Scarborough, WA: suburb profile

The population of Scarborough WA is 17,605 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Scarborough is $1,231 per week ($64,012 per year). Median rent in Scarborough is $405 per week ($1,755 per month). Scarborough has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Scarborough has a population density of 3,527 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Scarborough is England. The most common religion is No religion (52.2% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Portuguese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Scarborough is $2,167.

Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021.

Scarborough Map

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Scarborough Population

17,605 residents at the 2021 Census.

Scarborough Median Income & Rent

Median Income

$1,231/wk

$64,012 per year

Ranked 367 of 14,663

Median Rent

$405/wk

$1,755 per month

Ranked 1,818 of 14,663

Median Age

36years

2 years younger than the national median

Mortgage

$2,167/mo

Avg household size: 2.1 · 0.8 per bedroom

Scarborough Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.7% (8,566) Female 51.3% (9,041)

Population Density

3,527

people per km²

17,605 people · 5.0 km²

Households

2.1

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$2,791

Family income/wk

Scarborough Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Scarborough Home Ownership

Of owner-occupied homes in Scarborough, 40.4% are owned outright and 59.6% have a mortgage.

Owned outright

40.4%

Owned with mortgage

59.6%

Rented homes are not included in this breakdown.

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
Brazil
Germany
France
India
China
Canada
Iran

Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Scarborough Religion

No religion

52.2%

Catholic

19.5%

Anglican

8.9%

Not stated

8.0%

Christian (other)

2.1%

Uniting Church

1.4%

Buddhism

1.2%

Eastern Orthodox

0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Scarborough Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

79.0%

Year 10 or equivalent

11.8%

Year 11 or equivalent

7.2%

Year 9 or equivalent

2.0%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Portuguese
Italian
Spanish
Mandarin
French
German
Afrikaans

Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Scarborough Employment

Employed full-time

49.7% 6,675 people

Employed part-time

24.4% 3,271 people

Unemployed

2.9% 393 people

Not in labour force

23.0% 3,082 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Scarborough Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

42.0%

Certificate III/IV

21.9%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

16.3%

Postgraduate Degree

12.8%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

5.5%

Certificate I/II

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Scarborough Occupation

Professionals

39.3%

Managers

15.8%

Technicians & Trade Workers

13.6%

Community & Personal Service

10.2%

Clerical & Administrative

9.9%

Sales Workers

4.5%

Labourers

3.8%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Scarborough Field of Study

Management & Commerce

22.6%

Engineering

15.7%

Health

14.6%

Society & Culture

12.3%

Education

8.9%

Architecture & Building

6.9%

Natural & Physical Sciences

5.4%

Creative Arts

5.1%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

4.3%

Information Technology

2.2%

Agriculture & Environment

1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

Scarborough Dwelling Types

Separate house

43.1%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

34.4%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

22.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Scarborough Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.7%

$1-$149/wk

0.6%

$150-$299/wk

1.2%

$300-$399/wk

1.9%

$400-$499/wk

4.2%

$500-$649/wk

4.0%

$650-$799/wk

4.2%

$800-$999/wk

4.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

6.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

6.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.5%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.8%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

13.7%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

6.6%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

8.7%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

4.8%

$4,000+/wk

19.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Scarborough Marital Status

Married

33.8% 5,088

Separated

3.3% 497

Divorced

11.0% 1,650

Widowed

3.3% 500

Never married

48.6% 7,320

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Scarborough Ancestry

English

40.8%

Australian

29.9%

Irish

13.2%

Scottish

10.2%

Italian

6.6%

German

4.2%

Dutch

2.4%

Chinese

2.1%

South African

1.5%

New Zealander

1.5%

French

1.4%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Scarborough School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

29.7%

Secondary — Government

18.9%

Vocational Education

17.0%

Pre-school

10.2%

Primary — Catholic

8.9%

Secondary — Catholic

6.5%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

5.4%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Scarborough Need for Assistance

Needs assistance

3.0%

No need for assistance

97.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Scarborough Volunteering

Volunteer

17.7% 2,483

Not a volunteer

82.3% 11,567

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Scarborough Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

5.2%

$300-$449/mo

1.7%

$450-$599/mo

1.2%

$600-$799/mo

2.4%

$800-$999/mo

4.0%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

9.9%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

15.6%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

27.6%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

16.8%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

15.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Scarborough How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

72.7%

Did not go to work

13.4%

Car (passenger)

4.1%

Other

2.3%

Bus

2.3%

Train

1.6%

Walked only

1.6%

Bicycle

0.9%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.5%

Taxi/Rideshare

0.4%

Truck

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Scarborough Car Ownership

0 vehicles

3.9%

1 vehicle

44.2%

2 vehicles

39.6%

3 vehicles

8.8%

4+ vehicles

3.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Scarborough Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

4.8%

2 bedrooms

30.3%

3 bedrooms

49.4%

4 bedrooms

13.8%

5 bedrooms

1.5%

6+ bedrooms

0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Scarborough Population Mobility

21.4%

moved in the last year

55.6%

moved in the last 5 years

3.6%

unemployment rate (Census)

73.1%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Scarborough Indigenous Population

1.0%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Scarborough Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

1,385

Asthma

540

Arthritis

327

Heart disease

260

Diabetes

214

Lung condition

192

Cancer

185

Stroke

103

Kidney disease

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Scarborough Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

6.9%

$1-$149/wk

3.0%

$150-$299/wk

3.6%

$300-$399/wk

1.9%

$400-$499/wk

2.0%

$500-$649/wk

2.3%

$650-$799/wk

6.7%

$800-$999/wk

8.3%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.3%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

9.3%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

8.0%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

16.6%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

4.5%

$3,500+/wk

7.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

Scarborough Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

39.9%

Couple — no children

35.3%

Couple — no children under 15

11.3%

One parent — children under 15

7.3%

One parent — no children under 15

6.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Scarborough Military Service

Current ADF — Regular

0.5% 73

Current ADF — Reserves

0.3% 43

Previously served

2.2% 313

Never served

97.0% 13,658

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Scarborough Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance

9.6% 1,349

Did not provide

90.4% 12,674

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Scarborough Children Ever Born

No children

50.6%

1 child

13.2%

2 children

23.8%

3 children

9.7%

4 children

2.3%

5+ children

0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

Scarborough When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

133

1961–1970

296

1971–1980

377

1981–1990

594

1991–2000

595

2001–2010

1,290

2011–2015

1,053

2016

176

2017

205

2018

205

2019

312

2020

154

2021

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Scarborough Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

27.8%

5–14 hours

32.9%

15–29 hours

10.5%

30+ hours

6.2%

Did not do domestic work

22.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Scarborough Household Size

1 person

34.4%

2 persons

36.9%

3 persons

14.2%

4 persons

11.2%

5 persons

2.8%

6+ persons

0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Scarborough Where Residents Moved From

Same address

12,802

Moved from WA

1,953

Moved — same area (SA2)

733

Moved from overseas

261

Moved from VIC

161

Moved from QLD

134

Moved from NSW

126

Moved from ACT

Moved from SA

Moved from NT

Moved from TAS

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Scarborough Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

82.8%

Step family — no other children

14.7%

Blended family — no other children

2.2%

Other couple — children only

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Scarborough Schools

schools nearby

government

1122

avg ICSEA score

12,183

total students

International School of Western Australia Independent

Combined · PP-12 · 396 students

1180

ICSEA

Kapinara Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 348 students

1166

ICSEA

Holy Spirit School Catholic

Primary · PP-6 · 188 students

1163

ICSEA

Hale School Independent

Combined · PP-12 · 1,623 students

1161

ICSEA

St Mary's Anglican Girls' School Independent

Combined · PP-12 · 1,483 students

1151

ICSEA

Wembley Downs Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 382 students

1134

ICSEA

Holy Rosary School Catholic

Primary · PP-6 · 392 students

1128

ICSEA

Woodlands Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 359 students

1122

ICSEA

Newman College Independent

Combined · PP-12 · 1,824 students

1121

ICSEA

Doubleview Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 476 students

1118

ICSEA

Churchlands Senior High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 2,221 students

1115

ICSEA

Karrinyup Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 561 students

1115

ICSEA

Deanmore Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 486 students

1111

ICSEA

St Dominic's School Catholic

Primary · PP-6 · 138 students

1108

ICSEA

St John's School Catholic

Primary · PP-6 · 164 students

1102

ICSEA

Showing 15 of 19 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Scarborough, with a map

Scarborough Rent Prices & Affordability

19% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,107/wk

Median rent $405/wk

Rent to income 19.2%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Scarborough against your income

Your weekly income

About $9,130 a month

Median rent $405/wk

Left after rent $1,702/wk

Rent share 19.2%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Kambalda West

Income: $1,012/wk Rent: $200/wk $205/wk less rent

Maylands (WA)

Income: $1,050/wk Rent: $300/wk $105/wk less rent

Innaloo

Income: $1,105/wk Rent: $400/wk $5/wk less rent

Wembley

Income: $1,054/wk Rent: $290/wk $115/wk less rent

Boulder

Income: $1,019/wk Rent: $300/wk $105/wk less rent

Kalgoorlie

Income: $1,175/wk Rent: $300/wk $105/wk less rent

Joondanna

Income: $1,036/wk Rent: $330/wk $75/wk less rent

Victoria Park

Income: $1,047/wk Rent: $345/wk $60/wk less rent

Scarborough vs the typical WA suburb

The median personal income in Scarborough is $1,231 a week, 53% above the typical WA suburb ($806). That ranks 49th of 701 WA suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $405 a week, $85 more than the typical WA suburb. Rent takes 19.2% of the median household income here, against 18.6% in the typical WA suburb. The median resident is 36, 5 years younger than in the typical WA suburb (41).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
Measure	Scarborough	Typical WA	Typical Australia
Personal income	$1,231/wk	$806/wk	$766/wk
Household income	$2,107/wk	$1,722/wk	$1,637/wk
Rent	$405/wk	$320/wk	$330/wk
Mortgage repayment	$2,167/mo	$1,759/mo	$1,733/mo
Median age	36	41	42
Rent share of household income	19.2%	18.6%	20.3%

Suburbs near Scarborough

The closest suburb to Scarborough is Doubleview, 1.6 km away.

Doubleview

1.6 km away · income $1,159/wk · rent $400/wk

Trigg

2.2 km away · income $1,110/wk · rent $485/wk

Karrinyup

2.9 km away · income $982/wk · rent $450/wk

Wembley Downs

2.9 km away · income $1,063/wk · rent $470/wk

Woodlands (WA)

3.0 km away · income $890/wk · rent $420/wk

Innaloo

3.0 km away · income $1,105/wk · rent $400/wk

Compare Scarborough (WA)

Frequently Asked Questions About Scarborough

What is the population of Scarborough WA?

The population of Scarborough WA is 17,605 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 3,527 people per km².Scarborough is ranked #198 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Scarborough?

The median personal income in Scarborough WA is $1,231 per week, or $64,012 per year.The median household income is $2,107 per week.Family income is $2,791 per week.Scarborough is ranked #367 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Scarborough?

Median rent in Scarborough WA is $405 per week ($1,755 per month).Rent represents 19.2% of household income, which is considered affordable.Scarborough ranks #1,818 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Scarborough?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Scarborough WA is $2,167. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Scarborough?

The median age in Scarborough WA is 36 years.This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Scarborough a good suburb to live in?

Scarborough is a suburb in Western Australia with a population of 17,605.The median income is $1,231/wk, which is above the typical WA suburb ($806/wk).Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.2% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 51330. All dollar figures in AUD.