Carey Park

An assessment of population growth drivers in Carey Park reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Carey Park's population is estimated at around 5,603 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 448 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,155 people. AreaSearch estimates Carey Park's resident population to be 5,565 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,376 persons per square kilometer. Carey Park's population growth since census is 8.7%, positioning it within 1.2 percentage points of the national average (9.9%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 59.0% 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, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Considering projected demographic shifts, Carey Park is expected to expand by 1,008 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 16.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Carey Park recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Carey Park has seen approximately 10 residential properties approved annually over the past five financial years, totaling around 50 homes. As of FY26, six approvals have been recorded. On average, 6.3 new residents per year have been associated with each home built between FY21 and FY25. This supply has lagged demand, potentially leading to buyer competition and pricing pressures.

The average construction value for new dwellings is $348,000. In FY26, $79,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating a predominantly residential focus. Compared to the Rest of WA, Carey Park has shown reduced construction activity, with 69.0% fewer approvals per person than the regional average. This constrained new construction may reinforce demand and pricing for existing homes. The area's established nature is also reflected in its population density of around 549 people per approval.

Recent development has been entirely comprised of detached houses, maintaining Carey Park's traditional suburban character. Looking ahead, AreaSearch estimates a growth of 910 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

Carey Park has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects likely impacting the region. Notable ones include SWAMS Health Hub and Community Centre, Glen Iris Commercial & Retail Development, Carey Park Football Club Upgrades, and Bunbury Regional Hospital Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The labour market performance in Carey Park lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Carey Park's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. The unemployment rate was 7.2% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 6.2% over the past year. As of that date, 2,632 residents were employed, but the unemployment rate was 3.9% higher than Rest of WA's rate of 3.3%.

Workforce participation lagged at 60.5%, compared to Rest of WA's 67.2%. Only 2.3% of residents worked from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Key industries for employment were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction, with healthcare particularly notable at 1.4 times the regional average. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had limited presence, at 1.3% compared to 9.3% regionally.

Employment opportunities locally appeared limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 6.2%, while labour force grew by 5.6%, leading to a unemployment fall of 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of WA saw employment rise by 1.4%, labour force grow by 1.2%, and unemployment fall by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Carey Park's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Carey Park's median income among taxpayers was $41,698 in financial year 2023. The suburb's average income stood at $53,600 during the same period. These figures are lower than those for Rest of WA, which had a median income of $59,973 and an average income of $74,392. By September 2025, estimated incomes in Carey Park would be approximately $45,709 (median) and $58,756 (average), based on a 9.62% increase since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Carey Park all fall between the 4th and 10th percentiles nationally. The income bracket of $800 - 1,499 dominates with 28.2% of residents (1,580 people), differing from surrounding regions where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket is dominant at 31.1%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Carey Park, with only 79.5% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

Carey Park is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Carey Park's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 79.7% houses and 20.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro WA's 88.5% houses and 11.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Carey Park stood at 24.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.2% and rented ones at 46.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,261, lower than Non-Metro WA's average of $1,560, while the median weekly rent was $270, slightly higher than Non-Metro WA's figure of $265. Nationally, Carey Park's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,261 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Carey Park features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 54.8% of all households, including 15.4% couples with children, 21.5% couples without children, and 16.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 45.2%, with lone person households making up 40.1% and group households comprising 4.8%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of WA average of 2.5.

Carey Park faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area has university qualification rates of 10.7%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This discrepancy presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.1%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.4%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.2%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 42.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.2%) and certificates (34.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Carey Park has 50 active public transport stops, served by buses on 12 routes. These provide a total of 411 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 158 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Cars are the dominant mode of transport at 91%. Vehicle ownership averages one per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 2.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 58 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 8 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Carey Park is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Carey Park faces significant health challenges, according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high across various health conditions, affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, with approximately 48% of Carey Park's total population (~2,716 people) having it, compared to 56.4% in the rest of WA and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 13.3% and 10.7% of residents respectively, while 57.4% report no medical ailments, compared to 69.3% in the rest of WA. Working-age population health is notably challenging due to high chronic condition rates. The area has 17.4% of residents aged 65 and over (974 people), lower than the 19.2% in the rest of WA. Senior health outcomes present challenges, with national rankings broadly similar to those of the general population.

Carey Park ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Carey Park's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 83.5% of its population being citizens born in Australia speaking English only at home. Christianity is the dominant religion, comprising 41.9% of Carey Park's population. The most notable overrepresentation is in the 'Other' category, which makes up 0.9% compared to 0.7% regionally.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (33.1%), Australian (28.4%), and Scottish (7.1%). Notably, Maori (1.5%) and Filipino (1.9%) populations are overrepresented in Carey Park compared to regional averages of 1.0% and 1.2%, respectively. However, the Australian Aboriginal population is underrepresented at 4.5% compared to the regional average of 6.1%.

Carey Park's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Carey Park was 39 years as of the 2021 Census, similar to Rest of WA's average of 40 years and close to Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group constituted 15.4% of Carey Park's population compared to Rest of WA, while the 5-14 cohort made up 10.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows a decrease in median age from 40 to 39 years. The 35-44 age group grew from 11.8% to 14.6%, and the 25-34 cohort increased from 14.1% to 15.4%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 13.5% to 11.9%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 11.3% to 10.2%. By 2041, Carey Park's age composition is projected to shift significantly. The 25-34 age cohort is expected to grow by 340 people (39%), from 862 to 1,203. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 85+ and 75-84 cohorts.