Joondalup, WA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Joondalup is the thriving urban centre of Perth's outer north, about twenty-six kilometres from the city and the heart of the regional City of Joondalup. Unlike Perth's older suburbs, it is largely a planned creation: the 1970 Corridor Plan earmarked the area as one of a handful of 'sub-regional' centres meant to draw activity away from the CBD, yet the land stayed mostly undeveloped until houses and businesses arrived through the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning it the nickname 'city of the north'. It takes its name from Lake Joondalup on its eastern edge — a Noongar word first written down in 1837 and thought to mean either 'place of glistening' or, more curiously, 'place of a creature that can only move backwards'. The Yellagonga Regional Park frames the lake.
More advantaged than the national average
Joondalup is more socio-economically advantaged than about 63% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1009, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Joondalup at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 9,193
- Median age
- 39
- Median weekly household income
- $1,688
- SEIFA score
- 1009
- Coordinates
- -31.7401, 115.7709
Joondalup demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Joondalup using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 28%, 41% of homes are rented, and 48% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,195 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,416 | 15% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 2,600 | 28% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,406 | 26% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,583 | 17% |
Share of the 9,200 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 866 | 24% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,177 | 33% |
| Rented | 1,461 | 41% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,037 | 57% |
| Townhouses & semis | 679 | 19% |
| Flats & apartments | 847 | 24% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 3,585 occupied private dwellings in Joondalup.
- Median weekly rent
- $360
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,144
- Median weekly personal income
- $815
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,207 (48%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,555 (18%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 98 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 4,893 (63%)
- Labour-force participation
- 65%
- Unemployment rate
- 6%
- Employed full-time
- 2,844
- Employed part-time
- 1,762
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Joondalup
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Joondalup is February (average daytime high around 29.5°C) and the coolest is August (around 17.7°C). The area receives roughly 614 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.4°C | 19.4°C | 24 mm |
| Feb | 29.5°C | 19.6°C | 19 mm |
| Mar | 27.8°C | 18.7°C | 39 mm |
| Apr | 24.1°C | 15.7°C | 39 mm |
| May | 20.7°C | 12.8°C | 73 mm |
| Jun | 18.3°C | 11.4°C | 98 mm |
| Jul | 17.4°C | 11.2°C | 113 mm |
| Aug | 17.7°C | 10.5°C | 97 mm |
| Sep | 19.1°C | 11.5°C | 47 mm |
| Oct | 21.6°C | 13.3°C | 38 mm |
| Nov | 24.8°C | 15.6°C | 19 mm |
| Dec | 27.7°C | 18°C | 8 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Joondalup
Where is Joondalup?
Joondalup is a suburb of Western Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Joondalup?
At the 2021 Census, Joondalup had a population of about 9,193.
Is Joondalup an advantaged area?
Joondalup has an ABS SEIFA score of 1009, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 63 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 63% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Joondalup?
Joondalup has average daytime highs of about 23.2°C and overnight lows of about 14.8°C, with roughly 614 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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