Marmion vs Watermans Bay

Marmion is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 49 in Watermans Bay. In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Marmion, most households are couple families. In Watermans Bay, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Watermans Bay: a median of $2.72 million, against $2.06 million in Marmion, though rent is higher in Marmion. On these figures, Marmion tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget, while Watermans Bay suits people living alone.

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

Marmion

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (83% vs 68%)
  • 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

Marmion

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($2,060,000 vs $2,722,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 31%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Watermans Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($410/wk vs $495/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

Watermans Bay

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (32% vs 17%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 22%)

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

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

Marmion Watermans Bay
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.

Marmion Watermans Bay
Walkability 58 / 65
Marmion — Walkability: 58/100 Watermans Bay — Walkability: 65/100
Safety 81 / 72
Marmion — Safety: 81/100 Watermans Bay — Safety: 72/100
Low fire risk 100 / 46
Marmion — Low fire risk: 100/100 Watermans Bay — Low fire risk: 46/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Marmion — Low flood risk: 100/100 Watermans Bay — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Marmion has more residents (2,390 vs 1,369); Marmion rents higher ($495/wk vs $410/wk).

Marmion Watermans Bay
Population 2,390
+43% vs other
 1,369
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.6% +6.9%
Median age 45 49
Median household income $126,620/yr
+10% vs other
 $113,880/yr
Median weekly rent $495/wk
+17% vs other
 $410/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Marmion Watermans Bay
0-4 4.5% / 4.2%
Marmion — 0-4: 4.5% Watermans Bay — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 15.4% / 10.7%
Marmion — 5-14: 15.4% Watermans Bay — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 6.3% / 4.8%
Marmion — 15-19: 6.3% Watermans Bay — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 4.4% / 4.4%
Marmion — 20-24: 4.4% Watermans Bay — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 5.9% / 7.7%
Marmion — 25-34: 5.9% Watermans Bay — 25-34: 7.7%
35-44 13.1% / 11.5%
Marmion — 35-44: 13.1% Watermans Bay — 35-44: 11.5%
45-54 14.2% / 12.1%
Marmion — 45-54: 14.2% Watermans Bay — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 14.4% / 13.9%
Marmion — 55-64: 14.4% Watermans Bay — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 14.4% / 17.5%
Marmion — 65-74: 14.4% Watermans Bay — 65-74: 17.5%
75-84 5.9% / 9.6%
Marmion — 75-84: 5.9% Watermans Bay — 75-84: 9.6%
85+ 1.5% / 2.1%
Marmion — 85+: 1.5% Watermans Bay — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Marmion 57.1% couple families
Marmion — Couple Families: 57.1% Marmion — Lone Person: 25.7% Marmion — One Parent Families: 12.8% Marmion — Group Household: 2.6% Marmion — Other Families: 1.9%
Watermans Bay 48.5% couple families
Watermans Bay — Couple Families: 48.5% Watermans Bay — Lone Person: 37.4% Watermans Bay — One Parent Families: 9.4% Watermans Bay — Group Household: 3.2% Watermans Bay — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Marmion 10.7% renting
Marmion — Owned Outright: 48.8% Marmion — Mortgage: 40.5% Marmion — Renting: 10.7%
Watermans Bay 20.0% renting
Watermans Bay — Owned Outright: 48.1% Watermans Bay — Mortgage: 31.9% Watermans Bay — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Marmion Watermans Bay
Bachelor Degree 20.8% / 21.3%
Marmion — Bachelor Degree: 20.8% Watermans Bay — Bachelor Degree: 21.3%
Certificate III & IV 11.6% / 9.7%
Marmion — Certificate III & IV: 11.6% Watermans Bay — Certificate III & IV: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 8.8%
Marmion — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Watermans Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.3% / 6.5%
Marmion — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3% Watermans Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 6.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 3.1%
Marmion — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% Watermans Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

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.

Marmion Watermans Bay
England 7.6% / 9.3%
Marmion — England: 7.6% Watermans Bay — England: 9.3%
South Africa 3.1% / 3.5%
Marmion — South Africa: 3.1% Watermans Bay — South Africa: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.5% / 2.7%
Marmion — New Zealand: 1.5% Watermans Bay — New Zealand: 2.7%
Ireland 0.7% / 1.0%
Marmion — Ireland: 0.7% Watermans Bay — Ireland: 1.0%
Scotland 0.9% / —
Marmion — Scotland: 0.9% Watermans Bay — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.8%
Marmion — Germany: not among its largest Watermans Bay — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Marmion 83.1% houses
Marmion — Houses: 83.1% Marmion — Townhouses: 15.6% Marmion — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Watermans Bay 67.6% houses
Watermans Bay — Houses: 67.6% Watermans Bay — Townhouses: 29.7% Watermans Bay — Flats / Apartments: 2.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Marmion Watermans Bay
Median house price $2,060,000 $2,722,500
Median unit price — $1,207,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 18 sales
 14 days
from 13 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.

Marmion Watermans Bay
3 bed $1.6M / $2.17M
Marmion — 3 bed: $1.6M (9 sales) Watermans Bay — 3 bed: $2.17M (12 sales)

9 vs 12 sales

4 bed $2M / $2.85M
Marmion — 4 bed: $2M (15 sales) Watermans Bay — 4 bed: $2.85M (16 sales)

15 vs 16 sales

Development activity

Marmion Watermans Bay
New dwellings approved 463
across Joondalup
 1,557
across Stirling
Approvals change year on year +53% +23%

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.

Marmion Watermans Bay
Houses 4.1%
$1,500/wk on $1.9M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Marmion Watermans Bay
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 89% of WA Higher than 80% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 85% of WA Higher than 88% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 95% of WA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of WA Higher than 87% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 31% of WA —

Liveability

Marmion scores higher overall (86 vs 79).

Marmion Watermans Bay
Grade A
same for both
Score 86/100 79/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Watermans Bay carries more bushfire risk (54 vs 0).

Marmion Watermans Bay
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
54/100
Crime Low
19/100
 Low
28/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
32/100
 Moderate
50/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Marmion Watermans Bay
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Marmion

  • Marmion Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Watermans Bay

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

Amenities in the suburb

Marmion Watermans Bay
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 4 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Beaches 0 1

Mobility

Marmion Watermans Bay
Walkability score 58/100 65/100
Distance to Perth 19.5 km 20.2 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 21 min 23 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 68/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 32.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 21.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.2%
postcode 6020
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 6020
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.

Marmion Watermans Bay
Car (driver) 73.2% / 72.8%
Marmion — Car (driver): 73.2% Watermans Bay — Car (driver): 72.8%
Worked from Home 16.6% / 17.9%
Marmion — Worked from Home: 16.6% Watermans Bay — Worked from Home: 17.9%
Train 5.1% / 4.5%
Marmion — Train: 5.1% Watermans Bay — Train: 4.5%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 4.1%
Marmion — Car (passenger): 3.3% Watermans Bay — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 1.0% / 0.7%
Marmion — Walked Only: 1.0% Watermans Bay — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.2%).

Setting

Marmion Watermans Bay
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 612 m
852 m to a named beach
 769 m
808 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Marmion Watermans Bay
Connectivity score 79/100 75/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 48%
1,013 premises
 2%
663 premises

Climate

Marmion Watermans Bay
Annual rainfall 716 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.4°C
same for both

Council rates

Marmion Watermans Bay
Average residential rate $1,782/yr $1,615/yr
Council Joondalup Stirling

Federal electorate

Marmion Watermans Bay
Division Moore
same for both
Member Tom French
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Marmion Watermans Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Marmion

Beach Coastal Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Quiet

Watermans Bay

Beach Coastal Luxury Middle-Ring Professionals Quiet Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Marmion

Marmion vs Duncraig Marmion vs Sorrento Marmion vs Carine

Other comparisons with Watermans Bay

Watermans Bay vs Duncraig Watermans Bay vs Carine Watermans Bay vs North Beach
Full data on Marmion Full data on Watermans Bay
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.

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