Elgin vs The Plains
In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In The Plains, most households are couple families. On these figures, Elgin tends to suit people living alone, while The Plains suits families with children and couples.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Elgin carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 26/100)
- The Plains is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 58%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
The Plains
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 36%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
The Plains
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 22%)
- has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Elgin
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 26/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
The Plains
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (23.8% vs 8.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Elgin and The Plains drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Elgin has more residents (133 vs 52); The Plains has higher household incomes ($142,948 vs $71,500).
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 133 +61% vs other | 52 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +8.1% | +23.8% |
| Median age | 46 | 48 |
| Median household income | $71,500/yr | $142,948/yr +100% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +20% vs other | $240/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.5%).
Development activity
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 226 across Capel same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +52% same for both | |
Ranking within WA
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 32% of WA | Higher than 94% of WA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of WA | Higher than 4% of WA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 46% of WA same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of WA | Higher than 59% of WA |
Liveability
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
The Plains carries more crime risk (26 vs 11).
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 40/100 | Moderate 47/100 |
| Crime | Low 11/100 | Low 26/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Perth | 198.9 km | 198.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 133 min | 134 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 6237 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 76 postcode 6237 same for both | |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.3%).
Setting
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 28 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 56 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 10.2 km | 16.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 63 premises | 0% 31 premises |
Climate
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 851 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.9°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 6.7°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,343/yr same for both | |
| Council | Capel same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Forrest same for both | |
| Member | Ben Small same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Elgin | The Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $800,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Elgin
Other comparisons with The Plains
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.