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Perth Suburbs with the Most New Housing Coming, UDP Pipeline Ranking
Perth is growing fast. The Department of Planning, Lands & Heritage tracks every significant residential development from initial approval through to 10+ year horizons in its Urban Development Program (UDP). We ranked every metro suburb by the combined 0–10 year pipeline to answer one question: where is the most new housing actually coming?
How we ranked these suburbs
Each suburb’s score is the sum of:
- Short-term dwellings (0–5 years): projects that are either approved or expected to break ground imminently
- Medium-term dwellings (6–10 years): projects in the pipeline with staged release plans
We exclude the long-term (10+ year) pipeline because those numbers shift significantly as master plans change. The 0–10 year figure is the reliable growth signal.
What this means for buyers and renters
More housing coming can be a good thing, it tends to moderate rent growth, improves amenities (shops, cafes, schools follow population), and creates a younger, more active community feel. But it also means construction activity, traffic changes, and shifting streetscapes for 5–10 years.
Baldivis
Baldivis is Perth's poster child for rapid outer-suburban growth — affordable houses on big blocks that attract young families, but the infrastructure hasn't kept up. The Kwinana Freeway commute is a daily pain point with gridlock starting before dawn, and there's no train station despite constant calls for one. Crime and hoons are a recurring gripe, with break-ins and the odd serious incident making headlines. That said, locals rally together — returning lost phones, searching for missing kids, and sharing free spuds from SpudShed. It's car-dependent, still rough around the edges, but gives families a foothold in the Perth market.
Alkimos
Alkimos is a fast-growing coastal suburb on Perth's northern fringe, where locals describe the beach lifestyle as the main drawcard. Residents note the area attracts young families and first-home buyers priced out of closer suburbs, with the iconic SS Alkimos shipwreck adding a unique local identity. People say it can feel remote and car dependence is real, but new infrastructure including a train line, freeway extension, and incoming Costco are steadily closing the gap.
Hilbert
Hilbert is a fast-growing new estate suburb in Perth's south-east, sitting within the City of Armadale. Popular with families and first home buyers seeking affordable land, it offers quiet residential streets, but limited walkability and poor public transport mean a car is essential. Proximity to Armadale brings some safety concerns, and bushfire risk is a factor. Demand for lots consistently outstrips supply.
Yanchep
Yanchep is a fast-growing coastal suburb on Perth's northern fringe, best known for its stunning national park, sheltered lagoon, and affordable land prices that attract first home buyers. Nature lovers relish the bushland trails, caves, and kangaroos on the doorstep. The 2024 rail extension improved connectivity, though residents still navigate frequent train delays, limited shops, and power outages as infrastructure races to keep pace with development.
Eglinton
Eglinton is a fast-growing coastal suburb on Perth's northern fringe, popular with first home buyers drawn by affordable house and land packages and larger block sizes. The beach is a short drive away and a new train station has improved links to the city, though the suburb remains car-dependent and local amenities are still catching up. Investment interest is high given the planned population growth for the corridor.
Byford
Byford is Perth's outer south-east frontier, transitioning from semi-rural paddocks to new housing estates. The long-awaited Metronet rail extension has finally connected it to the city, though construction caused years of road closures. People describe a quiet, nature-rich area bordering the Darling Scarp with wildflowers, frogs, and kangaroo trails, but limited local amenities. Young families building new homes here trade urban convenience for affordability and space, while some worry the train station could bring the same antisocial issues seen at neighbouring Armadale and Kelmscott stops.
Subiaco
Subiaco is one of Perth's most livable inner-western suburbs, anchored by a lively strip of cafes, restaurants, and a beloved weekly farmers market along Rokeby Road. Well-connected by train and highly walkable, it attracts young professionals and families who prize the heritage streetscapes and genuine community atmosphere. A surge of new apartment developments — including ambitious plans for the former oval site — signals rapid change, but the suburb's polished dining scene and established character keep it among Perth's most sought-after addresses.
Burswood
Burswood sits right on the Swan River just minutes from the CBD, offering easy train access and striking riverside parkland. But it carries a well-worn reputation for crime: car break-ins and street safety concerns come up repeatedly from residents and prospective buyers alike. The area is in rapid transition, with a major $3.8 billion peninsula development underway, but for now it reads as a mixed zone of new apartments, car yards and entertainment venues rather than an established neighbourhood.
Two Rocks
Two Rocks sits at Perth's northern frontier, a coastal suburb where first home buyers chase affordable land packages and spectacular Indian Ocean sunsets. The beach at 'The Spot' draws photographers and families, and the Two Rocks Tavern is a local institution. Amenities are thin and a car is non-negotiable, but new development is arriving fast. The area's quirky past, from Atlantis Marine Park to the King Neptune statue, still sparks community debate as developers move in.
Cockburn Central
Cockburn Central is Perth's southern rail hub: built around the Mandurah line interchange and Cockburn Gateway shopping centre, with the Cockburn ARC recreation complex adding genuine lifestyle appeal. Apartments are cheap by Perth standards and new development is ongoing, including an approved surf park and cinema. The trade-off is a utilitarian, freeway-adjacent streetscape that divides opinion: practical and well-connected for commuters, but short on charm and not without antisocial behaviour concerns.
Where to go from here
You can see every one of these developments as polygons on our Explore map, turn on the Developments overlay and tap any project for its expected dwelling count, staging timeline, and developer reference.
If you’re specifically interested in apartment supply, the Apartments incoming scenario preset on the Explore map combines high-density R-codes, activity centres, and developments in one click.
Since this ranking was first published, the development pipeline has become a live map layer. You can now see every UDP project as a polygon on the developments layer, alongside the new zoning and structure plan overlays. If you're weighing up what's coming to a suburb before you buy, start with our guide to checking every hazard on a property and the R-Codes explainer.
Data & methodology
Ranked by the total dwellings in the Urban Development Program’s 0–10 year pipeline, short term (0-5 years) plus medium term (6–10 years), as reported by the WA Department of Planning, Lands & Heritage. Only Perth metro suburbs with population > 500 are included.
Source: raw.raw_residential_developments (loaded quarterly from DPLH SLIP), staged through stg_hazards_developments. Suburb names are matched case-insensitively against the ABS SAL 2021 dimension.
Nick Lilleyman
Founder & Data Lead, Burb Score
Nick built Burb Score to give Perth families a data-driven view of where to live. He works directly with the ACARA, WA Police, ABS Census, WA Rental Bonds and real estate datasets that power every ranking on this site. Rankings are generated programmatically from official data sources, not opinions, and refresh automatically. No sponsored content or paid placements.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include approved apartments and only-planned ones?
Yes, UDP covers both conditionally approved developments (typically short-term) and planned developments that have been lodged but not yet approved. Staging is shown per-project: tap the polygon on the Explore map with the Developments overlay on.
How often is this data updated?
Quarterly. DPLH publishes updated UDP snapshots roughly every three months.
Does more development mean the suburb will get worse to live in?
Not automatically. More housing usually means more shops, cafes, schools, and public transport, but also more construction activity and traffic changes during the build-out. Cross-reference with our crime explorer and school ratings to see how each suburb is trending.
Why 0-10 years not lifetime?
Long-term (10+ years) UDP projections shift materially as master plans are revised. The 0–10 year figure is the most reliable growth signal.
Explore these suburbs further