West Beach

West Beach has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

West Beach's population, as of November 2025, stands at approximately 5,608 people. This figure represents an increase of 433 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,175 people. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,438 in June 2024 and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,243 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. West Beach's growth rate of 8.4% since the census is within 0.3 percentage points of the state's (8.7%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. These projections indicate that West Beach is expected to increase by approximately 564 persons to reach a population of around 6,172 people by 2041, reflecting an overall increase of about 7.0% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within West Beach when compared nationally

West Beach averaged approximately 26 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25131 homes were approved, with an additional 14 approved so far in FY-26. Over the same period, about two people moved to the area for each dwelling built, suggesting balanced supply and demand and stable market conditions.

The average construction value of new homes was $455,000, indicating a focus on premium developments. In FY-26, $3.9 million in commercial development approvals were recorded. Compared to Greater Adelaide, West Beach shows around 75% of the construction activity per person and ranks at the 67th percentile nationally.

Recent construction comprised 76.0% detached houses and 24.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's suburban character with a focus on family homes. As of now, there are approximately 234 people per dwelling approval in West Beach, suggesting room for growth. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, West Beach is expected to grow by 394 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

West Beach has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 8thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can be significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure projects and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified three projects that are expected to impact the area. Among these key projects are Adelaide Airport Industrial Development, West Beach Surf Life Saving Club Rebuild, Apex Park Stage 2 Redevelopment, and River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project. The following list provides details on those projects likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in West Beach rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

West Beach has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.4%, lower than Greater Adelaide's 3.9%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.4%.

As of September 2025, 3,080 residents are employed while the local unemployment rate is 2.5% below Greater Adelaide's rate. Workforce participation in West Beach is similar to Greater Adelaide's 66.5%. According to Census responses, 14.3% of residents work from home.

The leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. However, health care & social assistance employs only 16.3% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 17.7%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 4.4%, labour force by 4.1%, leading to a 0.3 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. In comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth varies significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to West Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The median taxpayer income in West Beach SA2 is $57,701, with an average of $72,471 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is higher than the national average, contrasting with Greater Adelaide's median income of $54,808 and average income of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $62,779 (median) and $78,848 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 66th percentile ($896 weekly), while household income sits at the 49th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 28.2% of locals (1,581 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 category, mirroring the broader area where 31.8% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, 86.2% of income remains for other expenses. The SEIFA income ranking places West Beach SA2 in the 7th decile.

West Beach displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

West Beach's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 66.0% houses and 34.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Beach was at 39.6%, with the rest being mortgaged (33.4%) or rented (27.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562 and national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in West Beach was $320, lower than the national figure of $375 but equal to Adelaide metro's average.

West Beach has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 69.2% of all households, including 31.4% couples with children, 29.4% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.8%, with lone person households at 28.5% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

The educational profile of West Beach exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 33.1% for residents aged 15+, surpassing the South Australian average of 25.7% and that of Greater Adelaide at 28.9%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 22.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 31.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 10.8% and certificates for 20.7%.

Educational participation is high at 25.8%, including 8.8% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 5.7% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

West Beach has 50 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by 16 different routes that collectively provide 631 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 133 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 90%, while cycling accounts for 2%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling in West Beach.

According to the 2021 Census, some 14.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 90 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in West Beach is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

West Beach demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is found to be high at approximately 55% of the total population, around 3,078 people, compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 8.6 and 6.5% of residents respectively. 69.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.9% across Greater Adelaide. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 21.1% of residents aged 65 and over, totaling 1,182 people, which is higher than the 19.0% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in West Beach was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

West Beach's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 23.7% of its population born overseas and 15.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in West Beach, comprising 52.4% of its population. However, the most notable overrepresentation was in Other religions, which comprised 1.1% of West Beach's population compared to 1.8% across Greater Adelaide.

The top three represented ancestry groups were English (28.5%), Australian (23.9%), and Other (7.3%). Notably, Greek (4.2%) and Polish (1.1%) were overrepresented in West Beach compared to regional averages of 2.0% and 1.0%, respectively, while Russian was also slightly overrepresented at 0.6%.

West Beach hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in West Beach is 44 years, which exceeds Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and is also higher than the Australian median of 38. The 55-64 age cohort is notably over-represented in West Beach, at 13.2% compared to the Greater Adelaide average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented, making up only 11.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the 35-44 age group has grown from 12.3% to 13.5% of West Beach's population. However, the 75-84 cohort has declined from 8.3% to 7.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in West Beach. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 99 people (52%), increasing from 190 to 290 residents. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age group is expected to grow at a more modest rate of 2%, adding only 3 residents.