Bedford

Population growth drivers in Bedford are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Bedford's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 6,507 people. This figure reflects a growth of 791 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,716. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 6,455 residents, based on their examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024, and an additional 17 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,904 persons per square kilometer, placing Bedford in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 13.8% since the 2021 census exceeds the national average of 8.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 79.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch uses the growth rates by age cohort provided by ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Considering projected demographic shifts, Bedford is expected to grow by 755 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 7.8% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Bedford among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Bedford received around 27 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 138 homes. As of FY-26, 17 approvals have been recorded. This averages out to approximately 3.6 new residents arriving per dwelling constructed annually between FY-21 and FY-25. The area has seen $4.3 million in commercial approvals this financial year.

Compared to Greater Perth, Bedford has slightly more development activity, with 14.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. New building activity comprises 93.0% detached houses and 7.0% attached dwellings. With around 188 people per dwelling approval, Bedford is considered a growth area.

Population forecasts indicate an increase of 508 residents by 2041. Current construction levels are expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potential growth exceeding current forecasts.

Bedford has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified four projects likely affecting this region: Morley Galleria Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Chester Avenue Apartment Development Proposal (DA23/0883), John Forrest Secondary College Redevelopment, and Morley Drive-Bath Road Intersection Upgrade.

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

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Employment conditions in Bedford demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Bedford has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.7%, with an estimated employment growth of 4.4% over the past year.

As of June 2025, 3,763 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.1% lower than Greater Perth's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is at 67.7%, slightly higher than Greater Perth's 65.2%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services, with the latter being particularly notable at 1.3 times the regional average. Manufacturing has limited presence, accounting for only 3.4% of employment compared to the regional average of 5.5%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 4.4%, while labour force grew by 4.6%, causing a slight rise in unemployment rate. In comparison, Greater Perth recorded similar growth patterns. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bedford's employment mix indicates a potential local employment increase of 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though these are illustrative extrapolations and do not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Bedford's median income among taxpayers is $61,280. The average income is $75,572. Nationally, these figures are very high compared to Greater Perth's median of $58,380 and average of $78,020. By September 2025, based on a 14.2% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, estimated incomes would be approximately $69,982 (median) and $86,303 (average). Census data indicates Bedford's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows 27.6% of the population (1,795 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, aligning with surrounding regions at 32.0%. Notably, 33.0% earn above $3,000 weekly. Housing accounts for 14.8% of income, and residents rank in the 72nd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Bedford is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Bedford's housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.0% houses and 11.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Perth metro had 72.7% houses and 27.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bedford stood at 30.8%, similar to Perth metro's level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (40.3%) or rented (28.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bedford was $2,167, higher than Perth metro's average of $1,855. The median weekly rent figure in Bedford was recorded at $360, compared to Perth metro's $340. Nationally, Bedford's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Bedford has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 72.1% of all households, including 33.5% couples with children, 25.4% couples without children, and 11.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.9%, with lone person households at 24.1% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.3.

Bedford shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Bedford's educational attainment is notably high, with 37.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 24.3% in the SA4 region and 27.9% in Western Australia as a whole. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.1% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 11.3% and certificates for 17.8%. Educational participation is high, with 27.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.0% in primary education, 6.8% in secondary education, and 6.6% pursuing tertiary education. Bedford's educational landscape is anchored by Chisholm Catholic College, serving 1,737 students. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1081). Secondary education dominates with one school in the area, while primary students typically attend schools in adjacent catchments. Bedford functions as an education hub, offering 26.7 school places per 100 residents – significantly higher than the regional average of 12.4 – and attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Bedford has 37 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 10 different routes that collectively facilitate 2,283 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 167 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 326 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 61 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Bedford demonstrates above-average health outcomes with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~3,722 people). The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.8 and 7.4% of residents respectively, while 71.0% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 70.2% across Greater Perth. As of 30 June 2021, 15.5% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,008 people), which is lower than the 18.1% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors in Bedford are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Bedford was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bedford had a higher level of cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 23.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 34.0% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Bedford, making up 47.2% of the population. Judaism, however, was overrepresented in Bedford at 0.5%, compared to 0.7% across Greater Perth.

For ancestry, the top three groups were English (23.0%), Australian (20.0%), and Other (12.1%). There were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Italian was overrepresented at 8.4% in Bedford compared to 6.6% regionally, while Polish and Serbian remained at 1.1% each.

Bedford's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Bedford is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Bedford has a notably higher proportion of people aged 35-44 (16.6% locally) but a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (12.3%). According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 10.6% to 11.6%, while the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 13.1% to 12.3%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Bedford. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 68% (228 people), reaching a total of 567 from 338. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 62% of the population growth, while the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.