residents (23,665 vs 9,092); Thornlie skews older (38 vs 34).

Beckenham Thornlie
Population 9,092 23,665
+160% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.9% +2.2%
Median age 34 38
Median household income $86,684/yr
+6% vs other
 $81,692/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+3% vs other
 $330/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Beckenham Thornlie
0-4 7.5% / 6.0%
Beckenham — 0-4: 7.5% Thornlie — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 12.0% / 13.4%
Beckenham — 5-14: 12.0% Thornlie — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 4.8% / 6.1%
Beckenham — 15-19: 4.8% Thornlie — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 8.0% / 6.1%
Beckenham — 20-24: 8.0% Thornlie — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 19.2% / 12.7%
Beckenham — 25-34: 19.2% Thornlie — 25-34: 12.7%
35-44 17.2% / 14.1%
Beckenham — 35-44: 17.2% Thornlie — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 11.3% / 12.8%
Beckenham — 45-54: 11.3% Thornlie — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 8.1% / 11.9%
Beckenham — 55-64: 8.1% Thornlie — 55-64: 11.9%
65-74 7.1% / 10.4%
Beckenham — 65-74: 7.1% Thornlie — 65-74: 10.4%
75-84 3.6% / 5.2%
Beckenham — 75-84: 3.6% Thornlie — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 1.1% / 1.4%
Beckenham — 85+: 1.1% Thornlie — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Beckenham 44.4% couple families
Beckenham — Couple Families: 44.4% Beckenham — Lone Person: 31.2% Beckenham — One Parent Families: 14.8% Beckenham — Group Household: 7.0% Beckenham — Other Families: 2.5%
Thornlie 48.3% couple families
Thornlie — Couple Families: 48.3% Thornlie — Lone Person: 28.4% Thornlie — One Parent Families: 17.6% Thornlie — Group Household: 3.8% Thornlie — Other Families: 2.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Beckenham 36.7% renting
Beckenham — Owned Outright: 23.5% Beckenham — Mortgage: 39.8% Beckenham — Renting: 36.7%
Thornlie 21.8% renting
Thornlie — Owned Outright: 34.3% Thornlie — Mortgage: 43.9% Thornlie — Renting: 21.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Beckenham Thornlie
Certificate III & IV 13.6% / 14.9%
Beckenham — Certificate III & IV: 13.6% Thornlie — Certificate III & IV: 14.9%
Bachelor Degree 14.1% / 10.6%
Beckenham — Bachelor Degree: 14.1% Thornlie — Bachelor Degree: 10.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 7.7%
Beckenham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Thornlie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Postgraduate Degree 4.9% / 3.1%
Beckenham — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9% Thornlie — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.3%
Beckenham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Thornlie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Beckenham Thornlie
India 8.5% / 4.0%
Beckenham — India: 8.5% Thornlie — India: 4.0%
England 3.4% / 6.6%
Beckenham — England: 3.4% Thornlie — England: 6.6%
Philippines 5.7% / 1.9%
Beckenham — Philippines: 5.7% Thornlie — Philippines: 1.9%
Malaysia 2.6% / 3.5%
Beckenham — Malaysia: 2.6% Thornlie — Malaysia: 3.5%
China 3.1% / 2.5%
Beckenham — China: 3.1% Thornlie — China: 2.5%
New Zealand 2.2% / 3.0%
Beckenham — New Zealand: 2.2% Thornlie — New Zealand: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Beckenham 80.6% houses
Beckenham — Houses: 80.6% Beckenham — Townhouses: 13.9% Beckenham — Flats / Apartments: 5.5%
Thornlie 91.1% houses
Thornlie — Houses: 91.1% Thornlie — Townhouses: 7.6% Thornlie — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Beckenham Thornlie
Median house price $799,944 $840,000
Median unit price $525,500 $542,500
Median land price $593,000 $450,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 97 sales
 20 days
from 222 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Beckenham Thornlie
2 bed $725K / $558K
Beckenham — 2 bed: $725K (10 sales) Thornlie — 2 bed: $558K (12 sales)

10 vs 12 sales

3 bed $740K / $805K
Beckenham — 3 bed: $740K (89 sales) Thornlie — 3 bed: $805K (182 sales)

89 vs 182 sales

4 bed $835K / $885K
Beckenham — 4 bed: $835K (59 sales) Thornlie — 4 bed: $885K (185 sales)

59 vs 185 sales

5 bed $888K / $1.04M
Beckenham — 5 bed: $888K (10 sales) Thornlie — 5 bed: $1.04M (22 sales)

10 vs 22 sales

Development activity

Beckenham Thornlie
New dwellings approved 660
across Gosnells
same for both
Approvals change year on year +17%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Beckenham Thornlie
Houses 5.0%
$775/wk on $800K
 4.6%
$750/wk on $850K
Units 6.2%
$650/wk on $549K
 5.4%
$580/wk on $560K

Ranking within WA

Beckenham Thornlie
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 51% of WA Higher than 44% of WA
Schools — Higher than 58% of WA
Walkability Higher than 87% of WA Higher than 93% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 77% of WA Higher than 61% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of WA Higher than 94% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 83% of WA Higher than 65% of WA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 84% of WA Higher than 48% of WA

Liveability

Thornlie scores higher overall (54 vs 45); Thornlie is more walkable (76 vs 64).

Beckenham Thornlie
Grade C B
Score 45/100 54/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
same for both

Risk profile

Beckenham carries more flood risk (64 vs 42).

Beckenham Thornlie
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
73/100
 High
72/100
Flood Moderate
64/100
 Moderate
42/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 19
within 5 km
 11
within 5 km

Schools

Beckenham Thornlie
Inside the suburb 1 7
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 1 4
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Curtin University of Technology, 5.4 km
 1
Curtin University of Technology, 7.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.3% 2.1%

Schools in Beckenham

  • Beckenham Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Thornlie

  • South Thornlie Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Thornlie Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Australian Islamic College (Thornlie) Independent · Combined at peers
  • Forest Crescent Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Sacred Heart Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Thornlie Senior High School Government · Secondary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Beckenham Thornlie
Supermarkets 3 6
Cafes & restaurants 8 6
Parks & reserves 24 17
Childcare 5 13
GPs 5 6
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 2 3
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 8 1

Mobility

Thornlie sits further from the CBD (17.8 km vs 13.4 km).

Beckenham Thornlie
Walkability score 64/100 76/100
Distance to Perth 13.4 km 17.8 km
+33% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 22 min 28 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 200.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 537.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 6107
 0.6%
postcode 6108
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 6107
 64
postcode 6108

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Beckenham Thornlie
Car (driver) 76.3% / 79.4%
Beckenham — Car (driver): 76.3% Thornlie — Car (driver): 79.4%
Train 8.3% / 5.6%
Beckenham — Train: 8.3% Thornlie — Train: 5.6%
Car (passenger) 6.7% / 5.9%
Beckenham — Car (passenger): 6.7% Thornlie — Car (passenger): 5.9%
Worked from Home 5.1% / 5.5%
Beckenham — Worked from Home: 5.1% Thornlie — Worked from Home: 5.5%
Bus 2.7% / 2.7%
Beckenham — Bus: 2.7% Thornlie — Bus: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.4%).

Setting

Beckenham Thornlie
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.7 km
5.0 km to a named beach
 18.9 km

NBN connectivity

Beckenham Thornlie
Connectivity score 76/100 86/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 56%
4,209 premises
 49%
9,524 premises

Climate

Beckenham Thornlie
Annual rainfall 663 mm 745 mm
Summer max (Jan) 32.3°C 31.4°C
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C 7.6°C

Council rates

Beckenham Thornlie
Average residential rate $2,067/yr
same for both
Council Gosnells
same for both

Federal electorate

Beckenham Thornlie
Division Swan Burt
Member Zaneta Mascarenhas Matt Keogh
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Beckenham Thornlie
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Beckenham

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Quiet Transport Hub

Thornlie

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Beckenham

Beckenham vs Cannington Beckenham vs Wattle Grove Beckenham vs East Cannington Beckenham vs Kenwick Beckenham vs Langford Beckenham vs Ferndale

Other comparisons with Thornlie

Thornlie vs Canning Vale Thornlie vs Gosnells Thornlie vs Southern River Thornlie vs Maddington Thornlie vs Huntingdale Thornlie vs Parkwood
Full data on Beckenham Full data on Thornlie
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or