Mount Sheila vs Rocklea

Rocklea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 37 in Mount Sheila. In Mount Sheila, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and the large majority of households are couple families. In Rocklea, the large majority of households rent and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Mount Sheila tends to suit 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

  • Mount Sheila is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 57%)
  • Rocklea has more separate houses rather than flats (79% vs 0%)

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

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Mount Sheila leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 21%)
  • Rocklea has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $520/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Mount Sheila sits closer to the CBD (1488.9 km vs 1505.3 km)
  • Rocklea has a shorter drive in (972 min vs 995 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Sheila

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 21%)

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

Investors

Mount Sheila

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-25.4% vs -45.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mount Sheila Rocklea
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.

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Walkability 0 / 0
Mount Sheila — Walkability: 0/100 Rocklea — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 90 / 84
Mount Sheila — Safety: 90/100 Rocklea — Safety: 84/100
Low fire risk 22 / 28
Mount Sheila — Low fire risk: 22/100 Rocklea — Low fire risk: 28/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Mount Sheila — Low flood risk: 100/100 Rocklea — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mount Sheila has higher household incomes ($194,948 vs $24,908); Mount Sheila has more residents (794 vs 150).

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Population 794
+81% vs other
 150
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -25.4% -45.5%
Median age 37 33
Median household income $194,948/yr
+87% vs other
 $24,908/yr
Median weekly rent $520/wk
+81% vs other
 $100/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Sheila Rocklea
0-4 0.5% / 9.3%
Mount Sheila — 0-4: 0.5% Rocklea — 0-4: 9.3%
5-14 1.4% / 7.3%
Mount Sheila — 5-14: 1.4% Rocklea — 5-14: 7.3%
15-19 2.0% / 9.3%
Mount Sheila — 15-19: 2.0% Rocklea — 15-19: 9.3%
20-24 7.4% / 5.3%
Mount Sheila — 20-24: 7.4% Rocklea — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 32.4% / 28.7%
Mount Sheila — 25-34: 32.4% Rocklea — 25-34: 28.7%
35-44 23.0% / 12.0%
Mount Sheila — 35-44: 23.0% Rocklea — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 18.4% / 19.3%
Mount Sheila — 45-54: 18.4% Rocklea — 45-54: 19.3%
55-64 11.5% / 8.0%
Mount Sheila — 55-64: 11.5% Rocklea — 55-64: 8.0%
65-74 2.4% / 4.7%
Mount Sheila — 65-74: 2.4% Rocklea — 65-74: 4.7%
75-84 — / 2.0%
Mount Sheila — 75-84: not among its largest Rocklea — 75-84: 2.0%
85+ — / —
Mount Sheila — 85+: not among its largest Rocklea — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Sheila 100.0% couple families
Mount Sheila — Couple Families: 100.0% Mount Sheila — Lone Person: 0.0% Mount Sheila — One Parent Families: 0.0% Mount Sheila — Other Families: 0.0%
Rocklea 28.6% couple families
Rocklea — Couple Families: 28.6% Rocklea — Lone Person: 28.6% Rocklea — One Parent Families: 28.6% Rocklea — Other Families: 14.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Sheila 100.0% flats / apartments
Mount Sheila — Flats / Apartments: 100.0% Mount Sheila — Houses: 0.0% Mount Sheila — Townhouses: 0.0%
Rocklea 12.1% flats / apartments
Rocklea — Flats / Apartments: 12.1% Rocklea — Houses: 78.8% Rocklea — Townhouses: 9.1%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

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.

Mount Sheila Rocklea
New Zealand 6.3% / 2.0%
Mount Sheila — New Zealand: 6.3% Rocklea — New Zealand: 2.0%
England 2.9% / —
Mount Sheila — England: 2.9% Rocklea — England: not among its largest
Philippines 1.6% / —
Mount Sheila — Philippines: 1.6% Rocklea — Philippines: not among its largest
India 1.3% / —
Mount Sheila — India: 1.3% Rocklea — India: not among its largest
Scotland 1.3% / —
Mount Sheila — Scotland: 1.3% Rocklea — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.3%).

Qualifications

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

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Certificate III & IV 24.3% / 16.7%
Mount Sheila — Certificate III & IV: 24.3% Rocklea — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Bachelor Degree 6.2% / 2.0%
Mount Sheila — Bachelor Degree: 6.2% Rocklea — Bachelor Degree: 2.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.5% / 2.7%
Mount Sheila — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5% Rocklea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / —
Mount Sheila — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Rocklea — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.6% / —
Mount Sheila — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6% Rocklea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.3%).

Development activity

Mount Sheila Rocklea
New dwellings approved 9
across Ashburton
same for both
Approvals change year on year +50%
same for both

Ranking within WA

Mount Sheila Rocklea
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 99% of WA Higher than 1% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 36% of WA Higher than 49% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 20% of WA Higher than 28% of WA

Liveability

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Grade C —
Score 38/100 —
Socio-economic band — high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Bushfire High
78/100
 High
72/100
Crime Low
10/100
 Low
16/100
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

Mount Sheila Rocklea
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

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 1 14

Mobility

Rocklea sits further from the CBD (1505.3 km vs 1488.9 km).

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 1488.9 km 1505.3 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 995 min 972 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 6751
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 3
postcode 6751
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.

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Bus 51.8% / 29.4%
Mount Sheila — Bus: 51.8% Rocklea — Bus: 29.4%
Car (driver) 25.0% / 23.5%
Mount Sheila — Car (driver): 25.0% Rocklea — Car (driver): 23.5%
Walked Only 9.1% / 29.4%
Mount Sheila — Walked Only: 9.1% Rocklea — Walked Only: 29.4%
Car (passenger) 12.6% / 17.6%
Mount Sheila — Car (passenger): 12.6% Rocklea — Car (passenger): 17.6%
Worked from Home 1.5% / —
Mount Sheila — Worked from Home: 1.5% Rocklea — Worked from Home: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.8%).

Setting

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Elevation 614 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 696 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
6 premises
 0%
2 premises

Federal electorate

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Division Durack
same for both
Member Melissa Price
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mount Sheila Rocklea
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mount Sheila

Multicultural Rural

Rocklea

Multicultural Rural Young Families

More comparisons

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Mount Sheila vs Tom Price

Other comparisons with Rocklea

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Full data on Mount Sheila Full data on Rocklea
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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