West Beach (WA)

West Beach is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, the West Beach (WA) statistical area (Lv2)'s population is estimated at around 1,518. This reflects an increase of 35 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,483. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 1,515, following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 66 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, West Beach has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.1%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 54.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth across all areas 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, a population increase just below the median of non-metropolitan areas nationally is expected. The area is expected to increase by 170 persons to reach around 1,688 by 2041, reflecting a gain of 13.2% in total over the 17 years.

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

West Beach had seven dwelling approvals over five years, ending in 2017. This minimal residential development activity is typical of rural areas with modest housing needs and limited construction due to local demand and infrastructure capacity. The small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

All new constructions were detached dwellings, catering to families seeking a rural lifestyle. As of the latest estimate in 2017, there were approximately 517 people per dwelling approval in West Beach.

By 2041, West Beach is projected to add 201 residents. If current construction levels continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and driving up prices.

West Beach has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 9thth percentile nationally

No factors influence a region's performance more than alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has pinpointed 0 projects that may impact this area. Significant projects include South Coast Highway Improvements: Albany To Esperance, Western Australia Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements, WA Police Satellite Technology Upgrade, and Regional And Rural Wa Road Network Safety Improvements, with the following list detailing those most relevant.

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

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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 1.0% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 0.9%.

As of September 2025815 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.3% lower than Rest of WA's rate of 3.3%. Workforce participation in West Beach is higher at 65.0%, compared to Rest of WA's 59.4%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include education & training, health care & social assistance, and construction. Education & training has a particularly strong specialization with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level.

Mining, however, has limited presence at 2.9% compared to the regional average of 11.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 0.9% while labour force increased by 1.0%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.1 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of WA recorded employment growth of 1.4%, labour force growth of 1.2%, with a decrease in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within West Beach. These projections suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to West Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.0% over ten years.

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 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 (573 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 strong rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in West Beach, evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 96.8% houses and 3.2% other dwellings. Home ownership stood at 42.1%, with 35.1% of dwellings mortgaged and 22.8% rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1733, while the median weekly rent was $350. Nationally, West Beach's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1863, with rents also below the national figure of $375.

West Beach features high concentrations of group households, with a median household size of 2.5 people

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 25.4%, with lone person households at 21.2% and group households making up 4.7%. The median household size is 2.5 people.

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

West Beach residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 27.5%, compared to the SA4 region's 16.1% and Rest of WA's 17.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.9%, followed by graduate diplomas (4.2%) and postgraduate qualifications (3.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 36.7% holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (25.6%). Educational participation is high at 28.3%, with residents currently enrolled in formal education, including secondary education (10.6%), primary education (10.1%), and tertiary education (2.0%).

Educational participation is notably 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 only one route serving these stops, offering a total of 15 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of the transport system in West Beach is rated as good, with residents typically living just 286 meters away from their nearest stop.

On average, there are two trips per day across all routes, which works out to 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 shows excellent health outcomes with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Approximately 63% of its total population of 960 have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.3% and 7.2% of residents respectively. 72.7% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, contrasting with 0% in the rest of WA. West Beach has 19.7% of its population aged 65 and over (299 people), with seniors exhibiting strong health outcomes, largely matching the general population's profile.

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 low 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 was not represented, unlike the rest of WA where it comprised None%.

The top ancestral groups were English (33.3%), Australian (29.2%), and Scottish (8.2%). Notably, Welsh (0.9%) New Zealand (1.2%) and Croatian (0.8%) ethnicities were overrepresented compared to regional averages of None%.

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

The median age in West Beach is 43 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of WA's average of 40 years, and well above Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of WA average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented in West Beach at 11.7%, while the 35-44 age group is under-represented at 11.9%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the population of the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 10.4% to 11.9%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age cohort has declined from 14.6% to 13.3%. Population forecasts for West Beach indicate significant demographic changes by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand by 88 people (48%) from 185 to 274, while the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.