# Ferndale vs St James — 2021 Census comparison

Suburb / Locality comparison · about 3.7 km apart

St James (WA) and Ferndale (WA) are neighbouring areas in Perth with very different profiles. St James (WA) is much younger, with a typical resident aged 32, and has a high proportion of renters at 46.5%. This area also has more university qualifications, with 35.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, residents are far older in Ferndale (WA), where the typical age is 41 and 22.9% are seniors. Ferndale (WA) has more detached houses and larger homes, with 89.5% of dwellings having three or more bedrooms.

Both areas share a similar number of people per home and have almost identical shares of people who identify as having no religion. They also have very similar typical weekly rents. While they are close by, St James (WA) is more connected, with a far higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of schools and groceries.

## Where they differ most

- Renting: 24.9 pts higher in St James
- Recent movers: 18.7 pts higher in St James
- Owned outright: 17.6 pts higher in Ferndale
- Recent arrivals: 16.2 pts higher in St James
- Median age: 9 yrs older in Ferndale

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 4,457 | 4,894 | 437 larger in St James | gap widening |
| Median age | 41 yrs | 32 yrs | 9 yrs older in Ferndale | gap steady |
| First Nations | 2.1% | 2.8% | 0.7 pts higher in St James | gap steady |
| Aged 65+ | 22.9% | 9.4% | 13.5 pts higher in Ferndale | gap widening |
| Under 15 | 16.4% | 14.8% | 1.6 pts higher in Ferndale | gap steady |
| De facto | 10.9% | 14.0% | 3.0 pts higher in St James | gap widening |

### Age structure

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Young adults (25–44) | 27.3% | 39.2% | -11.9 |
| Seniors (65+) | 22.9% | 9.4% | +13.5 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 22.8% | 20.7% | +2.0 |
| Children (0–14) | 16.4% | 14.8% | +1.6 |
| Youth (15–24) | 10.8% | 15.8% | -5.0 |

### Marital status

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Never married | 33.8% | 49.8% | -16.0 |
| Married | 47.1% | 36.5% | +10.5 |
| Divorced | 10.2% | 8.6% | +1.7 |
| Widowed | 6.4% | 2.6% | +3.8 |
| Separated | 2.8% | 2.5% | +0.2 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | Ferndale male | Ferndale female | St James male | St James female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 3.1% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| 5–9 | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| 10–14 | 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| 15–19 | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| 20–24 | 3.0% | 2.8% | 5.8% | 4.8% |
| 25–29 | 2.8% | 3.1% | 7.0% | 5.5% |
| 30–34 | 3.6% | 3.9% | 6.1% | 5.9% |
| 35–39 | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| 40–44 | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| 45–49 | 2.8% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 2.9% |
| 50–54 | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
| 55–59 | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.4% |
| 60–64 | 2.8% | 3.0% | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| 65–69 | 2.9% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
| 70–74 | 2.9% | 3.0% | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| 75–79 | 1.8% | 2.4% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| 80–84 | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| 85+ | 1.5% | 1.8% | 0.2% | 0.9% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 36.1% | 39.0% | 2.9 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |

### Country of birth

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 58.9% | 55.6% | +3.3 |
| England | 8.1% | 4.2% | +3.9 |
| India | 2.1% | 3.4% | -1.3 |
| New Zealand | 2.6% | 2.0% | +0.6 |
| China | 2.4% | 2.1% | +0.3 |
| Nepal | 0.2% | 1.5% | -1.3 |
| Philippines | 1.0% | 1.2% | -0.3 |
| Vietnam | 0.6% | 1.1% | -0.6 |
| South Africa | 1.1% | 0.7% | +0.3 |
| Italy | 0.5% | 0.8% | -0.3 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 38.0% | 30.5% | +7.5 |
| Australian | 28.9% | 25.7% | +3.3 |
| Irish | 9.5% | 8.9% | +0.6 |
| Scottish | 8.7% | 8.0% | +0.7 |
| Chinese | 8.2% | 7.9% | +0.2 |
| Italian | 3.2% | 5.6% | -2.5 |
| Indian | 2.7% | 3.8% | -1.0 |
| Dutch | 3.3% | 1.8% | +1.5 |
| German | 3.3% | 2.6% | +0.7 |
| Filipino | 1.3% | 1.8% | -0.5 |
| Vietnamese | 0.7% | 1.4% | -0.7 |
| Greek | 0.4% | 0.5% | -0.1 |

## Language

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 21.1% | 28.8% | 7.7 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |
| Limited English | 3.3% | 3.4% | 0.0 pts higher in St James | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 73.7% | 65.6% | +8.0 |
| Mandarin | 4.4% | 4.1% | +0.3 |
| Vietnamese | 0.7% | 1.4% | -0.7 |
| Cantonese | 1.2% | 1.2% | +0.0 |
| Italian | 0.4% | 1.1% | -0.7 |
| Arabic | 0.7% | 1.0% | -0.2 |
| Punjabi | 0.5% | 0.9% | -0.4 |
| Hindi | 0.4% | 0.9% | -0.5 |
| Tagalog | 0.2% | 0.3% | -0.1 |
| Greek | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 44.5% | 44.1% | 0.4 pts higher in Ferndale | gap steady |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 44.5% | 44.1% | +0.4 |
| Christianity | 39.1% | 32.6% | +6.5 |
| Not stated | 6.9% | 7.5% | -0.6 |
| Buddhism | 3.2% | 5.3% | -2.1 |
| Islam | 3.8% | 5.2% | -1.4 |
| Hinduism | 1.7% | 4.0% | -2.3 |
| Other religions | 0.9% | 1.2% | -0.3 |
| Judaism | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 59.9% | 71.1% | 11.2 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |
| Bachelor+ | 24.6% | 35.5% | 10.8 pts higher in St James | gap widening |
| Schools/1k kids | 1.37 | 1.38 | 0.01 more in St James |  |
| Schools ≤3 km | 31 | 27 | 4 more in Ferndale |  |
| Avg size | 442 | 467 | 24 larger in St James |  |
| ICSEA | 1,040 | 1,051 | 12 higher in St James |  |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 59.9% | 71.1% | -11.2 |
| Year 10 | 18.1% | 11.3% | +6.8 |
| Year 11 | 8.7% | 5.4% | +3.3 |
| Year 9 or below | 6.4% | 5.6% | +0.8 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor degree | 27.0% | 34.0% | -6.9 |
| Certificate III / IV | 28.8% | 19.6% | +9.2 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 14.9% | 13.8% | +1.1 |
| Postgraduate degree | 6.8% | 12.9% | -6.1 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 4.0% | 4.0% | -0.1 |
| Certificate I / II | 2.6% | 1.8% | +0.8 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Management & commerce | 16.5% | 18.9% | -2.4 |
| Engineering & related | 16.9% | 14.9% | +2.0 |
| Society & culture | 11.4% | 12.3% | -1.0 |
| Health | 11.4% | 10.8% | +0.6 |
| Education | 7.5% | 6.5% | +1.0 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 5.1% | 4.3% | +0.9 |
| Architecture & building | 4.7% | 4.9% | -0.2 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 4.1% | 4.9% | -0.7 |
| Creative arts | 3.7% | 4.8% | -1.0 |
| Information technology | 2.6% | 4.1% | -1.5 |
| Agriculture & environment | 1.9% | 1.7% | +0.2 |

## Income

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $745 | $888 | $143 higher in St James | gap widening |
| Household income | $1,533 | $1,827 | $294 higher in St James | gap widening |
| Family income | $2,003 | $2,254 | $251 higher in St James | gap widening |
| High earners | 10.5% | 12.8% | 2.3 pts higher in St James | gap steady |
| High-income homes | 18.2% | 21.6% | 3.4 pts higher in St James | gap widening |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 29.1% | 32.0% | -2.9 |
| $650–$1,499 | 28.7% | 21.4% | +7.4 |
| Under $650 | 17.2% | 16.9% | +0.3 |
| $4,000 or more | 8.4% | 11.4% | -3.0 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 9.8% | 10.2% | -0.4 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 42.3% | 36.8% | +5.5 |
| $650–$1,499 | 29.5% | 31.8% | -2.3 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 18.2% | 21.0% | -2.8 |
| $3,000 or more | 2.9% | 3.8% | -0.9 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 29.9% | 23.0% | 6.9 pts higher in Ferndale |  |
| Mental health | 8.8% | 10.0% | 1.2 pts higher in St James |  |
| Needs assistance | 6.2% | 3.7% | 2.6 pts higher in Ferndale | gap widening |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mental health | 8.8% | 10.0% | -1.2 |
| Arthritis | 9.2% | 5.4% | +3.7 |
| Other condition | 8.5% | 7.0% | +1.4 |
| Asthma | 7.7% | 6.7% | +1.0 |
| Diabetes | 5.6% | 3.6% | +2.0 |
| Heart disease | 4.2% | 2.4% | +1.8 |
| Cancer | 3.5% | 2.1% | +1.4 |
| Lung condition | 2.1% | 1.6% | +0.5 |
| Stroke | 1.2% | 0.6% | +0.6 |
| Dementia | 1.0% | 0.3% | +0.7 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 62.3% | 69.4% | -7.1 |
| One condition | 19.8% | 16.3% | +3.5 |
| Two conditions | 7.2% | 4.5% | +2.7 |
| Three or more | 3.0% | 2.3% | +0.7 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 16.3% | 15.0% | 1.4 pts higher in Ferndale | gap steady |
| Unpaid carers | 12.2% | 8.9% | 3.2 pts higher in Ferndale | gap steady |
| Unpaid child care | 26.8% | 22.1% | 4.7 pts higher in Ferndale | gap narrowing |
| Defence service | 3.4% | 1.8% | 1.6 pts higher in Ferndale |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 20.5% | 14.9% | 5.6 pts higher in Ferndale | gap narrowing |

## First Nations

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 95 | 139 | 44 larger in St James |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 26 yrs | 4 yrs older in St James |  |
| Year 12 | 25.4% | 41.7% | 16.2 pts higher in St James |  |
| Unemployment | 19.4% | 9.3% | 10.2 pts higher in Ferndale |  |
| Median income | $474 | $455 | $19 higher in Ferndale |  |
| Household income | $1,187 | $1,281 | $94 higher in St James |  |
| Indigenous language | 17.9% | 8.6% | 9.3 pts higher in Ferndale |  |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.4 | 2.4 |  | gap narrowing |
| One-parent | 13.5% | 13.7% | 0.1 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |
| Living alone | 28.1% | 30.1% | 2.0 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |

### Family composition

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 55.0% | 53.4% | +1.6 |
| Couples without children | 29.4% | 30.0% | -0.6 |
| One-parent families | 13.5% | 13.7% | -0.1 |
| Other families | 1.9% | 2.8% | -0.9 |

### Household size

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 people | 34.1% | 32.9% | +1.2 |
| 1 person | 28.1% | 30.1% | -2.0 |
| 3 people | 16.4% | 15.7% | +0.7 |
| 4 people | 14.2% | 14.1% | +0.1 |
| 5 people | 4.9% | 5.2% | -0.4 |
| 6 or more | 1.9% | 2.3% | -0.4 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $314 | $330 | $16 higher in St James | gap widening |
| Mortgage | $1,700 | $1,842 | $142 higher in St James | gap narrowing |
| People / bedroom | 0.70 | 0.80 | 0.10 higher in St James | gap steady |
| Renting | 21.6% | 46.5% | 24.9 pts higher in St James | gap steady |
| Owned outright | 35.5% | 17.9% | 17.6 pts higher in Ferndale | gap widening |
| Separate houses | 82.2% | 70.0% | 12.2 pts higher in Ferndale | gap widening |
| 3+ bedrooms | 89.5% | 74.5% | 14.9 pts higher in Ferndale | gap narrowing |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rented | 21.6% | 46.5% | -24.9 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 40.2% | 33.2% | +7.0 |
| Owned outright | 35.5% | 17.9% | +17.6 |
| Other tenure | 1.7% | 1.4% | +0.3 |
| Not stated | 0.6% | 0.9% | -0.4 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 82.2% | 70.0% | +12.2 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 17.4% | 25.7% | -8.3 |
| Flat or apartment | 0.3% | 4.1% | -3.7 |
| Other dwelling | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 51.4% | 49.3% | +2.1 |
| 4 bedrooms | 33.0% | 18.8% | +14.2 |
| 2 bedrooms | 8.9% | 18.9% | -10.0 |
| 5 or more | 5.1% | 6.5% | -1.4 |
| 1 bedroom | 1.4% | 5.1% | -3.7 |
| Studio / none | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $200–$349 | 48.8% | 31.1% | +17.7 |
| $350–$549 | 34.9% | 41.6% | -6.7 |
| Under $200 | 12.9% | 21.7% | -8.8 |
| $550–$749 | 0.0% | 2.4% | -2.4 |
| $750 or more | 0.0% | 1.0% | -1.0 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 40.1% | 32.8% | +7.3 |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 33.4% | 36.5% | -3.2 |
| Under $1,000 | 16.1% | 11.0% | +5.1 |
| $3,000 or more | 8.1% | 13.2% | -5.2 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 4.6% | 8.7% | 4.1 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 6.4% | 0.5 pts higher in Ferndale | gap steady |
| PT commute | 3.0% | 8.2% | 5.2 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |
| PT stops | 34 | 22 | 12 more in Ferndale |  |
| Stops/1k | 7.63 | 4.50 | 3.13 more in Ferndale |  |
| Departures/1k | 2,486.2 | 2,045.2 | 441.0 more in Ferndale |  |
| PT routes | 5 | 11 | 6 more in St James |  |
| Stop walk | 6 | 4 | 2 longer in Ferndale |  |
| Drive to city | 16 | 9 | 7 longer in Ferndale |  |
| Reach 30 min | 13,992 | 20,612 | 6,620 more in St James |  |
| Reach 45 min | 33,254 | 139,839 | 106,585 more in St James |  |
| Transit to city | 65 | 44 | 21 longer in Ferndale |  |

### How people get to work

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 64.9% | 61.6% | +3.3 |
| Bus | 2.1% | 7.5% | -5.4 |
| Worked at home | 6.9% | 6.4% | +0.5 |
| Car (passenger) | 3.9% | 5.7% | -1.8 |
| Walked | 0.6% | 1.3% | -0.7 |
| Bicycle | 0.8% | 1.1% | -0.3 |
| Train | 0.9% | 0.7% | +0.2 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 vehicles | 40.6% | 37.1% | +3.5 |
| 1 vehicle | 37.0% | 38.6% | -1.7 |
| 3 vehicles | 12.5% | 10.3% | +2.2 |
| No vehicle | 4.6% | 8.7% | -4.1 |
| 4 or more | 5.5% | 5.4% | +0.1 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 31.8% | 50.5% | 18.7 pts higher in St James | gap widening |
| Recent arrivals | 7.9% | 24.2% | 16.2 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 5.2% | 5.4% | 0.2 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |
| Participation | 59.5% | 70.6% | 11.1 pts higher in St James | gap widening |
| Full-time | 58.2% | 59.2% | 1.0 pts higher in St James | gap narrowing |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health care & social assistance | 15.3% | 14.1% | +1.2 |
| Education & training | 10.3% | 8.9% | +1.3 |
| Professional & technical | 7.6% | 9.4% | -1.8 |
| Retail trade | 9.2% | 7.7% | +1.5 |
| Accommodation & food | 6.0% | 9.1% | -3.1 |
| Construction | 7.5% | 7.5% | 0.0 |
| Public administration & safety | 6.0% | 6.2% | -0.3 |
| Mining | 5.8% | 5.5% | +0.3 |
| Manufacturing | 5.7% | 5.1% | +0.7 |
| Transport & warehousing | 5.5% | 4.8% | +0.7 |
| Administrative & support | 3.2% | 4.2% | -1.0 |
| Other services | 3.8% | 3.4% | +0.4 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Ferndale % | St James % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 23.7% | 26.7% | -3.1 |
| Technicians & trades | 15.0% | 13.7% | +1.3 |
| Community & personal service | 13.6% | 13.5% | +0.1 |
| Clerical & administrative | 12.1% | 11.1% | +1.0 |
| Managers | 9.4% | 10.1% | -0.7 |
| Labourers | 10.0% | 9.5% | +0.5 |
| Sales workers | 7.8% | 7.1% | +0.6 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 7.5% | 6.1% | +1.4 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Ferndale | St James | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 6.6 | 7.3 | 0.8 higher in St James |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 6.8 | 7.5 | 0.7 more in St James |  |
| 15-min city | 90.0% | 100.0% | 10.0 pts higher in St James |  |
| Walk to shops | 76.9% | 96.6% | 19.6 pts higher in St James |  |
| Walk to transit | 99.9% | 100.0% |  |  |
| Walk to school | 56.7% | 98.7% | 42.0 pts higher in St James |  |
| Walk to a park | 100.0% | 100.0% |  |  |
| Walk to health | 85.5% | 100.0% | 14.5 pts higher in St James |  |
| Amenities/1k | 25.6 | 7.6 | 18.0 more in Ferndale |  |
| Intersections/km² | 188 | 271 | 83 higher in St James |  |
| Mean slope | 4.9% | 5.4% | 0.5 pts higher in St James |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL50502/ferndale/vs/SAL51402/st-james