Top 10 best suburbs to invest in Perth in 2026
From beachside sunsets to the relaxed riverside, many of Perth’s suburbs have a lot to offer. But for investors looking at property in Australia’s sunniest capital city, which suburbs offer the best opportunities?
The ‘best’ suburb will vary based on your budget, strategy, and risk tolerance, and various investors have various opinions on what positions a suburb among the ‘best’ in its class. One might consider vacancy rates the deciding factor, while another would look at local economic growth, or buyer demand.
For our purposes, we’ve considered Cotality data highlighting suburbs boasting the largest annual growth in median property values from the 12 months to July 2026:
Rank | Perth suburb | Median value | Annual growth |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Henley Brook | $966,601 | 36.6% |
2 | Forrestdale | $1,079,347 | 35.1% |
3 | Serpentine | $1,609,481 | 34% |
4 | Brabham | $946,975 | 33.2% |
5 | Whitby | $891,580 | 32.2% |
6 | Bushmead | $1,199,777 | 31.9% |
7 | Bellevue | $920,238 | 31.1% |
8 | Bullsbrook | $884,746 | 30.9% |
9 | Brookdale | $821,038 | 30.3% |
10 | Camillo | $776,814 | 30.2% |
Source: Cotality, July 2026
Looking outside the metro area? Check out the 10 areas in Regional WA experiencing the fastest price growth too.
What do you need to know about the Perth property market in 2026?
Perth has one of the most expensive property markets in the country, having experienced some pretty significant price jumps in recent years, largely driven by strong demand and a lack of supply.
Data from Cotality shows that dwelling values in Perth rose slightly, by 0.1%, in July 2026.
As of the end of that month, the median dwelling value in Perth was $1,029,797.
But would-be buyers might be paying less than they were earlier in the year. Median house prices in Perth slipped 0.3% to $1,073,500 in the June quarter, while units experienced a 0.2% drop, down to a median $760,708.
Other considerations:
- Vacancy rates: Data from SQM Research shows Perth’s vacancy rate has dropped slightly to 0.6% in June 2026, down from 0.7% in May 2026.
- Sales volumes: Cotality data shows sales volume in Perth have had a significant drop — the biggest of all capital cities — down -13.8% in the 12 months to June 2026.
- Rental growth: Rental rates in Perth experienced an annual growth of 7.8% in the year up to June 2026, as per Cotality.
- Rental yield: Cotality data also shows gross rental yields in Perth have increased by 3.7% in the year to June 2026. Domain’s June 2026 Rental Report, showed the average rent for houses in Perth is $750 per week, while units average $700 per week.
- Infrastructure spending: Perth has been lagging in higher-density living, such as apartments, compared to its east-coast counterparts, but initiatives such as the ‘Targeted Apartment Rebate’ and ‘Station Precincts Improvement Plan’ aim to deliver more connected medium and higher-density living.
What is impacting price growth in Perth?
Perth’s property market still appears to be in demand, with its recent slowdown potentially driven by general cost of living pressures, still-high core inflation, and other factors including:
- RBA cash rate hikes: RBA cash rate rate hikes in 2026 have prompted lenders to increase home loan and investment home loan rates.
- Proposed changes to negative gearing and CGT: An attempt to drive investors towards new builds over existing properties by changing tax settings is likely to have contributed to the cooling investor interest following the 2026 Federal Budget announcement.
Perth property market forecast: Where to from here?
Economists at the nation’s big four banks generally agree that Perth property prices will continue to grow over the next couple of years.
- ANZ: Economists at ANZ forecast Perth property values will increase 8.3% in 2026, followed by a drop of 3.1% in 2027.
- CommBank: Economists at CommBank are predicting that Perth dwelling prices will grow by 12% in 2026, with additional growth of 4% in 2027.
- NAB: Economists at NAB forecast a 14% increase in dwelling prices in Perth in 2026, followed by an additional 3% growth in 2027.
- Westpac: Economists at Westpac are predicting 13% dwelling price growth for Perth in 2026, followed by an additional 5% growth in 2027.
Other considerations
- Metronet: Said to be Perth’s most ambitious public transport project to date, the Metronet train network aims to better connect Perth’s suburbs with 23 new stations across the city, with much of the project now complete.
What to consider when buying Perth property
Western Australia’s population is expected to grow to 3.5 million by 2033, and could reach four million by 2043, according to the state government’s forecasts. For context, it was found to house around three million people, as of late 2024, of which more than 80% lives in Perth. However population growth is expected to depend heavily on housing supply and be somewhat reliant on the mining industry.
There is much to also consider when buying an investment property in Perth, beyond pricing and demand trends.
- Flood and fire risk: Like most of Australia’s cities, Perth’s diverse landscapes can put it at risk of bushfires and floods.
- Transportation: Public transport is typically available across most of Perth, but some areas might not be as connected as others.
- Local services and amenities: As you’d expect of a capital city, Perth is well connected to healthcare, education, shopping and other amenities and services, but keep in mind that newer and developing suburbs may not yet have the same facilities as more established areas.
