FACTBase Bulletin 15 - Perth's Decade of Prosperity

This paper revisits an analysis conducted in 2009 that examined personal incomes in Australia's major capital cities, and within the Perth metropolitan region.

Key Findings

• The general trend with metropolitan Perth is that personal incomes are rising at a rate that is faster than in most other Australian cities and by 2007, Perth had the second highest personal incomes in Australia behind Sydney – largely driven by the resources boom.
• For many suburbs in Perth, the rate of growth is considerable higher than Western Australian and Australian averages.
• However there is considerable spatial variation within Perth and an apparent gap between the richest and poorest areas.
• It is apparent certain parts of the city benefit more than others in terms of rising incomes and therefore appears to be many suburbs that have been ‘left behind’ by the boom.
• Thus, any claim that economic booms contribute to a ‘trickle down’ effect for all and sundry needs to be challenged.