Shelley, WA: suburb profile

The population of Shelley WA is 4,795 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Shelley is $898 per week ($46,696 per year). Median rent in Shelley is $380 per week ($1,647 per month). Shelley has a median age of 42 years, older than the national median of 38. Shelley has a population density of 2,247 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Shelley is England. The most common religion is No religion (34.9% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Shelley is $2,275.

Population
4,795
Census 2021
Median income
$898/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$380/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
42years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021.

Shelley vs the typical WA suburb

The median personal income in Shelley is $898 a week, 11% above the typical WA suburb ($806). That ranks 235th of 701 WA suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $380 a week, $60 more than the typical WA suburb. Rent takes 17.4% of the median household income here, against 18.6% in the typical WA suburb. The median resident is 42, 1 year older 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.
MeasureShelleyTypical WADifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$898/wk$806/wk +11%$766/wk
Household income$2,186/wk$1,722/wk +27%$1,637/wk
Rent$380/wk$320/wk +19%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,275/mo$1,759/mo +29%$1,733/mo
Median age4241 +1 yrs42
Rent share of household income17.4%18.6% −1.3 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Shelley, the typical WA suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Shelley Population

4,795 residents at the 2021 Census.

Shelley Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$898/wk
$46,696 per year
Ranked 2,170 of 14,663
Median Rent
$380/wk
$1,647 per month
Ranked 2,445 of 14,663
Median Age
42years
4 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,275/mo
Avg household size: 2.7 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Shelley Rent Prices & Affordability

17% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $2,186/wk
Median rent $380/wk
Rent to income 17.4%

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

Median rent in Shelley against your income

About $9,473 a month
Median rent $380/wk
Left after rent $1,806/wk
Rent share 17.4%

Shelley Schools

31
schools nearby
20
government
1081
avg ICSEA score
17,538
total students
Oberthur Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 646 students
1174
ICSEA
All Saints' College Independent
Combined · PP-12 · 1,374 students
1162
ICSEA
Rossmoyne Primary School Government
Primary · PP-6 · 407 students
1147
ICSEA
Bull Creek Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 405 students
1139
ICSEA
St Pius X Catholic School Catholic
Primary · PP-6 · 172 students
1136
ICSEA
Shelley Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 439 students
1136
ICSEA
Rostrata Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 947 students
1135
ICSEA
Rossmoyne Senior High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 2,824 students
1135
ICSEA
Willetton Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 626 students
1133
ICSEA
Willetton Senior High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 2,767 students
1131
ICSEA
Riverton Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 650 students
1127
ICSEA
Burrendah Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 554 students
1122
ICSEA
Queen of Apostles School Catholic
Primary · PP-6 · 208 students
1115
ICSEA
Aquinas College Catholic
Combined · PP-12 · 1,332 students
1110
ICSEA
Manning Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 436 students
1105
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 31 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 Shelley, with a map

Shelley Map

Shelley, Western Australia Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Shelley, Western Australia: 32.0307°S, 115.8872°E

Shelley Schools (31)

People in Shelley

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.5% (2,325) Female 51.5% (2,469)

Population Density

2,247
people per km²
4,795 people · 2.1 km²

Households

2.7
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,609
Family income/wk

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)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
6.7%
India
6.2%
Malaysia
5.2%
China
4.1%
Sri Lanka
2.3%
Singapore
2.1%
New Zealand
2.0%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
8.0%
Cantonese
2.6%
Tamil
2.0%
Sinhalese
2.0%
Malayalam
1.6%
Arabic
1.5%
Korean
1.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
32.3%
Australian
18.7%
Chinese
16.8%
Indian
8.1%
Irish
7.8%
Scottish
7.7%
Italian
3.8%
German
2.5%
Dutch
1.9%
Korean
1.7%
Sri Lankan
1.5%

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

Religion

No religion
34.9%
Catholic
17.9%
Anglican
8.8%
Buddhism
6.4%
Hinduism
6.3%
Islam
4.4%
Christian (other)
4.0%
Not stated
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
59.0% 2,311
Separated
2.2% 88
Divorced
6.2% 243
Widowed
4.0% 155
Never married
28.6% 1,120

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
43.5%
Couple: no children
24.2%
Couple: no children under 15
22.6%
One parent: no children under 15
5.2%
One parent: children under 15
4.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
19.4%
2 persons
32.6%
3 persons
16.7%
4 persons
20.8%
5 persons
8.3%
6+ persons
2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Shelley

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,701 occupied private dwellings in Shelley at the 2021 Census, 24.4% were rented, 40.9% owned outright and 32.9% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.0% 17 dwellings
Owned outright
40.9% 696 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
32.9% 559 dwellings
Rented
24.4% 415 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.6% 11 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
78.7%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
20.0%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
0.9%
2 bedrooms
10.2%
3 bedrooms
37.7%
4 bedrooms
39.5%
5 bedrooms
9.4%
6+ bedrooms
2.2%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
9.3%
$300-$449/mo
1.7%
$450-$599/mo
1.2%
$600-$799/mo
3.8%
$800-$999/mo
3.3%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
8.4%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
14.3%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.4%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
13.6%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
21.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
3.0%
1 vehicle
29.6%
2 vehicles
45.6%
3 vehicles
14.1%
4+ vehicles
7.7%

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

Work, income and education in Shelley

Employment

Employed full-time
36.7% 1,368 people
Employed part-time
23.7% 883 people
Unemployed
3.2% 121 people
Not in labour force
36.4% 1,359 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
44.3%
Managers
16.2%
Clerical & Administrative
11.2%
Technicians & Trade Workers
10.1%
Community & Personal Service
7.1%
Sales Workers
5.1%
Labourers
3.7%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.3%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.5%
$1-$149/wk
0.4%
$150-$299/wk
1.4%
$300-$399/wk
2.1%
$400-$499/wk
4.4%
$500-$649/wk
3.0%
$650-$799/wk
4.7%
$800-$999/wk
4.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
10.6%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.2%
$4,000+/wk
24.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
14.4%
$1-$149/wk
5.3%
$150-$299/wk
5.9%
$300-$399/wk
2.9%
$400-$499/wk
2.5%
$500-$649/wk
2.5%
$650-$799/wk
7.1%
$800-$999/wk
7.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
12.2%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.5%
$3,500+/wk
7.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
76.0%
Did not go to work
11.3%
Car (passenger)
4.7%
Train
2.6%
Bus
2.4%
Other
0.7%
Bicycle
0.6%
Truck
0.6%
Walked only
0.5%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.2%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.2%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
80.0%
Year 10 or equivalent
12.6%
Year 11 or equivalent
5.5%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.9%

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

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
41.1%
Postgraduate Degree
19.9%
Certificate III/IV
17.0%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
15.5%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.0%
Certificate I/II
1.5%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
25.4%
Engineering
19.2%
Health
14.5%
Society & Culture
10.9%
Education
8.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
6.6%
Information Technology
4.1%
Architecture & Building
3.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.1%
Creative Arts
2.9%
Agriculture & Environment
1.5%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
37.6%
Secondary: Government
34.1%
Vocational Education
9.0%
Pre-school
7.2%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
3.6%
Secondary: Catholic
3.3%
Primary: Catholic
3.1%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
2.1%

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

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
94.6%
Has need for assistance
3.0%
Need for assistance not stated
2.6%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
289
Arthritis
125
Diabetes
124
Heart disease
122
Asthma
122
Cancer
66
Lung condition
54
Kidney disease
34
Stroke
29
Dementia
6

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.2% 501
Did not provide
86.8% 3,286

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
20.8% 793
Not a volunteer
79.2% 3,020

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 3
Previously served
2.7% 102
Never served
97.2% 3,713

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
30.4%
1 child
12.4%
2 children
33.9%
3 children
18.1%
4 children
4.9%
5+ children
0.3%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
25
1951: 1960
56
1961: 1970
144
1971: 1980
145
1981: 1990
301
1991: 2000
273
2001: 2010
580
2011: 2015
394
2016
85
2017
60
2018
69
2019
72
2020
44
2021
14

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

Population Mobility

15.8%
moved in the last year
41.9%
moved in the last 5 years
4.8%
unemployment rate (Census)
63.0%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
3,917
Moved from WA
456
Moved: same area (SA2)
151
Moved from overseas
64
Moved from NSW
25
Moved from VIC
22
Moved from QLD
5

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
24.1%
5: 14 hours
29.6%
15: 29 hours
14.0%
30+ hours
9.8%
Did not do domestic work
22.5%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
89.1%
Step family: no other children
8.6%
Blended family: no other children
1.3%
Intact family: other children present
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Moora (WA)
Income: $743/wk Rent: $230/wk $150/wk less rent
Mosman Park (WA)
Income: $1,030/wk Rent: $300/wk $80/wk less rent
Parkwood (WA)
Income: $738/wk Rent: $350/wk $30/wk less rent
Beaconsfield (WA)
Income: $885/wk Rent: $350/wk $30/wk less rent
Bedfordale
Income: $967/wk Rent: $370/wk $10/wk less rent
Narrogin
Income: $719/wk Rent: $240/wk $140/wk less rent
Tarcoola Beach
Income: $1,027/wk Rent: $300/wk $80/wk less rent
Pink Lake
Income: $851/wk Rent: $300/wk $80/wk less rent

Suburbs near Shelley

The closest suburb to Shelley is Riverton (WA), 1.0 km away.

Riverton (WA)
1.0 km away · income $755/wk · rent $400/wk
Waterford (WA)
1.6 km away · income $801/wk · rent $410/wk
Salter Point
2.0 km away · income $878/wk · rent $450/wk
Rossmoyne
2.0 km away · income $730/wk · rent $465/wk
Manning
2.6 km away · income $941/wk · rent $340/wk
Karawara
2.6 km away · income $588/wk · rent $300/wk

Compare Shelley (WA)

Frequently Asked Questions About Shelley

What is the population of Shelley WA?

The population of Shelley WA is 4,795 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,247 people per km². Shelley is ranked #1,635 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Shelley?

The median personal income in Shelley WA is $898 per week, or $46,696 per year. The median household income is $2,186 per week. Family income is $2,609 per week. Shelley is ranked #2,170 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Shelley?

Median rent in Shelley WA is $380 per week ($1,647 per month). Rent represents 17.4% of household income, which is considered affordable. Shelley ranks #2,445 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Shelley?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Shelley WA is $2,275. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Shelley?

The median age in Shelley WA is 42 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Shelley a good suburb to live in?

Shelley is a suburb in Western Australia with a population of 4,795. The median income is $898/wk, which is above the typical WA suburb ($806/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (17.4% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Perth Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 51345. All dollar figures in AUD.