East Bunbury

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

As of November 2025, the estimated population of the East Bunbury statistical area (Lv2) is around 4,351, reflecting an increase of 332 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census reported a population of 4,019 in the area. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 4,267, following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), and an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. The current population density is 1,236 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2012 to 2022, East Bunbury has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 39.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

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, AreaSearch utilises the growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). According to these projections, an above median population growth is expected for national non-metropolitan areas like East Bunbury. By 2041, the area is projected to increase by 834 persons, reflecting a gain of 19.4% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in East Bunbury according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Between FY21 and FY25, East Bunbury recorded approximately 4 residential property approvals per year, totaling around 24 homes. In FY26 to date, 4 approvals have been granted. This results in an average of about 15.5 new residents per year for each home built over the past five financial years. The demand significantly outpaces supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $453,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, commercial development approvals have reached $637,000, suggesting a predominantly residential focus in East Bunbury. Compared to the rest of WA, East Bunbury has significantly less development activity, 81.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes. However, recent periods have seen an increase in development activity.

The area's construction since FY21 comprises approximately 83.0% detached houses and 17.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving East Bunbury's suburban nature with a focus on detached housing that attracts space-seeking buyers. With around 668 people per approval, East Bunbury shows characteristics of a mature, established area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, East Bunbury is expected to grow by approximately 845 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth in the future.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects that may impact this region. Notable projects include Glen Iris Village, Frank Buswell Foreshore Redevelopment, Withers Renewal Program, and Parade Hotel Carpark Development. The following list details those likely to be 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.

East Bunbury has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

East Bunbury has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, particularly in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.9% as of September 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 6.2%. Compared to Rest of WA's rate of 3.3%, East Bunbury's unemployment rate is 0.6% higher, with workforce participation at 56.4%, below the regional average of 59.4%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance shows strong specialization, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 0.8% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 6.2%, labour force grew by 6.0%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 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, released in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Bunbury's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of East Bunbury's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year ended June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in East Bunbury was $47,826 and the average income stood at $61,477. For comparison, the figures for Rest of WA were $59,973 and $74,392 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% from July 2023 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $52,427 (median) and $67,391 (average). According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family and personal incomes in East Bunbury all fell between the 12th and 24th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the $400 - $799 bracket dominated with 28.7% of residents (1,248 people), differing from regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominated at 31.1%. Housing affordability pressures were severe in East Bunbury, with only 83.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 13th percentile nationally.

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

East Bunbury's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 77.6% houses and 22.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro WA had 88.1% houses and 11.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Bunbury was at 37.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.4% and rented ones at 30.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,470, below Non-Metro WA's average of $1,616. The median weekly rent figure was $300, matching Non-Metro WA's figure. Nationally, East Bunbury's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

East Bunbury features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 61.7% of all households, including 19.0% couples with children, 30.0% couples without children, and 10.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 38.3%, with lone person households at 35.0% and group households making up 3.3%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of WA average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in East Bunbury fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 13.0%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 43.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 33.9%. A total of 22.6% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 7.9% in primary, 7.0% in secondary, and 1.8% in tertiary education.

A substantial 22.6% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 7.9% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

East Bunbury has 30 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 333 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of the transport is rated as good, with residents on average being located 208 meters from their nearest stop.

Each route operates an average of 47 trips per day, equating to about 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in East Bunbury is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

East Bunbury faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 52%, or about 2,245 people, compared to 55.4% in the rest of WA.

The most frequent medical issues are arthritis (10.5%) and mental health problems (8.6%). 64.1% report being free from medical conditions, versus 66.4% in the rest of WA. East Bunbury has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 24.8% (1,079 people), compared to 17.6% in the rest of WA. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

East Bunbury's cultural diversity was below average, with 80.1% born in Australia, 88.6% being citizens, and 91.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 48.9%. The most notable overrepresentation was 'Other', which constituted 1.2% compared to Rest of WA's 0.6%.

Top ancestry groups were English (32.1%), Australian (28.2%), and Scottish (7.2%). Italian (6.7%) was notably overrepresented versus the regional average of 4.8%, Maori matched regionally at 1.0%, while Polish was slightly higher at 0.9% compared to 0.7%.

East Bunbury hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

East Bunbury's median age is 46, older than Rest of WA's 40 and Australia's 38 average. The 2021 Census showed 8.6% of East Bunbury residents were aged 75-84, higher than the national average. Conversely, those aged 5-14 made up only 8.6%, lower than Rest of WA. Between 2021 and 2026, the 25 to 34 age group grew from 11.8% to 14.2%, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 10.9% to 12.0%. However, the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 9.7% to 8.6%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts. The 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 48%, reaching 913 from 617. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 75 to 84 cohorts.