Piara Waters vs Canning Vale

Piara Waters is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 37 in Canning Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Canning Vale: a median of $1.06 million, against $962,000 in Piara Waters. Canning Vale is closer to the city centre: 21.9 km, against 26.8 km. On these figures, Piara Waters tends to suit families with children.

Canning Vale is the larger and more established suburb, with nearly double Piara Waters' population and notably higher walkability (79 versus 53) and liveability scores (84 versus 61). Piara Waters offers a younger demographic, stronger household incomes ($128,804 versus $118,404), and lower bushfire risk (57 versus 18), though it sits further from the CBD at 26.8 km compared to Canning Vale's 21.9 km. House prices are notably higher in Canning Vale ($1,050,000 median) than Piara Waters ($960,000), while rental yields favour Piara Waters at 4.4 percent. Canning Vale suits buyers prioritising walkability and established amenities; Piara Waters appeals to those seeking newer growth areas with lower environmental risk and stronger income levels.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Canning Vale

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (6 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (65 vs 13)
  • has more childcare (23 vs 11)
  • But Piara Waters carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 54/100)

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

First-home buyers

Piara Waters

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($835,000 vs $985,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($962,000 vs $1,060,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Canning Vale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 53/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (21.9 km vs 26.8 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Canning Vale

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (13 vs 1)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (12% vs 4%)
  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 53/100)
  • But Piara Waters carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 54/100)

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

Investors

Piara Waters

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (64.9% vs 4.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.4% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Piara Waters Canning Vale
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.

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Walkability 53 / 79
Piara Waters — Walkability: 53/100 Canning Vale — Walkability: 79/100
Safety 64 / 46
Piara Waters — Safety: 64/100 Canning Vale — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 43 / 82
Piara Waters — Low fire risk: 43/100 Canning Vale — Low fire risk: 82/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Piara Waters — Low flood risk: 100/100 Canning Vale — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Canning Vale has more residents (34,504 vs 15,029); Canning Vale skews older (37 vs 31).

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Population 15,029 34,504
+130% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +64.9% +4.4%
Median age 31 37
Median household income $128,804/yr
+8% vs other
 $118,404/yr
Median weekly rent $420/wk $425/wk
+1% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Piara Waters Canning Vale
0-4 11.8% / 5.5%
Piara Waters — 0-4: 11.8% Canning Vale — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 18.7% / 13.8%
Piara Waters — 5-14: 18.7% Canning Vale — 5-14: 13.8%
15-19 4.4% / 7.2%
Piara Waters — 15-19: 4.4% Canning Vale — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 4.6% / 7.1%
Piara Waters — 20-24: 4.6% Canning Vale — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 19.4% / 12.7%
Piara Waters — 25-34: 19.4% Canning Vale — 25-34: 12.7%
35-44 23.6% / 15.8%
Piara Waters — 35-44: 23.6% Canning Vale — 35-44: 15.8%
45-54 9.2% / 14.3%
Piara Waters — 45-54: 9.2% Canning Vale — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 4.9% / 11.6%
Piara Waters — 55-64: 4.9% Canning Vale — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 2.7% / 7.6%
Piara Waters — 65-74: 2.7% Canning Vale — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 0.7% / 3.1%
Piara Waters — 75-84: 0.7% Canning Vale — 75-84: 3.1%
85+ 0.1% / 1.2%
Piara Waters — 85+: 0.1% Canning Vale — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Piara Waters 72.9% couple families
Piara Waters — Couple Families: 72.9% Piara Waters — Lone Person: 13.5% Piara Waters — One Parent Families: 9.9% Piara Waters — Group Household: 2.4% Piara Waters — Other Families: 1.3%
Canning Vale 67.7% couple families
Canning Vale — Couple Families: 67.7% Canning Vale — Lone Person: 15.5% Canning Vale — One Parent Families: 12.9% Canning Vale — Group Household: 2.3% Canning Vale — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Piara Waters 16.1% renting
Piara Waters — Owned Outright: 8.2% Piara Waters — Mortgage: 75.7% Piara Waters — Renting: 16.1%
Canning Vale 18.3% renting
Canning Vale — Owned Outright: 31.0% Canning Vale — Mortgage: 50.7% Canning Vale — Renting: 18.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Bachelor Degree 18.3% / 16.5%
Piara Waters — Bachelor Degree: 18.3% Canning Vale — Bachelor Degree: 16.5%
Certificate III & IV 11.2% / 10.7%
Piara Waters — Certificate III & IV: 11.2% Canning Vale — Certificate III & IV: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 7.7%
Piara Waters — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Canning Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Postgraduate Degree 6.2% / 6.2%
Piara Waters — Postgraduate Degree: 6.2% Canning Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.8%
Piara Waters — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Canning Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

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.

Piara Waters Canning Vale
India 15.0% / 8.7%
Piara Waters — India: 15.0% Canning Vale — India: 8.7%
Malaysia 3.5% / 6.1%
Piara Waters — Malaysia: 3.5% Canning Vale — Malaysia: 6.1%
England 4.0% / 5.2%
Piara Waters — England: 4.0% Canning Vale — England: 5.2%
China 1.7% / 5.0%
Piara Waters — China: 1.7% Canning Vale — China: 5.0%
South Africa 3.0% / 2.3%
Piara Waters — South Africa: 3.0% Canning Vale — South Africa: 2.3%
Singapore 2.1% / 2.9%
Piara Waters — Singapore: 2.1% Canning Vale — Singapore: 2.9%
Philippines 3.1% / —
Piara Waters — Philippines: 3.1% Canning Vale — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Piara Waters 98.5% houses
Piara Waters — Houses: 98.5% Piara Waters — Townhouses: 1.4% Piara Waters — Flats / Apartments: 0.1%
Canning Vale 94.4% houses
Canning Vale — Houses: 94.4% Canning Vale — Townhouses: 4.8% Canning Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Median house price $962,000 $1,060,000
Median unit price — $587,500
Median land price $835,000 $985,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 29 days
from 211 sales
 28 days
from 316 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.

Piara Waters Canning Vale
3 bed $792K / $830K
Piara Waters — 3 bed: $792K (98 sales) Canning Vale — 3 bed: $830K (103 sales)

98 vs 103 sales

4 bed $1.02M / $1.12M
Piara Waters — 4 bed: $1.02M (197 sales) Canning Vale — 4 bed: $1.12M (348 sales)

197 vs 348 sales

5 bed $1.2M / $1.29M
Piara Waters — 5 bed: $1.2M (20 sales) Canning Vale — 5 bed: $1.29M (45 sales)

20 vs 45 sales

Development activity

Piara Waters Canning Vale
New dwellings approved 1,811
across Armadale
 423
across Canning
Approvals change year on year +70% -3%

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.

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Houses 4.4%
$850/wk on $1M
 3.7%
$850/wk on $1.2M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Piara Waters Canning Vale
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 91% of WA Higher than 85% of WA
Schools Higher than 42% of WA Higher than 99% of WA
Walkability Higher than 84% of WA Higher than 95% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 84% of WA Higher than 92% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of WA Higher than 90% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 53% of WA Higher than 19% of WA

Liveability

Canning Vale is more walkable (79 vs 53); Canning Vale scores higher overall (84 vs 61).

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Grade B A
Score 61/100 84/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Piara Waters carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 18); Canning Vale carries more crime risk (54 vs 36).

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 Low
18/100
Crime Low
36/100
 Moderate
54/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 High
83/100
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 13
within 5 km

Schools

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Inside the suburb 6 8
Rated above peers 1 6
Rated at peers 3 1
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km None 2
Murdoch University (Murdoch), 7.6 km

Schools in Piara Waters

  • Aspiri Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Piara Waters Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Piara Waters Senior High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St John Bosco College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Riva Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Piara Waters West Primary School Government · Primary

Schools in Canning Vale

  • Caladenia Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Campbell Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Canning Vale College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Canning Vale Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Excelsior Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ranford Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Supermarkets 1 10
Cafes & restaurants 4 31
Parks & reserves 13 65
Childcare 11 23
GPs 1 13
Pharmacies 0 6
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 5
Fuel stations 2 9
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Piara Waters sits further from the CBD (26.8 km vs 21.9 km).

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Walkability score 53/100 79/100
Distance to Perth 26.8 km
+18% vs other
 21.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 29 min 25 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 140.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 1183.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 6112
 1.7%
postcode 6155
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 75
postcode 6112
 82
postcode 6155

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.

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Car (driver) 78.8% / 77.0%
Piara Waters — Car (driver): 78.8% Canning Vale — Car (driver): 77.0%
Worked from Home 7.4% / 8.1%
Piara Waters — Worked from Home: 7.4% Canning Vale — Worked from Home: 8.1%
Train 6.8% / 6.4%
Piara Waters — Train: 6.8% Canning Vale — Train: 6.4%
Car (passenger) 4.4% / 5.3%
Piara Waters — Car (passenger): 4.4% Canning Vale — Car (passenger): 5.3%
Bus 1.8% / 2.3%
Piara Waters — Bus: 1.8% Canning Vale — Bus: 2.3%

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

Setting

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Elevation 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 28 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 14.2 km 14.8 km

NBN connectivity

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Connectivity score 93/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 87%
5,726 premises
 54%
13,535 premises

Climate

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Annual rainfall 745 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Average residential rate $2,388/yr $1,833/yr
Council Armadale Canning

Federal electorate

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Division Burt Tangney
Member Matt Keogh Sam Lim
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Piara Waters Canning Vale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Piara Waters

Family Multicultural Outer Parks Young Families

Canning Vale

Easy Commute Large Blocks Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Piara Waters

Piara Waters vs Harrisdale Piara Waters vs Treeby Piara Waters vs Banjup Piara Waters vs Forrestdale

Other comparisons with Canning Vale

Canning Vale vs Thornlie Canning Vale vs Willetton Canning Vale vs Southern River Canning Vale vs Harrisdale Canning Vale vs Leeming Canning Vale vs Huntingdale
Full data on Piara Waters Full data on Canning Vale
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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