Thornlie
WAThornlie is a growing suburb in WA with 23,665 residents.
- SAL code
- 51448
- SA2
- 506041137
- Population
- 23,665
- LGA
- Gosnells
Thornlie, WA had 23,665 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 6.4% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 38. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,625 a month. Around 75.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 42.6%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 91.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 51 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Thornlie, WA at a glance
Thornlie is an established middle-ring suburb ~17 km south-east of Perth CBD in the City of Gosnells. Most homes are 1970s-80s brick-and-tile on big 700-900 m² blocks, with mature street trees and a steady drip of subdivisions reshaping the older pockets. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Thornlie suits buyers who want a proper backyard without giving up the train. Stock is dominated by 3- and 4-bedroom brick houses on 700-900 m² lots, with subdivisions creating a slow trickle of newer duplexes through the older pockets. Forest Lakes Shopping Centre anchors day-to-day errands (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi plus ~30 specialty stores) and Thornlie Square covers the rest. Schools include Thornlie Senior High School, Sacred Heart Primary, Forest Crescent Primary and South Thornlie Primary. Thornlie Station became a through-station in June 2025 when the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link opened, giving direct east-west access to Cockburn Central; CBD trains run from the same platform. Cockburn beaches are ~25 minutes by car. In short: an established, practical middle-ring suburb where the new rail link has rewritten the commute calculus.
For investors
Thornlie is a deep, mid-yield Perth market with strong recent growth. REIWA puts the median house at $775,000 with a median rent of $690/week, giving a ~4.71% gross yield (REIWA April 2026). 12-month house growth +13.14% (REIWA); 399 house sales and 27 unit sales in the past 12 months. Days-on-market just 8 for houses, 10 for units — leasing and selling are both quick.
Strengths
- Strong recent capital growth (~+13% YoY houses, REIWA April 2026) on the back of the new METRONET link.
- Deep transaction market (~426 house + unit sales over 12 months) makes entry and exit straightforward.
- Fast leasing and selling — 8 days on market for houses, 10 for units (REIWA April 2026).
- Big-lot legacy stock (700-900 m² typical) opens duplex / subdivision value-add plays under R-codes.
Trade-offs
- Yield is mid-band (~4.7% houses) — a growth + rail-uplift play, not a cashflow specialist.
- Limited unit stock (only 27 unit sales in 12 months, REIWA April 2026) means little stratified inventory to scale into.
- Recent double-digit growth plus a now-completed rail catalyst means the easy uplift may already be priced in.
- Older brick-and-tile stock often needs maintenance capex — build a buffer if buying unrenovated.
What's coming
The City of Gosnells lists 130+ projects in its 2025/26 capital works program. A $5.6m joint upgrade with the Federal Government, Lotterywest and the Thornlie Bowling Club is delivering new sporting facilities, a community centre and playground. Drainage and streetscape works around Thornlie Station continue post-METRONET. The Thornlie-Cockburn Link itself opened in June 2025 and is now bedding in as a daily catalyst.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: an established big-lot suburb with a transformed train connection. For investors: a mid-yield, deep, fast-moving market where the rail uplift has already shown up in prices.
Population
?23,665
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+6.4%
3yr: +5.1% · 10yr: +6.6%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,571/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
38
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?4/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?6.2%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
7
6 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?13
8 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?51
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?116
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?41
Gosnells · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
state Valuer-General sale price data not yet loaded for WA
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from WA police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Thornlie (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Thornlie suburb alone is ~23,665 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 23,768 to 25,963 over 24 years, averaging 0.4% per year.
Schools
7 in suburbSector
5 public · 2 private
Type
6 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
4,174
Avg per school
596
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for WA.
Source when available: WA Department of Education — Public School Local-Intake Areas.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 2.0%Almost entirely detached houses (91.1%), owner-occupied (75.9%), built for families (46% are 4 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
WA 27%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: WA DFES Bush Fire Prone Areas
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Flood data is not yet available for WA.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: WA DFES Bush Fire Prone Areas and DWER Floodplain Mapping.
Planning zones
Planning-zone data is not yet available for WA.
Source when available: Landgate / WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.