Ocean Reef

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population for the Ocean Reef statistical area (Lv2) is around 8,794. This figure reflects an increase of 669 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,125. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 8,789 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release (June 2024) and an additional 20 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,671 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The Ocean Reef's 8.2% growth since census is within 1.5 percentage points of the national average (9.7%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 85.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth for the area.

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 latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Moving forward with demographic trends, an above median population growth is projected for the Ocean Reef (SA2), expected to grow by 1,151 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections. This reflects a gain of 13.0% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Ocean Reef has seen approximately 14 new homes approved per year over the past five financial years, totalling around 72 homes. As of FY-26, 5 approvals have been recorded. On average, 8.6 new residents are associated with each home built between FY-21 and FY-25, suggesting demand exceeds supply, which typically drives price growth and increased buyer competition. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost value of $823,000, reflecting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket dwellings.

In FY-26, $10.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Perth, Ocean Reef has roughly half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 21st percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. This is below the national average, suggesting an established area with potential planning limitations. All construction since FY-21 has been standalone homes, maintaining Ocean Reef's traditional suburban character focused on family homes.

With around 759 people per dwelling approval, it reflects a highly mature market. Future projections estimate Ocean Reef to add approximately 1,146 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Ocean Reef 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 eight projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Ocean Reef Primary School Expansion, Ocean Reef Marina Redevelopment, and Ocean Reef Marina. The following details those most relevant.

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

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The exceptional employment performance in Ocean Reef places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Ocean Reef has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.8% as of the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.5%.

As of September 2025, 5,146 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 2.2% lower than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Residents' employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction shows notable concentration with levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has lower representation at 3.0% versus the regional average of 4.7%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. Over a 12-month period ending recently, employment increased by 3.5% alongside labour force increasing by 3.4%, keeping unemployment broadly flat. This contrasts with Greater Perth where employment grew by 2.9%, labour force expanded by 3.0%, and unemployment rose marginally. State-level data to 25-Nov shows WA employment contracted by 0.27% (losing 5,520 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.6%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ocean Reef's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released on 30 June 2023, Ocean Reef had a median income among taxpayers of $58,121 and an average income of $74,792. Nationally, the median income was $60,748 and the average was $80,248. Using Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $63,712 (median) and $81,987 (average). The 2021 Census data shows Ocean Reef's household income ranks at the 90th percentile with a weekly income of $2,480. Income analysis reveals that 28.7% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, mirroring the regional figure of 32%. Notably, 40.9% of residents earn over $3,000 per week, indicating affluence and supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 87.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Ocean Reef's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.9% houses and 4.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Perth metro had 88.7% houses and 11.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ocean Reef was 42.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 45.7% and rented ones at 12.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,253, surpassing Perth metro's average of $2,080. The median weekly rent figure stood at $525, higher than Perth metro's $400. Nationally, Ocean Reef's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 85.9% of all households, including 45.1% couples with children, 31.8% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 14.1%, with lone person households at 12.4% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.7.

Ocean Reef shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Tertiary education reaches 28.9% of residents aged 15+ in Ocean Reef. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 38.0% of residents holding them - advanced diplomas account for 13.1% while certificates make up 24.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in secondary education, 9.4% in primary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Ocean Reef found that there are currently 46 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 4 individual routes providing service. Together, these routes facilitate 738 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to transport is rated as good, with residents on average located just 227 meters from their nearest transport stop. The service frequency averages out to 105 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 16 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ocean Reef'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 Ocean Reef with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~5,002 people), compared to 60.2% across Greater Perth.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 7.8 and 6.4% of residents respectively, while 72.9% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.5% across Greater Perth. As of 30 June 20XX, 20.0% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,758 people). Health outcomes among seniors in Ocean Reef perform even better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Ocean Reef's cultural diversity was found to be higher than most local markets, with 10.8% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 44.9% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Ocean Reef, comprising 52.9% of its population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Perth, making up 0.1% of Ocean Reef's population.

The top three ancestry groups were English (34.6%), Australian (19.1%), and Irish (9.1%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences in representation: South African at 2.3% vs regional 1.8%, Welsh at 1.1% vs 1.1%, and French at 0.9% vs regional 0.6%.

Ocean Reef hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Ocean Reef's median age is 44, surpassing Greater Perth's figure of 37 and the national norm of 38. The 55-64 age group constitutes 15.2% of Ocean Reef's population compared to Greater Perth, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 7.0%. Post-2021 Census, the 75-84 age group grew from 4.4% to 5.9%, and the 15-24 cohort increased from 13.7% to 15.0%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort decreased from 16.0% to 14.2%. By 2041, demographic models suggest Ocean Reef's age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 group is projected to grow by 99%, reaching 1,035 people from 518. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 67% of the population growth. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.