When it comes to expanding your family, choosing the right place to live can make a huge difference in the quality of life, accessibility, safety, and education. Within Perth and beyond, such as areas like the South West Region, you’re spoilt for choice for great places to live in, whether you’re looking for public transport, affordability, amenities, recreational spaces, or all of the above.
To help you with your decision-making process, we’ve put together this list of Perth’s top five suburbs to raise your children, along with why they’re great locales for families.
How to choose the suburb to build your forever home in when you raising children
Choosing the right suburb requires careful consideration when you’re building your forever home. You’ll be committed to the location for many years, and you want to ensure your family has the benefit of everything from safety and education to community and access to amenities.
- Safety – Living in a safe suburb will give you and your children a sense of security. It could also have an impact on mental well-being and in turn quality of life. Along with investing in creating more liveable environments around the state, the WA state government has directed billions of dollars to build stronger, safer communities. This includes funding for more police officers and community services.
- Education – Education is undoubtedly one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a place to raise your kids. The government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to further improve the public school system in WA. When you’re choosing a suburb, consider accessibility to public (or private) schools.
- Affordability – Where can you afford to buy a block of land or property for a knockdown-rebuild project? Start by checking the suburb’s property prices and consider how much you can afford to borrow.
- Access to amenities – The WA government is currently undertaking numerous road-upgrade projects to increase access and connectivity and has committed $30.7 billion to an infrastructure upgrade program in the 2021-2022 budget. When you’re choosing a suburb, review proximity to essential amenities. These can include supermarkets, shopping centres, restaurants and cafes, public transport, green spaces, sports and leisure centres, and community centres.
- Community and family-friendly atmosphere – Every area has its own character and personality. A location with a strong community and family-friendly atmosphere can give you access to valuable local networks and rewarding friendships. This sense of local community can give your kids a better sense of belonging and identity as they grow up.
Top suburbs for raising kids in Perth, Western Australia
These are some of the best suburbs for raising kids in Western Australia, but by no means is it a complete list. To discover more wonderful areas for raising families, explore Plunkett Home’s extensive list of suburbs where we can help you build your dream home in Perth, and find out more about the advantages of living in the South West Region of WA.
1. Piara Waters
Located approximately 20 kilometres south-southeast of Perth, you’ll find Piara Waters. This flourishing suburb sits within the city of Armadale and is surrounded by gently sweeping countryside and pretty natural parks and reserves. This suburb is a great place for young families.
- Safety– Piara Waters is a safe place to live, with the local demographic largely made up of families with kids, professionals, singles and retirees.
- Leisure and sporting spaces – Piara Waters has its own community and sporting pavilion, football/cricket field, playground and several parks/nature reserves complete with playgrounds, skateboard parks and walking trails.
- Amenities – The suburb has a buzzing eatery scene complete with restaurants, cafes and bars. There are also plenty of shopping centres and supermarkets including Piara Village and Stockland Harrisdale Shopping Centre, where locals can buy fresh produce, modern fashion, arts & crafts, homewares, electronics and more.
- Schools – Piara Waters has plenty of public and private schools to choose from including Piara Waters Primary School, Harrisdale Senior High School, Providence Christian College and St John Bosco College. All of which are within easy walking/driving distance.
- Capital growth – Piara Waters has supported surprisingly strong growth in recent times. Median house prices in the area have outperformed the rest of Perth over the last 5 years with median house prices growing 26.2% compared to a 9.3% average across the rest of the city.
- Affordability – Last month Piara Waters had 21 properties available for rent and 66 properties for sale. The median house price is $630,000. If you are looking for an investment property, houses in Piara Waters rent out for $550p/w with an annual rental yield of 5.1%. Based on five years of sales, Piara Waters has seen a compound growth rate of 11.7% for houses.
2. Carine
Carine is just 14 kilometres from the CBD and it’s a safe suburb with plenty of parks, community activities, and local amenities.
- Safety – Carine has a low crime rate, with just 116 offences reported in 2016-17.
- Education – Carine is known for its highly rated schools, and local schools include Carine Primary School and Carine Senior High School.
- Community – Carine has a rich community and hosts two annual fairs, the Carine Community Fair and the Summerset Art Festival.
- Amenities – Carine has lots of parks and recreational hubs. For example, the Carine Open Space is an excellent venue for sporting activities, with its skate park, ovals, bushland, and tennis courts. It’s also home to many cafes, restaurants, and the popular family-friendly pub Carine Glades Tavern.
- Affordability and investment potential – Carine may be among the pricier suburbs in Perth, given its median sales price of $1.04 million. However, it has good investment potential with rental growth at 7.1%.
3. Mullaloo
Mullaloo is a suburb to the north of Perth, around 26 kilometres from the CBD. This coastal suburb is ideal for families given its abundance of beaches, parks, sporting events, and local amenities.
- Safety – Mullaloo is a safe suburb, with just 153 offences reported in the 2016-17 period.
- Transport – Mullaloo is located close to the Mitchell Freeway and has easy accessibility to Whitford Station and the Joondalup train line.
- Community and events – The Joondalup Autumn Classic Aquathlon and the Mullaloo Triathlon are some of the exciting sporting and community events held in the suburb.
- Education – Mullaloo and its surrounds offers a lot of education options for families, including Mullaloo Beach Primary School, Mullaloo Heights Primary School, and Ocean Reef Senior High School. Other schools close by are Whitford Catholic Primary School, Beldon Primary School, Ocean Reef Primary School, Craigie Heights Primary School, Belridge Secondary College, Ocean Reef Senior High School, Mater Dei College, Prendiville Catholic College, and St Mark’s Anglican Community School.
- Prices – Median land price is $800,000 for the year to January 2023.
- Growth – Mullaloo is experiencing strong capital growth, with an annual capital growth rate of 16.92% as of October 2022.
4. Bayswater
Bayswater is just 6 kilometres from the CBD and bordered by the magnificent Swan River towards the south. Bayswater is considered one of the more affordable suburbs. An easy commute and plenty of amenities and schools make this a dream suburb for any household, including those with growing families.
- Safety – Bayswater has a low crime rate of just 3.4 per 100 residents.
- Amenities – Bayswater is home to an abundance of shops, restaurants, schools, and public transport options (including buses and trains). An aquatic centre, skate park, golf course, tennis courts, parks, the Swan River, and a local bird sanctuary round out the long list of amenities.
- Education – Local primary schools include Bayswater Primary School, St Columba’s School, Durham Road School, Hillcrest Primary School, Maylands Peninsula Primary School, Embleton Primary School, and Inglewood Primary School. High schools include Durham Road School, Chisholm Catholic College, John Forrest Secondary College, Cyril Jackson Senior Campus, Hampton Senior High School, Perth College, and Mount Lawley Senior High School.
- Growth – The median sale price for Bayswater is $700,100 in the year to December 2022 and this is indicative of strong capital growth potential, at 10.3% in the same period.
5. Churchlands
Churchlands is a striking, leafy green suburb just 8 kilometres northwest of the CBD. This sought-after locale is just a short walk to City Beach Floreat, or Scarborough, with great public transport and lots of amenities.
- Safety – Churchlandshas a low crime rate of 2.42 per 100 people.
- Recreation and amenities – Churchlands is close to Herdsman Lake, a popular recreational destination and wildlife sanctuary. Churchlands is home to four schools, which is another reason it’s an excellent option for families. For shopping and groceries, Westfield Innaloo and Watertown are nearby.
- Growth – Churchlands has a median house price of $1,570,000, up 1.6% in the past 12-month period.
- Education – Local and nearby schools include Churchlands Primary, Churchlands Senior High School, Newman College, Woodlands Primary, and Anglican Hale School.
Conclusion
When choosing the right suburb for you and your kids, safety is probably one of your biggest priorities. Access to good schools and amenities, along with affordability and community, and a family-friendly atmosphere are probably some of the other key criteria your chosen location needs to fulfill. This list is a great starting point to help you decide. Keep in mind Perth and the South West Region have dozens of wonderful suburbs that can satisfy these requirements.
If you have any questions about building your own home and the best Perth suburbs for you and your family, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team. Plunkett Homes has been proudly building homes for Western Australians since 1903. We’re not only the best home builders; we’re the best locals to talk to about your home-building goals. Contact us today with your questions!
