West Lakes Shore

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

As of Feb 2026, the population of the suburb of West Lakes Shore is estimated at around 3,515. This reflects an increase of 279 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,236. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 3,354 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 7 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,196 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. West Lakes Shore's growth rate of 8.6% since census positions it within 0.4 percentage points of the state's growth rate of 9.0%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 54.0% 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 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, with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median is expected for West Lakes Shore, with the area expected to expand by 481 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 10.0% in total over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, West Lakes Shore recorded around 21 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 109 homes were approved, with a further 22 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.6 new residents per year arrived per new home over these five years, suggesting balanced supply and demand conditions.

The average construction value of new homes was $510,000, indicating developers targeted the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year, $14.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, West Lakes Shore shows approximately 75% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 77th percentile of areas assessed nationally.

New building activity comprised 65.0% standalone homes and 35.0% townhouses or apartments, offering choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options. The location had approximately 154 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, West Lakes Shore is expected to grow by 350 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

West Lakes Shore 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 nine projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include West Lakes Shore Masterplan Residential Release, Novo West Lakes Stage 2, West Lakes Public Transport Hub, and West Lakes Sports Complex Upgrade, with subsequent details focusing on those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in West Lakes Shore demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

West Lakes Shore has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate is 2.8%, with an estimated employment growth of 4.3% over the past year, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,763 residents are in work, with an unemployment rate of 1.1% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. According to Census responses, 14.8% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. The area has particular employment specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance employs just 14.4% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 17.7%.

The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data during the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3% and labour force increased by 4.1%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide, where employment rose by 3.0%, the labour force grew by 2.9%, and unemployment fell by 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within West Lakes Shore. These projections suggest national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to West Lakes Shore's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of West Lakes Shore has an extremely high income level nationally, according to the latest Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in West Lakes Shore is $60,524, and the average income stands at $80,735. This compares to figures for Greater Adelaide of $54,808 (median) and $66,852 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $65,850 (median) and $87,840 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in West Lakes Shore cluster around the 54th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominates with 31.6% of residents (1,110 people), aligning with the region where this cohort likewise represents 31.8%. After housing costs, residents retain 87.6% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

West Lakes Shore's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 70.7% houses and 29.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Lakes Shore stood at 49.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.5% and rented ones at 14.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, above Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. Median weekly rent in West Lakes Shore was $390, higher than Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, West Lakes Shore's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

West Lakes Shore has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 75.2% of all households, including 29.6% couples with children, 34.4% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 24.8%, with lone person households at 23.1% and group households comprising 1.5%. The median household size is 2.5 people, aligning with the Greater Adelaide average.

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

West Lakes Shore trail region has 25.4% of residents aged 15 and above holding university degrees, compared to Australia's 30.4%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 16.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 6.3% and graduate diplomas at 2.7%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 36.3% of residents aged 15 and above holding them.

Advanced diplomas account for 12.0% and certificates for 24.3%. A significant 23.4% of the population is currently pursuing formal education. This includes 9.2% in primary education, 5.5% in secondary education, and 4.0% in tertiary education.

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

West Lakes Shore has 19 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 15 different routes that together facilitate 474 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 160 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential zone, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 92% of residents. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 14.8% of residents work from home, which may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 67 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 24 weekly trips per individual stop.

West Lakes Shore's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

West Lakes Shore's health outcomes data shows excellent results, as assessed by AreaSearch using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence across both young and old age groups. The area has a low prevalence of common health conditions, with approximately 59% of its total population (2,069 people) having private health cover, compared to Greater Adelaide's 52.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 9.1 and 6.7% of residents respectively, while 68.4% report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. The under-65 population has better-than-average health outcomes. West Lakes Shore has 28.9% of residents aged 65 and over (1,015 people), which is higher than Greater Adelaide's 19.3%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, with national rankings generally in line with the overall population.

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

West Lakes Shore's population showed above-average cultural diversity, with 22.9% born overseas and 14.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 56.9%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 42.4%. The top three ancestry groups were English (28.2%), Australian (23.2%), and Other (6.9%).

Notably, Russian (1.3% vs regional 0.3%), Polish (1.6% vs 1.0%), and Croatian (1.4% vs 0.5%) ethnicities had higher representations than the Greater Adelaide averages.

West Lakes Shore hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

West Lakes Shore's median age is 48 years, significantly higher than Greater Adelaide's 39 years and the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide, West Lakes Shore has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (15.5%), but fewer residents aged 25-34 (8.6%). This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is well above the national average of 9.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 has grown from 7.5% to 10.3%, while the proportion of those aged 55 to 64 has declined from 14.1% to 12.2%. The proportion of residents aged 65 to 74 has also decreased, from 17.3% to 15.5%. By 2041, West Lakes Shore's age composition is expected to shift notably. Leading this demographic change, the number of residents aged 75 to 84 will increase by 38%, reaching 499 from 362. Residents aged 65 and older are projected to represent 63% of the population growth. Conversely, both the 35 to 44 age group and those aged 0 to 4 are expected to decrease in number.