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The “top 10 cheapest suburbs to buy” list for Perth refers to median house sale prices over the 12 months to May 2021—not today’s prices. In that historical ranking, Armadale was lowest at $255,000. The order is not a current 2026 affordability ranking: REIWA’s latest figures cover sales through September 2026, but the available data does not establish a complete current top ten.
What were Perth’s 10 cheapest suburbs in the May 2021 ranking?
PerthNow reported these median house sale prices for the 12 months to May 2021, using figures credited to REIWA/Landgate. They are historical sale medians, not current asking prices, valuations or budgets for buying in 2026.
| Rank | Suburb | Median house sale price | Annual change reported | Sales reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Armadale | $255,000 | 25.6% | 188 |
| 2 | Medina | $260,000 | 30% | 59 |
| 3 | Camillo | $270,000 | 22.2% | Not stated in the retrieved PerthNow passages |
| 4 | Orelia | $275,000 | 14.6% | 64 |
| 5 | Parmelia | $280,000 | 16.7% | 93 |
| 6 | Lockridge | $286,500 | 14.6% | 36 |
| 7 | Greenfields | $290,000 | 18.1% | 203 |
| 8 | Leda | $290,000 | 11.5% | Not stated in the retrieved PerthNow passages |
| 9 | Mandurah | $290,000 | 19.6% | 149 |
| 10 | Brookdale | $295,000 | 20.4% | 37 |
PerthNow placed Armadale about 25 km southeast of Perth’s CBD, Medina about 37 km south, Camillo about 23 km south, Orelia in the City of Kwinana about 38 km south, and Parmelia about 34 km south. Lockridge was described as about 11 km east, Leda about 35 km south and Brookdale about 26 km southeast. The article described Mandurah as the Peel region’s central city and a tourist destination.
Are these still Perth’s cheapest suburbs?
No conclusion about today’s cheapest ten follows from the 2021 list. The prices rose substantially year-on-year even during that historical period, and suburb rankings can change as newer sales enter the calculation.
REIWA’s market data page, updated 8 October 2026, reports rolling 12-month figures through September 2026, sourced to Landgate/REIWA. It gives Greater Perth median prices of $965,000 for houses and $695,000 for units. Sales data is annual through the latest completed month and may be revised as more transactions settle. Those Greater Perth figures are region-wide medians; they do not identify or rank the cheapest suburbs. See REIWA’s Perth market data.
REIWA also published an affordability article based on data for the year to July 2025. The available search result reported a Greater Perth median house sale price of $797,000 that month, but it does not establish a complete suburb ranking. A national affordability list reported by realestate.com.au in January 2026 uses PropTrack automated valuation model values rather than settled-sale medians and applies a minimum of 200 properties with medium- or high-confidence AVM values. It is a different measure and cannot verify a current Perth top ten.
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How to use an old suburb price ranking when setting a budget
A suburb median describes the middle of a group of sales over a defined period; it does not tell you what a particular home is worth or what you will need to borrow. The 2021 list itself shows why context matters: reported sales counts ranged from 36 in Lockridge to 203 in Greenfields, and two entries had no count in the reported passages.
- Use one data provider and one consistent, recent date window when comparing suburbs.
- Compare houses with houses and units with units; the 2021 list is specifically a house-sale ranking.
- Check the number of sales and, where available, the range or quartiles, not only the median.
- Compare recent sales of similar properties, accounting for condition and property features.
- Include travel access and nearby amenities in your own assessment; a low median alone says nothing conclusive about those factors.
The available sources do not establish a current full ranking or support judging these suburbs by safety, school performance, lifestyle quality or investment returns. Treat the 2021 list as a dated snapshot, not a recommendation that a suburb is suitable for your circumstances.
Is buying cheaper than renting in Perth?
Not under REIWA’s house comparison dated 29 September 2026: it found no Perth suburb where buying a house was cheaper than renting under its model. The calculation compared median house sale prices with recent median rents and modeled mortgage repayments, assuming a 20% deposit, a 30-year mortgage and a 6.24% variable rate—the July owner-occupier rate cited for large institutions. It is an illustration under those assumptions, not personal financial advice or a full ownership-cost comparison; it does not include all costs such as maintenance, insurance, rates, fees or tax. Read REIWA’s rent-versus-buy analysis.
REIWA President Suzanne Brown said in that 29 September 2026 article: “Five years ago, it was easier to make the transition from renting to home ownership, but due to strong house price growth and the significant increase in interest rates from the record lows during COVID, mortgages have risen considerably more than rent prices.”
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