Question 1

Is Balcatta a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

Balcatta is a practical, established suburb in Perth’s northern suburbs where quiet residential streets sit alongside pockets of light industry and commercial strips. Mid-century brick and weatherboard homes sit beside newer infill townhouses, and the area tends to suit families, tradespeople and commuters who value convenience over frills. Day-to-day life revolves around local parks, sporting clubs and schools, with a scattering of shops and multicultural eateries along the main roads.

Home to 10,813 people with a median age of 39, Balcatta is a suburb of families and owner-occupiers — around two-thirds of dwellings are owner-occupied and renters make up about a third. Major transport works and upgrades are under way nearby and there has been significant investment in community infrastructure, including a state-funded redevelopment at Balcatta Senior High School, staged upgrades at Osborne Park Hospital and funding for local sports reserves. Whether it suits you comes down to what you need day to day.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in Balcatta?

Accepted Answer

Buying in Balcatta sits well above local incomes as recorded at the most recent Census. The median house price of $1,036,000 is about 13.0 times a typical local household's annual income at the last Census, and the median unit price of $810,000 is about 10.1 times that annual income. Those multiples show buying is considerably larger than what a typical local household earned at the last Census.

Renting also takes a large share of local incomes. Average house rent of $775 a week would use about 50.5% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, and average unit rent of $720 a week would use about 46.9% of that weekly income. Which measure matters most depends on whether you plan to rent or buy and on your own circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Question 3

Is Balcatta a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

Unit values in Balcatta jumped 27.7% over the past 12 months, the largest movement among the four measures. House values also rose strongly, up 20.8% over the same period.

Rents for both property types increased too, with house rents up 10.7% and unit rents up 10.8% over the year. The value changes point to the bigger moves in capital terms, while the rent changes are the numbers that matter if rental income is your focus. Whether that mix suits your plans depends on your own goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$1.04M	$810K
Change in value Past 12 months	20.8%	27.7%
Sold Past 3 months	20	10
Median days on market Past 12 months	8	7
Average rent Past 12 months	$775	$720
Change in rent Past 12 months	10.7%	10.8%

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