West Beach (WA)

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

As per AreaSearch's validation using ABS population updates and new addresses since Feb 2026, the suburb of West Beach's estimated population is around 1,519. This reflects a growth of 36 people from the 2021 Census figure of 1,483, indicating a 2.4% increase. AreaSearch's estimate of 1,515 residents, based on ERP data released by ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date, translates to a density ratio of 66 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, West Beach has shown resilience with a compound annual growth rate of 0.1%, outperforming its SA4 region. Natural growth contributed approximately 54.0% of overall population gains recently. AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and uses ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023 based on 2022 data) for areas not covered by this data or post-2032 growth estimates.

By 2041, West Beach is projected to increase by 172 persons, reflecting a 13.0% total gain over the 17 years, aligning with non-metropolitan areas' median population growth trends nationally.

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

West Beach has had minimal residential development activity with seven dwelling approvals over the five years from 2016 to 2020. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. The small number of approvals means individual projects can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

All new constructions have been detached dwellings, primarily family homes suited for those seeking a rural lifestyle with space. As of 2016, there were an estimated 517 people in the area per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet and low activity development environment.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, West Beach is projected to add 198 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

West Beach has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly affect an area's performance like modifications to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 0 projects that could potentially impact this specific area. Notable projects include South Coast Highway Improvements: Albany To Esperance in Western Australia, Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements in WA, WA Police Satellite Technology Upgrade, and Regional And Rural Wa Road Network Safety Improvements. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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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 skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 0.9% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 0.6%. As of September 2025813 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.4% lower than Rest of WA's rate of 3.3%.

Workforce participation was similar to Rest of WA's 67.2%. According to Census responses, 7.4% of residents worked from home. Dominant employment sectors include education & training, health care & social assistance, and construction. Education & training had an employment share 1.7 times the regional level while mining had limited presence at 2.9% compared to 11.7% regionally.

Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. In the 12-month period ending May-25, employment increased by 0.6% alongside labour force growth of 0.7%, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 3.4%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

The suburb of West Beach has a median taxpayer income of $69,934 and an average income of $90,818 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is among the highest in Australia, contrasting with Rest of WA's median income of $59,973 and average income of $74,392. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $76,662 (median) and $99,555 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family and personal incomes in West Beach rank highly nationally, between the 72nd and 78th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 37.8% of the population (574 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring regional levels where 31.1% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, residents retain 89.5% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In West Beach, as per the latest Census data, 96.8% of dwellings were houses while 3.2% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This compares to Non-Metro WA's figures of 88.5% houses and 11.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Beach stood at 42.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.1% and rented ones at 22.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, higher than Non-Metro WA's average of $1,560. Median weekly rent in West Beach was recorded at $350, compared to Non-Metro WA's $265. Nationally, West Beach's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

West Beach features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households comprise 74.6% of all households, including 33.1% couples with children, 34.1% couples without children, and 6.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 25.4%, with lone person households at 21.2% and group households comprising 4.7%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches the average for the Rest of WA.

Educational attainment in West Beach aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Educational attainment in West Beach is notably high, with 27.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 16.1% in the SA4 region and 17.6% in the Rest of WA. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 19.9%, followed by graduate diplomas (4.2%) and postgraduate qualifications (3.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 36.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 11.1% and certificates for 25.6%. Educational participation is high, with 28.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.6% in secondary education, 10.1% in primary education, and 2.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

West Beach has 24 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. There is one route serving these stops, offering a total of 15 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in the area is rated as good, with residents typically living 286 meters from their nearest stop. As primarily residential, most residents commute outward, with cars being the dominant mode at 94%. On average, there are 1.8 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, only 7.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages two trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately zero weekly trips per individual stop.

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

West Beach's health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 63% of the total population (960 people), compared to 56.4% in Rest of WA, and 55.7% nationally.

The most common conditions were asthma (7.3%) and arthritis (7.2%). A significant portion, 72.7%, reported being completely clear of medical ailments, higher than the 69.3% in Rest of WA. West Beach has 19.3% residents aged 65 and over (293 people). Health outcomes among seniors align with national rankings, similar to those of the general population.

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

West Beach had a lower than average cultural diversity, with 84.1% born in Australia, 89.5% being citizens, and 94.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 42.3%. Judaism, however, showed no representation (0.0%), similar to Rest of WA (0.0%).

The top three ancestry groups were English (33.3%), Australian (29.2%), and Scottish (8.2%). Some ethnic groups had notable differences: Welsh was overrepresented at 0.9% compared to the regional 0.6%, New Zealand at 1.2% versus 0.9%, and Croatian at 0.8% against 0.3%.

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

The median age in West Beach is 43 years, which modestly exceeds Rest of WA's average of 40 and is well above Australia's median of 38. Compared to Rest of WA, the 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented at 11.9% locally, while the 35-44 age group is under-represented at 12.6%. Since the Census in 2021, the population aged 35 to 44 has grown from 10.4% to 12.6%, and the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 11.4% to 13.0%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group declined from 14.6% to 12.9%, and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 13.0% to 11.7%. Population forecasts for West Beach indicate substantial demographic changes by 2041, with the 25 to 34 age cohort projected to expand by 75 people (38%) from 197 to 273. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.