Bedford

Population growth drivers in Bedford are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Bedford's population is estimated at 6,651 as of Nov 2025. This reflects a growth of 935 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,716 people. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 6,412 based on ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,969 persons per square kilometer, placing Bedford (SA2) in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Bedford's growth rate of 16.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 9.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 post-2032 estimations, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Based on projected demographic shifts, Bedford is expected to grow by 743 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 5.3% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Bedford when compared nationally

Bedford has received around 24 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 123 homes. In FY-26 so far, 19 approvals have been recorded. This results in approximately 4.1 new residents arriving annually for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. Commercial approvals registered this year amount to $24.4 million, indicating moderate commercial development levels.

Compared to Greater Perth, Bedford's development levels per person are similar, maintaining market equilibrium with surrounding areas despite recent activity slowdown. Recent construction comprises 93% standalone homes and 7% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's suburban character. With around 335 people per dwelling approval, Bedford exhibits a developing market.

AreaSearch projects Bedford to add 352 residents by 2041, suggesting current housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth beyond current forecasts.

Bedford has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Four projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area: Morley Galleria Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Chester Avenue Apartment Development Proposal (DA23/0883), John Forrest Secondary College Redevelopment, and Morley Station Precinct Structure Plan.

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 professional services prominently represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.8%, having seen an estimated employment growth of 2.3% over the past year based on AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation.

As of September 2025, 3709 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.2% lower than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation stands at 67.7%, slightly higher than Greater Perth's 65.2%. The leading employment industries among Bedford residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services, with the latter showing particularly notable concentration at 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, manufacturing employs only 3.4% of local workers compared to Greater Perth's 5.5%.

The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 2.3%, labour force grew by 2.4%, and unemployment remained essentially unchanged in Bedford, contrasting with Greater Perth where employment rose by 2.9% and unemployment rose marginally. State-level data as of 25-Nov shows WA employment contracted by 0.27% (losing 5520 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.6%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project an expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Bedford's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

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 2023 shows that Bedford has a median income of $61,280 and an average income of $75,572. This is higher than Greater Perth's median income of $60,748 and average income of $80,248. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for Bedford as of September 2025 would be approximately $67,175 (median) and $82,842 (average). The 2021 Census indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Bedford are around the 70th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows 27.6% of residents earning between $1,500 - 2,999 per week. This is similar to the broader area where 32.0% fall within this range. Notably, 33.0% of Bedford's population earns above $3,000 per week. Housing expenses account for 14.8% of income. 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 dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.0% houses and 11.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Perth metro had 72.7% houses and 27.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bedford was 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 the Perth metro average of $1,855. The median weekly rent figure for Bedford was $360, compared to Perth metro's $340. Nationally, Bedford's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $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 make up 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 significantly exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 37.5% hold university qualifications, compared to 24.3% in the SA4 region and 27.9% in Western Australia (WA). This gives Bedford a substantial educational advantage for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.1%.

Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 29.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 17.8%. Educational participation is notably high in Bedford, 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.

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

Bedford has 36 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes that together facilitate 2,300 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 167 meters.

On average, there are 328 daily trips across all routes, which amounts to approximately 63 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 shows above-average health outcomes.

Both young and old age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is high at approximately 57% of the total population, which is around 3,804 people. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 8.8 and 7.4% of residents respectively. A total of 71.0% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 70.2% across Greater Perth. Bedford has 15.5% of residents aged 65 and over, which amounts to 1,030 people. This is lower than the 18.1% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing 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's cultural diversity was evident with 23.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home, as recorded in the 2016 census. Additionally, 34.0% of Bedford's residents were born overseas during this period. Christianity was the predominant religion in Bedford, comprising 47.2% of the population.

However, Judaism showed an overrepresentation with 0.5% compared to Greater Perth's 0.7%. In terms of ancestry, English (23.0%) and Australian (20.0%) were the top groups, followed by Other at 12.1%. Notable divergences included Italian (8.4%, vs regional 6.6%), Polish (1.1%, vs 1.1%), and Serbian (0.7%, vs 0.7%).

Bedford's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Bedford is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and close to Australia's national average of 38 years. The 35-44 age cohort is over-represented in Bedford at 16.5%, compared to the Greater Perth average, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 12.3%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 10.6% to 11.5%, while the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 13.1% to 12.3%. By 2041, Bedford's population is expected to see significant demographic shifts. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 67%, adding 226 people and reaching a total of 566 from 339. Those aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 67% of the population growth, while the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are expected to experience population declines.