West Beach (SA)

West Beach has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, the population of the West Beach (SA) statistical area (Lv2) is estimated at around 5,608, reflecting an increase of 433 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents an 8.4% rise from the previous population count of 5,175. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of a resident population of 5,438 following their examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with the validation of an additional 26 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,338 persons per square kilometer, which is higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The West Beach (SA) (SA2)'s 8.4% growth since census positions it close to the state's growth rate of 8.7%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth in the area.

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 years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. These projections are adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the West Beach (SA) (SA2) is expected to grow by 564 persons to reach 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 7.0% in total over the 17-year period. This anticipated growth places the area just below the median of statistical areas across the nation in terms of population dynamics.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within West Beach when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates West Beach averaged around 26 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 131 homes were approved, with another 14 approved in FY-26 to date. On average, about 2 people moved to the area for each dwelling built over these years, suggesting balanced supply and demand dynamics.

The average construction value of new dwellings was $660,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties. This financial year has seen $3.9 million in commercial approvals, reflecting limited commercial development activity compared to Greater Adelaide. West Beach shows approximately 75% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 67th percentile nationally based on areas assessed.

Recent construction comprises 74.0% detached dwellings and 26.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's suburban character. There are approximately 204 people per dwelling approval in West Beach, suggesting an expanding market. Population forecasts estimate West Beach will gain 394 residents by 2041. Current development rates should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

West Beach has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely affecting the region: Adelaide Airport Industrial Development, West Beach Surf Life Saving Club Rebuild, Apex Park Stage 2 Redevelopment, and River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees West Beach performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

West Beach has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate in the area was 1.4% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.4% over the past year.

There were 3,080 residents employed at this time, with an unemployment rate of 2.5%, which is below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation was broadly similar to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. The leading employment industries among West Beach residents comprise health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction.

However, health care & social assistance has limited presence with 16.3% employment compared to the regional average of 17.7%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment in West Beach increased by 4.4%, while the labour force grew by 4.1%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment rise by 3.0%, the labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment fall by 0.1 percentage points. Providing broader context, state-level data as of 25-Nov-25 shows that South Australian employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year (adding 10,710 jobs), with the state's unemployment rate at 4.0%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%, with SA's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within West Beach. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to West Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years. However, it is important to note that this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of West Beach has a median taxpayer income of $54,139 and an average income of $70,158 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is slightly above the national average, contrasting with Greater Adelaide's median income of $54,808 and average income of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $58,903 (median) and $76,332 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, personal income ranks at the 66th percentile ($896 weekly), while household income sits at the 49th percentile. Looking at income distribution, the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 28.2% of residents (1,581 people). After housing costs, 86.2% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

West Beach displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

West Beach dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 66.0% houses and 34.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Adelaide metro's 63.9% houses and 36.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Beach stood at 39.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.4% and rented ones at 27.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,745. Median weekly rent in West Beach was $320, compared to Adelaide metro's $310. Nationally, West Beach's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are lower than the national figure of $375.

West Beach has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 69.2% of all households, including 31.4% couples with children, 29.4% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 30.8%, with lone person households at 28.5% and group households comprising 2.2%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.3.

The educational profile of West Beach exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 33.1% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the South Australian average of 25.7% and that of Greater Adelaide at 28.9%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 22.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 31.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 20.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 25.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 5.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

West Beach has 48 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 16 different routes that together facilitate 631 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 133 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 90 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

West Beach's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

West Beach's health metrics closely align with national benchmarks. Common health conditions are seen at standard levels across both young and old age cohorts.

Approximately 55% of West Beach's total population (~3068 people) has private health cover, compared to 52.3% across Greater Adelaide. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis (affecting 8.6% of residents) and asthma (6.5%). A majority, 69.7%, report being completely free from medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Adelaide's 70.9%. West Beach has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.0% (1177 people), compared to Greater Adelaide's 17.6%. Health outcomes among seniors in West Beach are above average, even better than the general population's health metrics.

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

West Beach's cultural diversity was above average, with 23.7% born overseas and 15.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity dominated West Beach's religious landscape at 52.4%. However, the 'Other' religion category had higher representation in West Beach (1.1%) compared to Greater Adelaide (3.1%).

For ancestry, English was most common in West Beach at 28.5%, higher than the regional average of 22.1%. Australian ancestry followed at 23.9%, while 'Other' stood at 7.3%, lower than the regional average of 12.3%. Notably, Polish (1.1% vs 0.9%), Russian (0.6% vs 0.3%), and Greek (4.2% vs 6.1%) were overrepresented in West Beach compared to Greater Adelaide.

West Beach hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in West Beach is 44 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and the Australian median of 38 years. Locally, those aged 55-64 make up 13.2% of the population, a notable over-representation compared to Greater Adelaide's average. Conversely, individuals aged 25-34 are under-represented at 11.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 35-44 age group has increased from 12.3% to 13.5%, while those aged 75-84 have declined from 8.3% to 7.4%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant growth in the 85+ age cohort, with a projected increase of 98 people (52%), from 190 to 289. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow more modestly at 2%, adding only 3 residents.