Perth residents enjoy less daunting commutes, more affordable houses, low construction costs

Residents in Perth enjoy less stressful commutes and live in more affordable houses compared to almost every other capital city in Australia, a mixed report card shows. The west is also the best when it comes to housing construction costs, according to a research comparing Aussie cities.

Another advantage of residing in Perth is that it trails only Darwin in tradies and people with vocational qualifications. As for green space, it is third in the ranking among Australian capitals thanks to Perth residents’ preference for private vehicles over public transport. This has contributed to Perth leading the country for direct greenhouse emissions per capita, and the state has a reputation as a mining and construction powerhouse.

Travel delay times

The peak travel delay times in Perth are the second-best among capital cities at 41 percent. That is the amount of extra time it takes to finish a journey during the busy commute, normally in the morning and evening.

Sydney and Melbourne may have attracted a higher share of public transport commuters, but they are the worst in travel delay times. Sydney was at 67.5 percent and Melbourne at 56.5 percent.

Home prices

Home prices in Perth started showing signs of recovery in the second half of the past year following a three-year slump. As measured by the ratio of dwelling price to household income, Perth is third-best when it comes to housing affordability.

Canberra and Darwin were the only capital city markets with a lower and more affordable ratio. Perth’s low construction cost was also noted. An average square metre of home out west comes in at $1,020. That amount is comparable to Sydney ($1,270), Melbourne ($1,300), Brisbane ($1,350) and Darwin’s $2,040.

Education

But it's not all rainbows and butterflies as far as education is concerned as only six in 10 Perth residents have finished Year 12. That’s the fourth worst among the nation’s capital cities.

Less than one in four have secured a bachelor’s degree. Over 25 percent of residents have finished a certificate III or higher.

Just 12.4 percent of workers from Perth are employed in what the Australian Bureau of Statistics categorises as “knowledge-intensive services.” Also, fewer than half of Perth people feel safe on their local street after dark.

Perth residents are better volunteers compared to the big-city dwellers of Melbourne and Sydney. However, the former is also the most likely to fall behind on the mortgage, Perth Now notes.