City Beach

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population for the City Beach statistical area (Lv2) is around 7,537, reflecting a 10.8% increase from the 2021 Census figure of 6,805 people. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024, resulting in an estimated resident population of 7,279 with additional validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is approximately 769 persons per square kilometer. City Beach's growth rate exceeded the national average of 9.7%, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this population increase. AreaSearch projections for each SA2 area, released by ABS/Geoscience Australia in 2024 with a base year of 2022, are being adopted.

For areas not covered and post-2032 growth estimation, AreaSearch uses ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. By 2041, the City Beach (SA2) is expected to grow by approximately 582 persons, reflecting a total gain of 4.3% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows City Beach had approximately 23 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 118 homes were approved, with 8 more in FY-26 so far. Each dwelling built over these years brought an average of 2.5 new residents.

New homes are valued at about $2,731,000 on average, indicating a focus on the premium market. This year, City Beach has registered $977,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting a residential dominance. Compared to Greater Perth, City Beach has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks at the 48th percentile nationally, implying limited buyer choice. Recent building activity consists solely of detached dwellings, maintaining City Beach's low-density character with family homes being popular choices.

The area has an estimated 344 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, City Beach is projected to gain 324 residents. Current development patterns suggest new housing supply should meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

City Beach has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could affect this region. Notable ones include City Beach Car Park Upgrades, Bold Park Aquatic Centre Redevelopment, Ocean Gardens Multi-Generational Living, and Amara City Beach. The following list details those 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.

The labour market strength in City Beach positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

City Beach has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 0.9% as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 3709 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 3.0% lower than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation in City Beach lagged at 60.1%, compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Employment was concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training sectors. The area had a particular specialisation in professional & technical employment, with an employment share of twice the regional level.

Conversely, construction showed lower representation at 5.5% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Local employment opportunities appeared limited as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 3.1% alongside a 3.3% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 2.9% and labour force growth of 3.0%. State-level data up to 25-Nov showed WA employment contracted by 0.27%, with the state unemployment rate at 4.6%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 estimated a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to City Beach's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not consider localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows City Beach had a median taxpayer income of $80,918 and an average of $176,423. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Perth's median of $60,748 and average of $80,248. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median would be approximately $88,702 and the average $193,395, based on a 9.62% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. Census 2021 data ranks City Beach's household, family, and personal incomes highly, between the 92nd and 99th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 48.2% of residents earn $4000+ weekly (3,632 residents), contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1500 - $2999 bracket leads at 32.0%. The substantial proportion of high earners (57.1% above $3000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 89.0% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in City Beach, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.6% houses and 12.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Perth metro's 68.6% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in City Beach stood at 53.9%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (34.7%) or rented (11.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,000, exceeding the Perth metro average of $3,293. The median weekly rent in City Beach was $750, higher than Perth metro's $450. Nationally, City Beach's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

City Beach features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 80.4% of all households, including 43.2% couples with children, 30.5% couples without children, and 6.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 19.6%, with lone person households at 17.8% and group households comprising 1.5%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in City Beach places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

City Beach has a notably high educational attainment among residents aged 15 and above, with 55.2% holding university qualifications, compared to the broader benchmarks of 27.9% in Western Australia (WA) and 30.1% in Greater Perth. This significant educational advantage is driven by Bachelor degrees at 35.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 14.9%, and graduate diplomas at 4.9%. Vocational pathways account for 17.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 7.9%. Educational participation is notably high in City Beach, with 33.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes secondary education at 12.3%, primary education at 9.7%, and tertiary education at 8.1%.

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

City Beach has 51 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together facilitate 1,061 weekly passenger trips. The city's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 197 meters from the nearest transport stop.

On an average day, there are 151 bus trips across all routes, which equates to approximately 20 weekly trips per individual stop.

City Beach's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout City Beach. Prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups is very low. Private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 97% of the total population (7327 people), compared to 86.3% across Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.0 and 5.3% of residents respectively. 74.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.2% across Greater Perth. As of 18th June 2021, 24.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (1823 people), which is higher than the 21.5% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

City Beach's cultural diversity was notable, with 13.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 30.9% born overseas. Christianity dominated as the main religion, accounting for 55.5%. However, Judaism had an overrepresentation of 0.6%, compared to Greater Perth's 0.5%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (29.0%), Australian (22.6%), and Irish (8.6%). Notably, South African ethnicity was overrepresented at 1.4% versus the regional average of 1.1%, Hungarian at 0.4% versus 0.2%, and Croatian at 1.1% versus 0.8%.

City Beach hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in City Beach is 46 years, which is notably higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and also exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, the percentage of residents aged 15-24 in City Beach is significantly higher at 17.1%, while those aged 25-34 are underrepresented at 5.3%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 increased from 14.3% to 17.1%, and the percentage of those aged 85 and above grew from 4.7% to 5.8%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 55 to 64 decreased from 14.7% to 13.3%, and the percentage of those aged 5 to 14 dropped from 14.9% to 13.6%. Population forecasts for City Beach in 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes, with the 85+ age cohort projected to grow significantly by 405 people (93%), from 437 to 843. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 96% of projected growth. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.