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 Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of City Beach is around 7,537, reflecting an increase of 732 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 10.8% change from the previous population count of 6,805. The latest estimate by AreaSearch, following examination of ERP data released by the ABS in June 2024 and validation of new addresses, indicates a resident population of 7,279. This results in a density ratio of 769 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth since the 2021 Census exceeded the national average of 9.9%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of 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 utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Demographic trends indicate a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation for the suburb of City Beach, with an expected growth of 582 persons to reach a total population of approximately 8,119 by 2041, reflecting a gain of 4.3% over the 17-year period.

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 shows City Beach had approximately 23 new home approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 118 homes were approved, with another 8 in FY-26. Each dwelling built resulted in an average of 2.5 new residents over the past five financial years.

New homes are valued at approximately $2,731,000 on average, indicating a focus on premium developments. Commercial approvals this year totalled $977,000, suggesting a primarily residential focus. Compared to Greater Perth, City Beach has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks in the 48th percentile nationally, leading to relatively constrained buyer choice and interest in existing dwellings. Recent building activity consists solely of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's low density character and appealing to those seeking family homes with space.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 344 people. By 2041, City Beach is projected to gain 324 residents. Current development patterns suggest new housing supply should meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth.

City Beach has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 45thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones are 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. Its unemployment rate is 0.9%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 3,709 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.0% lower than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation in City Beach is at 61.1%, compared to Greater Perth's 71.6%. According to Census responses, 17.6% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, the area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share double that of the regional level (2.0 times).

Conversely, construction employment is lower at 5.5% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Local employment opportunities appear limited, as indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 3.1%, alongside a 3.3% decline in employment, leading to a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Perth experienced employment growth of 2.9%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate potential future demand within City Beach. Over five years, national employment is projected to expand by 6.6%, and over ten years by 13.7%. Applying these projections to City Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 15.0% over ten years. However, these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized 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's median income among taxpayers is $80,918, with 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 based on a 9.62% Wage Price Index growth would be approximately $88,702 (median) and $193,395 (average). Census 2021 income data ranks City Beach's household, family, and personal incomes highly nationally, between the 92nd and 99th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 48.2% of residents earn $4000+ weekly, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.0%. The substantial proportion of high earners (57.1% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 89.0% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and 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 latest Census evaluated City Beach's dwelling structure as 87.6% houses and 12.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Perth metro's 77.8% houses and 22.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in City Beach stood at 53.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.7% and rented ones at 11.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,000, higher than Perth metro's average of $1,907 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in City Beach was recorded at $750, significantly higher than Perth metro's $350 and the national figure of $375.

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

Family households compose 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's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. 55.2% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to WA's 27.9% and Greater Perth's 30.1%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (35.4%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.3%, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 7.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in secondary education, 9.7% in primary education, and 8.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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 serving a mix of bus routes. These are operated by four different lines, offering a total of 1,061 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 197 meters from the nearest stop. In this residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the dominant transport mode at 87%, with cycling at 2%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.9 per dwelling, higher than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 17.6% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 151 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 20 weekly trips per individual stop.

City Beach's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

City Beach shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at 97%, compared to 59% in Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common conditions are arthritis (7%) and asthma (5.3%). 74.9% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 71.9% in Greater Perth. Seniors make up 24.7% of the population (1,861 people), compared to 16.3% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with national rankings.

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, surveyed in June 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 13.2% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 30.9% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 55.5%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.6%, compared to Greater Perth's 0.3%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.0%), Australian (22.6%), and Irish (8.6%). Notably, South African residents were overrepresented at 1.4% (regional average: 1.0%), Hungarians at 0.4% (0.2%) and Croatians at 1.1% (0.8%).

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

The median age in City Beach is 46 years, which exceeds Greater Perth's average of 37 years and is also above the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, the 15-24 age group is over-represented in City Beach at 17.5%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 5.0%. The percentage of people aged 15-24 in City Beach is higher than the national average of 12.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 14.3% to 17.5%, while the proportion of people aged 85 and above has risen from 4.7% to 6.0%. Conversely, the proportion of people aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 16.5% to 14.9%, and the proportion of people aged 55 to 64 has dropped from 14.7% to 13.1%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for City Beach. The number of people aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 390 individuals (an increase of 86%) from 452 to 843. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 89% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 55-64 age groups are expected to experience population declines.