Herne Hill vs Middle Swan

Middle Swan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 46 in Herne Hill. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Herne Hill, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Herne Hill: a median of $1.65 million, against $722,000 in Middle Swan, and rent is higher there too. Middle Swan is closer to the city centre: 25.1 km, against 28.9 km. On these figures, Herne Hill tends to suit couples, while Middle Swan suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Herne Hill

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 76/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 54%)
  • But Middle Swan has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Middle Swan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($722,500 vs $1,650,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Middle Swan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $335/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Middle Swan

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (37/100 vs 25/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (25.1 km vs 28.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Herne Hill carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 76/100)
  • Middle Swan has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 2%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Herne Hill Middle Swan
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.

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Walkability 25 / 37
Herne Hill — Walkability: 25/100 Middle Swan — Walkability: 37/100
Safety 59 / 24
Herne Hill — Safety: 59/100 Middle Swan — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 25 / 100
Herne Hill — Low fire risk: 25/100 Middle Swan — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 48 / 34
Herne Hill — Low flood risk: 48/100 Middle Swan — Low flood risk: 34/100

Demographics

Middle Swan has more residents (2,852 vs 1,542); Herne Hill has higher household incomes ($87,308 vs $68,432).

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Population 1,542 2,852
+85% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.0% +0.2%
Median age 46 39
Median household income $87,308/yr
+22% vs other
 $68,432/yr
Median weekly rent $335/wk
+7% vs other
 $310/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Herne Hill Middle Swan
0-4 5.2% / 5.6%
Herne Hill — 0-4: 5.2% Middle Swan — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 11.7% / 12.6%
Herne Hill — 5-14: 11.7% Middle Swan — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 5.4% / 6.0%
Herne Hill — 15-19: 5.4% Middle Swan — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 5.1% / 6.0%
Herne Hill — 20-24: 5.1% Middle Swan — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 10.2% / 13.8%
Herne Hill — 25-34: 10.2% Middle Swan — 25-34: 13.8%
35-44 10.6% / 12.9%
Herne Hill — 35-44: 10.6% Middle Swan — 35-44: 12.9%
45-54 14.3% / 12.8%
Herne Hill — 45-54: 14.3% Middle Swan — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 14.5% / 13.4%
Herne Hill — 55-64: 14.5% Middle Swan — 55-64: 13.4%
65-74 14.6% / 9.4%
Herne Hill — 65-74: 14.6% Middle Swan — 65-74: 9.4%
75-84 7.0% / 5.4%
Herne Hill — 75-84: 7.0% Middle Swan — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.8% / 1.8%
Herne Hill — 85+: 1.8% Middle Swan — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Herne Hill 50.1% couple families
Herne Hill — Couple Families: 50.1% Herne Hill — Lone Person: 30.2% Herne Hill — One Parent Families: 15.9% Herne Hill — Group Household: 2.7% Herne Hill — Other Families: 1.1%
Middle Swan 33.2% couple families
Middle Swan — Couple Families: 33.2% Middle Swan — Lone Person: 39.2% Middle Swan — One Parent Families: 21.2% Middle Swan — Group Household: 4.7% Middle Swan — Other Families: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Herne Hill 13.6% renting
Herne Hill — Owned Outright: 46.3% Herne Hill — Mortgage: 40.1% Herne Hill — Renting: 13.6%
Middle Swan 29.6% renting
Middle Swan — Owned Outright: 30.2% Middle Swan — Mortgage: 40.2% Middle Swan — Renting: 29.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Certificate III & IV 18.7% / 17.2%
Herne Hill — Certificate III & IV: 18.7% Middle Swan — Certificate III & IV: 17.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 6.7%
Herne Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Middle Swan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 6.7%
Herne Hill — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Middle Swan — Bachelor Degree: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.3% / 2.1%
Herne Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3% Middle Swan — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 0.9%
Herne Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Middle Swan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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.

Herne Hill Middle Swan
England 6.7% / 4.3%
Herne Hill — England: 6.7% Middle Swan — England: 4.3%
New Zealand 3.0% / 3.9%
Herne Hill — New Zealand: 3.0% Middle Swan — New Zealand: 3.9%
Philippines 0.3% / 4.8%
Herne Hill — Philippines: 0.3% Middle Swan — Philippines: 4.8%
India — / 4.3%
Herne Hill — India: not among its largest Middle Swan — India: 4.3%
Italy 2.7% / 1.4%
Herne Hill — Italy: 2.7% Middle Swan — Italy: 1.4%
Vietnam 0.4% / 0.5%
Herne Hill — Vietnam: 0.4% Middle Swan — Vietnam: 0.5%
Ireland 0.5% / —
Herne Hill — Ireland: 0.5% Middle Swan — Ireland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Herne Hill 98.0% houses
Herne Hill — Houses: 98.0% Herne Hill — Townhouses: 0.7% Herne Hill — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Middle Swan 85.4% houses
Middle Swan — Houses: 85.4% Middle Swan — Townhouses: 7.7% Middle Swan — Flats / Apartments: 6.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Median house price $1,650,000 $722,500
Median unit price — $543,750
Median land price — $725,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 14 sales
 19 days
from 32 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.

Herne Hill Middle Swan
3 bed $718K / $664K
Herne Hill — 3 bed: $718K (6 sales) Middle Swan — 3 bed: $664K (46 sales)

6 vs 46 sales

4 bed $1.56M / $840K
Herne Hill — 4 bed: $1.56M (12 sales) Middle Swan — 4 bed: $840K (37 sales)

12 vs 37 sales

Development activity

Herne Hill Middle Swan
New dwellings approved 2,486
across Swan
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
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.

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Houses — 4.9%
$750/wk on $799K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Herne Hill Middle Swan
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 51% of WA Higher than 26% of WA
Schools — Higher than 18% of WA
Walkability Higher than 76% of WA Higher than 79% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 70% of WA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of WA Higher than 80% of WA
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 77% of WA

Liveability

Middle Swan is more walkable (37 vs 25); Herne Hill scores higher overall (35 vs 27).

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Grade C D
Score 35/100 27/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Herne Hill carries more bushfire risk (75 vs 0); Middle Swan carries more crime risk (76 vs 41).

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Bushfire High
75/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
41/100
 High
76/100
Flood Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
66/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 Moderate
50/100
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 11
within 5 km

Schools

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Inside the suburb 1 6
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Herne Hill

  • Herne Hill Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Middle Swan

  • La Salle College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Brigid's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Swan Christian College Independent · Secondary below peers
  • Moorditj Noongar Community College Government · Primary
  • Swan Christian College - Junior School Campus Independent · Primary
  • Alta-1 College - Middle Swan campus Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Cafes & restaurants 3
same for both
Childcare 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 2 1
Waterways 3 4

Mobility

Herne Hill sits further from the CBD (28.9 km vs 25.1 km).

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Walkability score 25/100 37/100
Distance to Perth 28.9 km
+13% vs other
 25.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 34 min 30 min
Public transport score 60/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 27.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 91.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 6056
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 6056
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.

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Car (driver) 73.6% / 78.8%
Herne Hill — Car (driver): 73.6% Middle Swan — Car (driver): 78.8%
Worked from Home 15.7% / 6.1%
Herne Hill — Worked from Home: 15.7% Middle Swan — Worked from Home: 6.1%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 5.6%
Herne Hill — Car (passenger): 4.3% Middle Swan — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Train 1.9% / 4.3%
Herne Hill — Train: 1.9% Middle Swan — Train: 4.3%
Walked Only 2.7% / 1.8%
Herne Hill — Walked Only: 2.7% Middle Swan — Walked Only: 1.8%
Bus 1.8% / 2.6%
Herne Hill — Bus: 1.8% Middle Swan — Bus: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.8%).

Setting

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Elevation 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.5 km 25.3 km

NBN connectivity

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Connectivity score 30/100 67/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
678 premises
 42%
1,368 premises

Climate

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Annual rainfall 663 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.3°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Average residential rate $2,699/yr
same for both
Council Swan
same for both

Federal electorate

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Division Hasluck
same for both
Member Tania Lawrence
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Herne Hill Middle Swan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Herne Hill

Acreage Outer Premium Quiet

Middle Swan

Acreage Middle-Ring Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Herne Hill

Herne Hill vs Henley Brook Herne Hill vs West Swan Herne Hill vs Millendon Herne Hill vs Red Hill

Other comparisons with Middle Swan

Middle Swan vs Caversham Middle Swan vs Midland Middle Swan vs Jane Brook Middle Swan vs Stratton Middle Swan vs Midvale Middle Swan vs Viveash
Full data on Herne Hill Full data on Middle Swan
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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.

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