Melville WA 6156
Melville sits 15 km from Perth CBD in Western Australia, around 21 minutes by car. Census data records 6,204 residents with a median age of 42 and a median household income of $113,516 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 8.9% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $420 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,325. The area shows no recorded flood exposure. Of 2 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Melville a good suburb?
Melville scores a A (76/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community.
Mixed results
2 schools · 1 above peer schools
Close to the CBD
Walkability 53/100 · 14.9 km · 21 min drive to Perth
Median available
Median $1.53M
Moderate crime risk
Fire 24/100 · Crime 58/100 · Flood 0/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 42 · 6,204 residents
Liveability Rating
76 / 100 · Ranked #77 in WAEach bar is Melville's rank among WA suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Melville?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
76 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMelville's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.53 million, roughly 17% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,530,000
In line with its 6 neighbours (median $1,501,000)
Based on 141 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 30 days — median across 80 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 12 sales $1.03M
- 3 bed 57 sales $1.32M
- 4 bed 64 sales $1.75M
- 5 bed 6 sales $2.13M
Units
$832,000
21% above its 5 neighbours (median $685,000)
Based on 15 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 14 days — median across 9 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 11 sales $805K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Melville are currently listed at around $1.2 million on average. Based on 24 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.2M
24 houses listed in the last 6 months.
25 of the suburb's 2,296 dwellings (1.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Melville rent for around $875 a week on average, based on 27 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$875/wk
6% above its 6 neighbours (median $825/wk)
27 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$720/wk
7 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
34 rentals advertised against an estimated 360 rented homes (9.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- All rentals
- $800/wk
- 25 bonds
- +24% since 2023
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. WA's bond data does not record bedrooms or dwelling type, so it covers all rentals together.Change since 2023 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202582 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 37% of its income on the median rent in postcode 6156.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$875/week ($46,000 a year) on a $1.2 million median
Not enough unit sales and rentals in the window to calculate a yield.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
5 active Airbnb listings: 4 whole homes and 1 room. Whole homes are about 0.2% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Schools
Two schools serve Melville, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Melville Senior High School leads the pack.
- • 2,068 students across 2 schools (avg 1,034)
- • ICSEA 1071-1119, median 1095 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Melville Senior High School (1,398 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 4.3 kmThe University of Notre Dame Australia - FremantleThe University of Notre Dame Australia · 121 courses
- 4.7 kmMurdoch University (Murdoch)Murdoch University · 257 courses
- 6.8 kmThe University of Western AustraliaThe University of Western Australia · 315 courses
3.1% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Melville is somewhat walkable on foot — at 53/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the suburb there are 1 supermarket, 1 park and 6 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Melville.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 173.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 103.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 77.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.5 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 1 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Melville.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 54%
- Premises covered
- 2,757
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Melville: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 12 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Melville is home to about 6,200 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $114,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
6,204
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$113,516/yr
Census Median Rent
$420/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,325/mo
Avg Household Size
2.6
Median Personal Income
$51,532/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.7%
Total Dwellings
2,296
Owner-Occupier Rate
84.3%
Houses
78.0%
Rental Stress
19.2%
Mortgage Stress
24.6%
Work From Home
11.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
7 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 6 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 355 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 73.6%
- English Spoken at Home
- 85.8%
- Employment Rate
- 65.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 52.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
122 residents (2.0%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 5,875 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
20% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (656 of 3,303).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 1,500 people work here; 3,303 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.5 jobs per working resident. At least 54% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,396 a year through Melville based on 2023 figures.
Building Approvals: Melville
In the year to August 2026, 727 new dwellings were approved across Melville. That mix is 287 houses and 440 units. Approvals are up 268.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Subiaco Treatment Plant, 9.5 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 47 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 5.2 km
- 2.6 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 650 mm
- 75 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
9 facilities within 5 km- 1.5 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Carbon monoxide
- 1.9 kmCleaning Compound ManufacturingTop reported: Chlorine & compounds · Ethanol · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 2.0 kmFuneral, Crematorium and Cemetery ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Carbon monoxide
- 2.3 kmCorrugated Paperboard and Paperboard Container ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 2.6 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
EV adoption
In postcode 6156, 300 of 15,403 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.7% (566 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 6156, 3,443 rooftop-solar systems totalling 20.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,367 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 210 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $800,000.
Cap is $800,000 SOUTH of the 26th parallel (which includes all of metropolitan Perth) and $1,000,000 NORTH of it. We store the southern figure because that is where almost every buyer is; the northern cap is higher, so the stored value never overstates eligibility. The southern cap rose from $750,000 on 7 May 2026 in the 2026-27 Housing Taxation Package. The same package moved the first home owner RATE OF DUTY thresholds, which is a different scheme and lives in the web repo's app/stamp_duty.py.
Mortgage repayments
3 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 6 across postcode 6156.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with RevenueWA
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $800,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Department of Finance WA.
At $1,530,000 this is $730,000 above the $800,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Department of Finance WA.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Sam Lim Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sam Lim | 57.0% | 43.0% | +4.1 |
| 2022 | Sam Lim | 52.4% | 47.6% | -11.9 |
| 2019 | Ben Morton | 38.5% | 61.5% | +0.4 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Lisa O'Malley WA Labor
Next state election: 10 March 2029.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lisa O'Malley ALP | 59.3% |
| 2021 | Lisa O'Malley ALP | 65.6% |
| 2017 | Lisa O'Malley ALP | 52.9% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2023, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Western Australian Electoral Commission.
Looking at a specific address in Melville?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 6,204 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Perth There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Perth suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Palmyra WA 6157
Bicton WA 6157
Attadale WA 6156
Willagee WA 6156
Alfred Cove WA 6154
Myaree WA 6154
Compare Melville to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other WA suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Melville
Is Melville a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Melville is moderate (58/100, ranked against other WA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Melville?
Melville has a low recorded bushfire history (24/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Melville a good place to live?
Melville has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (76/100), ranked against other WA suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Melville?
Melville, WA had a population of 6,204 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Melville, WA?
The postcode for Melville, WA is 6156.
How far is Melville from Perth?
Melville is 15 km from Perth CBD by road, about 21 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Melville?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Melville was $113,516 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Melville?
The median advertised rent in Melville is $875 a week for houses (27 listings) and $720 a week for units (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Melville?
The median age of residents in Melville was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Melville at risk of bushfire?
Melville has a low recorded bushfire history (24/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Melville?
There are 2 schools inside the Melville boundary: 1 above and 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Melville walkable?
Melville scores 53/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Melville?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Melville, Subiaco Treatment Plant (9.5 km away), 650 mm of rain a year over 75 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Melville?
First-home buyers in WA may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $800,000. The grant is administered by Department of Finance WA; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Melville belong to?
Melville sits within the Melville local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Melville?
The average residential rates bill through Melville is $2,396 a year (2023). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Melville?
Across Melville, 727 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 268.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Melville in?
Melville sits within the federal Division of Tangney, currently held by Sam Lim (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2023–24
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2025
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.