What the public data says about Highgate: who lives here, what the offence rates are, and where the figures sit against the rest of the state.
Suburb summary
Highgate is small and exceptionally close to the city. It sits 1.6 km from the Perth CBD and holds 2,326 residents across 1,163 dwellings. It is also built very differently to most surrounding suburbs. Flats and apartments make up 53.3% of dwellings, townhouses 25.5% and separate houses only 21.2%, so roughly one dwelling in five is a house. The average household contains 1.8 people, the median age is 34, and 56.7% of dwellings are rented.
Highgate Primary School is one of the strongest reasons families consider buying here. Opened in 1895, it is one of the older public schools in metropolitan Perth and also runs an Intensive English Program. The important point for buyers is that school access should be checked against the individual address rather than assumed from the suburb name. The local intake boundary does not perfectly follow Highgate's suburb boundary, with part of the area falling within North Perth Primary School's intake.
The Beaufort Street strip begins here at the city end and is central to Highgate's identity. Lo' at 448 Beaufort Street serves Southern American food, Mrs S has its Highgate location here, and Source Foods has been part of the precinct for years. For residents, that means restaurants and cafes within walking distance of home and the CBD only 1.6 km away. It also matters when interpreting some of the suburb's crime figures.
The demographic figures are strong. Full-time employment is 63.1% against a middle Western Australian suburb of 56.2%, unemployment is 4.1% against 4.5%, and median weekly family income is $2,653 against $2,112. Education is particularly strong, with 44.8% holding a bachelor degree or higher against 23.9% across Western Australia and 65.3% holding some form of post-school qualification against 51.1%. Public housing is 5.3% against a middle suburb figure of 1.5%.
Crime needs the suburb's size stated plainly beside it. Overall crime probability is 21 offences per 100 residents against a middle suburb of 7.1 and Knome's concern point of 12.71. Burglary is 0.90 against 0.32 and a concern point of 0.66. Both sit clearly above their concern points rather than marginally crossing them. The denominator matters, however. These rates divide recorded offences by only 2,326 residents, while Highgate sits at the city end of a major entertainment strip and alongside Northbridge and the CBD. That does not remove the concern, but it gives the figures important context. Motor vehicle theft, property damage and assault remain within the ordinary range, while social stability rates strong.
From an owner occupier perspective, Highgate offers something difficult to reproduce elsewhere. It combines genuine proximity to the CBD, Beaufort Street at the doorstep and access to a highly regarded public primary school. At only 1.6 km from the city, walking or cycling to work becomes a realistic part of everyday life rather than an occasional option. That level of convenience is a major part of what buyers are paying for.
For investors, Knome would not mistake the availability of apartments for an indication that they are automatically the best investment. Free-standing property makes up only 21.2% of the suburb, but when a good house becomes available in the right pocket it can be an exceptionally interesting purchase. Highgate effectively sits on the edge of the city while still offering established residential streets, strong demographics and the Beaufort Street precinct within walking distance. It is also an opportunity that can be overlooked because buyers searching for inner-city houses tend to focus on better known neighbouring suburbs. Apartments and townhouses can still make sense where the building, strata position and purchase price are right, but Knome would assess each property type on its own merits rather than assuming the most common stock represents the best opportunity.
Written by Knome, a licensed Perth buyers agency, RA87115. Published 2026.
21 per 100 residents. Typical WA suburb 7.1. Above 12.71 it starts to become a concern.
1 per 100 residents. Typical WA suburb 1.14. Above 2.25 it starts to become a concern.
0.90 per 100 residents. Typical WA suburb 0.32. Above 0.66 it starts to become a concern.
0.17 per 100 residents. Typical WA suburb 0.12. Above 0.24 it starts to become a concern.
0.99 per 100 residents. Typical WA suburb 0.7. Above 1.36 it starts to become a concern.
2.28 per 100 residents. Typical WA suburb 1.28. Above 2.51 it starts to become a concern.
Rates are offences per 100 residents. The typical WA suburb is the middle suburb, so half sit above it. A rate in the highest quarter for the state is where it starts to become a concern. Lower is safer.
Offence counts WA Police 2025 路 Populations ABS Census 2021 路 Typical WA suburb calculated by Knome
Middle WA suburb 56.2%. Below 53.5% it starts to become a concern.
Middle WA suburb 4.5%. Above 5.8% it starts to become a concern.
Middle WA suburb $2,112. Below $1,701 it starts to become a concern.
Middle WA suburb 1.5%. Above 4.6% it starts to become a concern.
Rated figures show where this suburb sits among Western Australian suburbs. Strong is the better half of the state and the far end is the outermost quarter, so the word means the same on every row. The scale always runs low to high, so green is on the right where more is better and on the left where less is.
ABS Census 2021 路 Typical WA suburb calculated by Knome
| Level | Highgate | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree and above | 44.8% | 23.9% |
| Advanced diploma and diploma | 9.8% | 9.3% |
| Certificate III and IV | 10.6% | 17.8% |
| Any post-school qualification | 65.3% | 51.1% |
ABS Census 2021 路 Of people aged 15 and over
Of 1,163 dwellings
Of 1,163 dwellings
Against an address, not a suburb
Four more checks only mean anything against a real address, because the answer changes between two streets and sometimes between two sides of one. They are what the free Red Flag Report runs, on screen, in seconds, without asking for anything.
Whether the property sits in a bushfire prone area on the state's mapping.
Whether the floodplain mapping reaches the block, which the suburb name never tells you.
Distance and exposure to the roads that carry the traffic, street by street.
Where the property sits under the Perth Airport flight paths and noise contours.
Yes. Knome is a Perth buyers agency and Highgate, WA is inside the area we work. If you are looking here and want somebody on your side of the table, start a conversation on WhatsApp or Messenger.