Mcalinden vs Wilga
McAlinden is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 45 in Wilga. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In McAlinden, most households are couple families. On these figures, McAlinden tends to suit families with children and couples, while Wilga 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
McAlinden
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 83/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 39%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
McAlinden
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 24%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Wilga
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a shorter drive in (166 min vs 184 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
McAlinden
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 83/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Wilga
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (24.6% vs 12.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Mcalinden and Wilga 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
Wilga rents higher ($200/wk vs $130/wk); McAlinden has higher household incomes ($58,500 vs $43,316).
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 70 | 71 +1% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +12.9% | +24.6% |
| Median age | 40 | 45 |
| Median household income | $58,500/yr +26% vs other | $43,316/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $200/wk +54% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.9%).
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.
Property market
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $250,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 9 across Boyup Brook same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within WA
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 16% of WA | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 43% of WA | Higher than 69% of WA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 14% of WA | — |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 25% of WA | Higher than 34% of WA |
Liveability
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Wilga carries more crime risk (83 vs 20).
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 61/100 | Moderate 64/100 |
| Crime | Low 20/100 | High 83/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 3 | 0 |
Mobility
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 6/100 |
| Distance to Perth | 238.8 km | 239.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 184 min | 166 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 6225 | — |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 55 postcode 6225 | — |
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 (84.2%).
Setting
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 222 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 281 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 20 premises | 0% 22 premises |
Climate
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 765 mm | 691 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 29.6°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 4.6°C |
Council rates
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $4,342/yr same for both | |
| Council | Boyup Brook same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | O'connor same for both | |
| Member | Rick Wilson same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Mcalinden | Wilga | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Mcalinden
Other comparisons with Wilga
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.