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 November 2025, the estimated population of Ocean Reef is around 8,797, reflecting an increase of 672 people since the 2021 Census. The population in 2021 was reported as 8,125. This growth is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 8,789 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and an additional 20 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,672 persons per square kilometer, higher than average national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Ocean Reef's growth rate of 8.3% since the census is close to the SA3 area's growth fundamentals of 8.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 85.0% 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 by this data and post-2032 estimations, AreaSearch uses growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population trends project an above median increase for Ocean Reef, with an expected rise of 1,151 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 13.0% over the 17-year period.

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 shows Ocean Reef averaged approximately 14 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 72 homes. As of FY-26, one approval has been recorded. Each year, an average of 8.6 new residents per home have been added between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating demand outstripping supply. New properties are constructed at an average cost of $823,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year, $10.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, showing 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 for housing choices, potentially supporting demand for existing dwellings due to limited options. The area's established nature is evident in its highly mature market, with around 759 people per dwelling approval. Future projections estimate Ocean Reef will add approximately 1,143 residents by 2041.

If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth. All new constructions have been standalone homes, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes.

Ocean Reef 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 eight projects likely affecting this region. Notable projects include Ocean Reef Marina Redevelopment, Ocean Reef Marina, Ocean Reef Primary School Expansion, and another Ocean Reef Marina Redevelopment project. The following list details those expected to have the most relevance.

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 notable representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.6% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Perth's 3.9%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.2%. Residents' employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training, with construction being particularly notable at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has lower representation at 3.0% compared to the regional average of 4.7%. The area's predominantly residential nature seems to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparison.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 4.2%, labour force by 4.0%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment grow by 3.7% while unemployment rose slightly. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Ocean Reef's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data shows Ocean Reef had a median taxpayer income of $58,121 and an average income of $74,792 for financial year 2022. Nationally, the median was $58,380 and the average was $78,020. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $66,374 (median) and $85,412 (average), based on a 14.2% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, Ocean Reef's household incomes ranked at the 90th percentile with $2,480 weekly income. Income analysis revealed that 28.7% of residents earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (2,524 individuals), mirroring the regional trend where 32.0% fell into this bracket. Notably, 40.9% of Ocean Reef residents earned over $3,000 per week, indicating significant affluence and supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retained 87.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Ocean Reef, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 95.9% houses and 4.2% 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 was $2,253, higher than Perth metro's average of $2,080. Median weekly rent in Ocean Reef was $525, compared to Perth metro's $400. Nationally, Ocean Reef's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian 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 make up the remaining 14.1%, consisting of 12.4% lone person households and 1.8% group households. 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 Ocean Reef residents aged 15+. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 38.0% of residents holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (13.1%) and certificates (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. Ocean Reef's five schools have a combined enrollment of 3,712 students as of the latest data. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1066). Education provision is balanced with three primary and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. As of recent statistics, Ocean Reef functions as an education hub with 42.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 19.7, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis shows 47 active public transport stops in Ocean Reef. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totaling four individual routes. Collectively, these routes provide 736 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 227 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 105 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 15 weekly trips per 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 found to be very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~5,004 people), which compares to 59.3% 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% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 71.5% across Greater Perth. As of the latest data (2016), 20.0% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,759 people). Health outcomes among seniors in Ocean Reef are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Ocean Reef was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Ocean Reef's population, with 10.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 44.9% born overseas, is more culturally diverse than most local markets. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ocean Reef, accounting for 52.9% of its population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented, comprising 0.1% of Ocean Reef's population compared to 0.1% across Greater Perth.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (34.6%), Australian (19.1%), and Irish (9.1%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: South African is overrepresented at 2.3% in Ocean Reef versus 1.8% regionally, Welsh remains at 1.1%, and French is slightly higher at 0.9% compared to the regional average of 0.6%.

Ocean Reef hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Ocean Reef has a median age of 44, which exceeds Greater Perth's figure of 37 and is substantially higher than 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%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has grown from 4.4% to 5.9%, and the 15-24 cohort has increased from 13.7% to 15.0%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 16.0% to 14.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Ocean Reef's age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 group is projected to grow by 99%, reaching 1,035 people from 519. 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.