Karawara vs Waterford

Karawara is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 41 in Waterford. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Karawara, about half of households rent. In Waterford, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Waterford: a median of $1.62 million, against $1.04 million in Karawara, and rent is higher there too. Waterford is closer to the city centre: 9.8 km, against 11.1 km. On these figures, Karawara tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Waterford suits couples and older residents.

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

Waterford

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 94/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 52%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (90% vs 73%)

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

First-home buyers

Karawara

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,042,500 vs $1,620,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Karawara

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (46% vs 16%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $410/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

Waterford

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 94/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 13%)
  • But Karawara has more units and townhouses to downsize into (27% vs 10%)

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

Investors

Waterford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.0% vs -10.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Karawara Waterford
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.

Karawara Waterford
Walkability 76 / 69
Karawara — Walkability: 76/100 Waterford — Walkability: 69/100
Safety 6 / 45
Karawara — Safety: 6/100 Waterford — Safety: 45/100
Low fire risk 100 / 69
Karawara — Low fire risk: 100/100 Waterford — Low fire risk: 69/100
Low flood risk 100 / 25
Karawara — Low flood risk: 100/100 Waterford — Low flood risk: 25/100

Demographics

Waterford rents higher ($410/wk vs $300/wk); Waterford has higher household incomes ($119,652 vs $89,336).

Karawara Waterford
Population 1,842 2,460
+34% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -10.6% +8.0%
Median age 31 41
Median household income $89,336/yr $119,652/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $410/wk
+37% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Karawara Waterford
0-4 4.5% / 4.5%
Karawara — 0-4: 4.5% Waterford — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 9.1% / 10.1%
Karawara — 5-14: 9.1% Waterford — 5-14: 10.1%
15-19 9.0% / 5.7%
Karawara — 15-19: 9.0% Waterford — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 15.6% / 9.2%
Karawara — 20-24: 15.6% Waterford — 20-24: 9.2%
25-34 15.9% / 12.6%
Karawara — 25-34: 15.9% Waterford — 25-34: 12.6%
35-44 10.5% / 11.0%
Karawara — 35-44: 10.5% Waterford — 35-44: 11.0%
45-54 11.3% / 11.2%
Karawara — 45-54: 11.3% Waterford — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 11.3% / 14.1%
Karawara — 55-64: 11.3% Waterford — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 8.8% / 13.7%
Karawara — 65-74: 8.8% Waterford — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 3.4% / 6.8%
Karawara — 75-84: 3.4% Waterford — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 0.8% / 1.3%
Karawara — 85+: 0.8% Waterford — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Karawara 38.2% couple families
Karawara — Couple Families: 38.2% Karawara — Lone Person: 31.6% Karawara — One Parent Families: 14.3% Karawara — Group Household: 13.0% Karawara — Other Families: 3.0%
Waterford 54.3% couple families
Waterford — Couple Families: 54.3% Waterford — Lone Person: 20.9% Waterford — One Parent Families: 11.8% Waterford — Group Household: 8.8% Waterford — Other Families: 4.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Karawara 46.3% renting
Karawara — Owned Outright: 28.1% Karawara — Mortgage: 25.6% Karawara — Renting: 46.3%
Waterford 16.0% renting
Waterford — Owned Outright: 50.1% Waterford — Mortgage: 33.9% Waterford — Renting: 16.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Karawara Waterford
Bachelor Degree 17.4% / 24.9%
Karawara — Bachelor Degree: 17.4% Waterford — Bachelor Degree: 24.9%
Postgraduate Degree 8.1% / 11.5%
Karawara — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1% Waterford — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.9%
Karawara — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Waterford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Certificate III & IV 8.3% / 7.6%
Karawara — Certificate III & IV: 8.3% Waterford — Certificate III & IV: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.8%
Karawara — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Waterford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).

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.

Karawara Waterford
Malaysia 6.0% / 8.8%
Karawara — Malaysia: 6.0% Waterford — Malaysia: 8.8%
China 2.7% / 5.4%
Karawara — China: 2.7% Waterford — China: 5.4%
England 3.1% / 4.8%
Karawara — England: 3.1% Waterford — England: 4.8%
India 2.8% / 3.5%
Karawara — India: 2.8% Waterford — India: 3.5%
Indonesia 2.6% / 3.5%
Karawara — Indonesia: 2.6% Waterford — Indonesia: 3.5%
Singapore 1.8% / 3.7%
Karawara — Singapore: 1.8% Waterford — Singapore: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Karawara 73.2% houses
Karawara — Houses: 73.2% Karawara — Townhouses: 26.1% Karawara — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Waterford 90.3% houses
Waterford — Houses: 90.3% Waterford — Townhouses: 9.7% Waterford — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Karawara Waterford
Median house price $1,042,500 $1,620,000
Median unit price — $1,059,500
Median land price — $927,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 6 sales
 19 days
from 11 sales

Development activity

Karawara Waterford
New dwellings approved 442
across South Perth
same for both
Approvals change year on year +24%
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.

Karawara Waterford
Houses 3.0%
$825/wk on $1.45M
 3.1%
$872/wk on $1.48M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Karawara Waterford
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 54% of WA Higher than 86% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 93% of WA Higher than 90% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 96% of WA Higher than 97% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of WA Higher than 95% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 6% of WA Higher than 8% of WA

Liveability

Karawara scores higher overall (66 vs 61).

Karawara Waterford
Grade B
same for both
Score 66/100 61/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Waterford carries more flood risk (75 vs 0); Waterford carries more bushfire risk (31 vs 0).

Karawara Waterford
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
31/100
Crime High
94/100
 Moderate
55/100
Flood None
0/100
 High
75/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 11
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Karawara Waterford
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Curtin University of Technology, 2.5 km
 3
Curtin University of Technology, 2.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 11.8% 5.2%

Schools in Karawara

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Waterford

  • Clontarf Aboriginal College Catholic · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Karawara Waterford
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 3 5
Childcare 2 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Karawara Waterford
Walkability score 76/100 69/100
Distance to Perth 11.1 km
+12% vs other
 9.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 16 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 134.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 58.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.4%
postcode 6152
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 6152
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.

Karawara Waterford
Car (driver) 69.4% / 70.4%
Karawara — Car (driver): 69.4% Waterford — Car (driver): 70.4%
Worked from Home 10.0% / 11.9%
Karawara — Worked from Home: 10.0% Waterford — Worked from Home: 11.9%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / 6.2%
Karawara — Car (passenger): 5.0% Waterford — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Bus 5.7% / 4.0%
Karawara — Bus: 5.7% Waterford — Bus: 4.0%
Train 4.4% / 4.6%
Karawara — Train: 4.4% Waterford — Train: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.4%).

Setting

Karawara Waterford
Elevation 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.2 km
2.1 km to a named beach
 12.7 km
1.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Karawara Waterford
Connectivity score 85/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 72%
814 premises
 78%
1,018 premises

Climate

Karawara Waterford
Annual rainfall 650 mm 745 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 31.4°C
Winter min (Jul) — 7.6°C

Federal electorate

Karawara Waterford
Division Swan
same for both
Member Zaneta Mascarenhas
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Karawara Waterford
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Karawara

Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Parks Students Townhouses Transport Hub

Waterford

Easy Commute Inner Large Blocks Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Quiet River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Karawara

Karawara vs Como Karawara vs Bentley Karawara vs Manning

Other comparisons with Waterford

Waterford vs Bentley Waterford vs Wilson Waterford vs Manning Waterford vs Salter Point
Full data on Karawara Full data on Waterford
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