Rivervale vs Kewdale

In Rivervale, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Kewdale, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Rivervale is closer to the city centre: 6.6 km, against 11.8 km. On these figures, Rivervale tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Kewdale suits families with children.

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

Kewdale

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (72% vs 43%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (52% vs 35%)

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

First-home buyers

Kewdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($636,000 vs $785,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rivervale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 38%)

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

Commuting to the city

Rivervale

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 39/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (6.6 km vs 11.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (10 min vs 16 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Rivervale

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 39/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (57% vs 28%)
  • But Kewdale carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 83/100)

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

Investors

Rivervale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.7% vs 5.2%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Rivervale Kewdale
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.

Rivervale Kewdale
Walkability 85 / 39
Rivervale — Walkability: 85/100 Kewdale — Walkability: 39/100
Safety 17 / 29
Rivervale — Safety: 17/100 Kewdale — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Rivervale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kewdale — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 69 / 100
Rivervale — Low flood risk: 69/100 Kewdale — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Rivervale has more residents (10,897 vs 7,397); Kewdale skews older (36 vs 34).

Rivervale Kewdale
Population 10,897
+32% vs other
 7,397
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% +7.3%
Median age 34 36
Median household income $89,596/yr
+7% vs other
 $83,044/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rivervale Kewdale
0-4 5.6% / 6.7%
Rivervale — 0-4: 5.6% Kewdale — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 8.0% / 12.2%
Rivervale — 5-14: 8.0% Kewdale — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 3.0% / 4.9%
Rivervale — 15-19: 3.0% Kewdale — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 8.3% / 6.2%
Rivervale — 20-24: 8.3% Kewdale — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 25.8% / 17.6%
Rivervale — 25-34: 25.8% Kewdale — 25-34: 17.6%
35-44 16.6% / 15.9%
Rivervale — 35-44: 16.6% Kewdale — 35-44: 15.9%
45-54 10.6% / 11.9%
Rivervale — 45-54: 10.6% Kewdale — 45-54: 11.9%
55-64 10.5% / 9.9%
Rivervale — 55-64: 10.5% Kewdale — 55-64: 9.9%
65-74 7.0% / 7.7%
Rivervale — 65-74: 7.0% Kewdale — 65-74: 7.7%
75-84 3.5% / 5.0%
Rivervale — 75-84: 3.5% Kewdale — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 1.2% / 1.9%
Rivervale — 85+: 1.2% Kewdale — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rivervale 52.0% lone person
Rivervale — Lone Person: 52.0% Rivervale — Couple Families: 24.7% Rivervale — One Parent Families: 10.3% Rivervale — Group Household: 10.0% Rivervale — Other Families: 3.0%
Kewdale 38.3% lone person
Kewdale — Lone Person: 38.3% Kewdale — Couple Families: 38.2% Kewdale — One Parent Families: 14.0% Kewdale — Group Household: 7.5% Kewdale — Other Families: 2.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Rivervale 54.3% renting
Rivervale — Owned Outright: 16.2% Rivervale — Mortgage: 29.4% Rivervale — Renting: 54.3%
Kewdale 37.6% renting
Kewdale — Owned Outright: 30.1% Kewdale — Mortgage: 32.3% Kewdale — Renting: 37.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Rivervale Kewdale
Bachelor Degree 19.4% / 14.2%
Rivervale — Bachelor Degree: 19.4% Kewdale — Bachelor Degree: 14.2%
Certificate III & IV 12.6% / 12.5%
Rivervale — Certificate III & IV: 12.6% Kewdale — Certificate III & IV: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 7.8%
Rivervale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Kewdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Postgraduate Degree 6.4% / 5.6%
Rivervale — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4% Kewdale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.4%
Rivervale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Kewdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

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.

Rivervale Kewdale
England 4.2% / 4.1%
Rivervale — England: 4.2% Kewdale — England: 4.1%
India 3.0% / 3.9%
Rivervale — India: 3.0% Kewdale — India: 3.9%
China 3.0% / 3.1%
Rivervale — China: 3.0% Kewdale — China: 3.1%
New Zealand 2.8% / 3.3%
Rivervale — New Zealand: 2.8% Kewdale — New Zealand: 3.3%
Malaysia 2.2% / 2.6%
Rivervale — Malaysia: 2.2% Kewdale — Malaysia: 2.6%
Philippines 1.8% / 2.8%
Rivervale — Philippines: 1.8% Kewdale — Philippines: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rivervale 42.6% houses
Rivervale — Houses: 42.6% Rivervale — Townhouses: 21.2% Rivervale — Flats / Apartments: 36.2%
Kewdale 71.7% houses
Kewdale — Houses: 71.7% Kewdale — Townhouses: 23.8% Kewdale — Flats / Apartments: 4.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Rivervale Kewdale
Median house price $965,000 $935,000
Median unit price $565,000 $560,000
Median land price $785,000 $636,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 73 sales
 21 days
from 69 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Rivervale Kewdale
1 bed $512K / $465K
Rivervale — 1 bed: $512K (110 sales) Kewdale — 1 bed: $465K (12 sales)

110 vs 12 sales

2 bed $582K / $570K
Rivervale — 2 bed: $582K (196 sales) Kewdale — 2 bed: $570K (49 sales)

196 vs 49 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.

Rivervale Kewdale
2 bed $730K / $640K
Rivervale — 2 bed: $730K (18 sales) Kewdale — 2 bed: $640K (15 sales)

18 vs 15 sales

3 bed $935K / $910K
Rivervale — 3 bed: $935K (65 sales) Kewdale — 3 bed: $910K (77 sales)

65 vs 77 sales

4 bed $1.23M / $1M
Rivervale — 4 bed: $1.23M (33 sales) Kewdale — 4 bed: $1M (45 sales)

33 vs 45 sales

Development activity

Rivervale Kewdale
New dwellings approved 595
across Belmont
same for both
Approvals change year on year +71%
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.

Rivervale Kewdale
Houses 4.6%
$795/wk on $900K
 4.2%
$800/wk on $992K
Units 5.7%
$680/wk on $625K
 5.2%
$600/wk on $599K

Ranking within WA

Rivervale Kewdale
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 54% of WA —
Schools — Higher than 93% of WA
Walkability Higher than 97% of WA Higher than 80% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 87% of WA Higher than 78% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of WA Higher than 94% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 66% of WA Higher than 38% of WA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 66% of WA Higher than 42% of WA

Liveability

Rivervale is more walkable (85 vs 39); Kewdale scores higher overall (71 vs 66).

Rivervale Kewdale
Grade B A
Score 66/100 71/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Rivervale carries more flood risk (31 vs 0); Rivervale carries more crime risk (83 vs 71).

Rivervale Kewdale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
83/100
 High
71/100
Flood Low
31/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 High
83/100
Industrial facilities nearby 19
within 5 km
 29
within 5 km

Schools

Rivervale Kewdale
Inside the suburb 2 3
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Curtin University of Technology, 5.1 km
 3
Curtin University of Technology, 5.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 2.1%

Schools in Rivervale

  • Rivervale Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Augustine's Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Kewdale

  • Australian Islamic College (Kewdale) Independent · Combined above peers
  • Kewdale Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Carlisle Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Rivervale Kewdale
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 2
Parks & reserves 7 6
Childcare 4 3
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 4
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Kewdale sits further from the CBD (11.8 km vs 6.6 km).

Rivervale Kewdale
Walkability score 85/100 39/100
Distance to Perth 6.6 km 11.8 km
+79% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 10 min 16 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 237.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 272.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 6103
 1.0%
postcode 6105
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 22
postcode 6103
 38
postcode 6105

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.

Rivervale Kewdale
Car (driver) 70.5% / 74.6%
Rivervale — Car (driver): 70.5% Kewdale — Car (driver): 74.6%
Bus 11.4% / 8.0%
Rivervale — Bus: 11.4% Kewdale — Bus: 8.0%
Worked from Home 7.0% / 6.3%
Rivervale — Worked from Home: 7.0% Kewdale — Worked from Home: 6.3%
Car (passenger) 5.9% / 5.9%
Rivervale — Car (passenger): 5.9% Kewdale — Car (passenger): 5.9%
Train 2.5% / 3.0%
Rivervale — Train: 2.5% Kewdale — Train: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.6%).

Setting

Rivervale Kewdale
Elevation 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.3 km 18.6 km
5.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Rivervale Kewdale
Connectivity score 92/100 84/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 85%
6,970 premises
 66%
4,009 premises

Climate

Rivervale Kewdale
Annual rainfall 663 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.3°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Rivervale Kewdale
Average residential rate $2,937/yr
same for both
Council Belmont
same for both

Federal electorate

Rivervale Kewdale
Division Swan
same for both
Member Zaneta Mascarenhas
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Rivervale Kewdale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Rivervale

Apartments Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Parks Townhouses Transport Hub Urban

Kewdale

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Multicultural Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rivervale

Rivervale vs Cloverdale Rivervale vs Belmont Rivervale vs Carlisle Rivervale vs Lathlain Rivervale vs Burswood

Other comparisons with Kewdale

Kewdale vs Forrestfield Kewdale vs Cloverdale Kewdale vs Carlisle Kewdale vs Wattle Grove
Full data on Rivervale Full data on Kewdale
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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