Bentley - Wilson - St James

An assessment of population growth drivers in Bentley - Wilson - St James reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bentley-Wilson-St James's population is around 23,962 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 3,350 people (16.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,612 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 23,893 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 63 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,149 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Bentley-Wilson-St James's 16.3% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%), along with the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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 any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and to estimate growth across all areas in the years post-2032, AreaSearch is utilising the growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Looking at population projections moving forward, an above median population growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is projected, with the area expected to grow by 3,368 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 13.8% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Bentley - Wilson - St James was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Bentley-Wilson-St James has seen approximately 98 new homes approved annually. Between fiscal years FY21 and FY25491 homes were approved, with a further 39 approved so far in FY26. Each dwelling built over the past five financial years attracted an average of 5.7 people to the area per year.

This supply lagging behind demand has resulted in heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $309,000. In FY26, there have been $347.4 million in commercial development approvals, indicating high local commercial activity.

Compared to Greater Perth, Bentley-Wilson-St James has 14.0% less building activity per person but ranks among the 67th percentile nationally when assessed areas are considered. Recent construction comprises 66.0% detached dwellings and 34.0% townhouses or apartments, offering a range of housing types from spacious family homes to more affordable compact options. The area has approximately 233 people per dwelling approval, suggesting potential for growth. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Bentley-Wilson-St James is projected to grow by 3,299 residents by 2041. Development pace is keeping up with projected growth, but increasing population may intensify buyer competition.

Bentley - Wilson - St James has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 34 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Sam Kerr Football Centre and Queens Park Regional Open Space, Kent Street Weir Precinct Redevelopment, Australian Hockey Centre, and Curtin University Net Zero Precinct Digital Twin. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market in Bentley - Wilson - St James demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Bentley-Wilson-St James has an educated workforce with diverse sector representation and a low unemployment rate of 3.9%. Over the past year, ending September 2025, employment grew by an estimated 3.2%.

The area's unemployment rate aligns with Greater Perth's at 4.0%, but workforce participation is lower at 61.3% compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade, with a notable specialization in accommodation & food (1.6 times the regional level). Construction has limited presence with 6.7% employment versus 9.3% regionally. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.6, indicating local employment opportunities above average.

In the year to September 2025, employment increased by 3.2%, while labour force grew by 2.6%, reducing unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov shows WA employment contracted by 0.27% with an unemployment rate of 4.6%. National employment forecasts project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.4% over ten years for Bentley-Wilson-St James, based on its current employment mix.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch released postcode-level ATO data for financial year 2022. Bentley - Wilson - St James SA2's median income was $48,561, with an average of $57,711. This is below the national average. Greater Perth had a median income of $58,380 and an average of $78,020. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $55,457 (median) and $65,906 (average). Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly in Bentley - Wilson - St James, between the 30th and 34th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 30.3% of residents earn $1,500-$2,999 weekly. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.3% of income remaining. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Bentley - Wilson - St James displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Bentley-Wilson-St. James, as per the latest Census, 64.6% of dwellings were houses while 35.4% comprised semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Perth metro's 78.4% houses and 21.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bentley-Wilson-St. James stood at 21.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.8% and rented ones at 51.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Perth metro's $1,820. Weekly rent median was $330, compared to Perth metro's $350. Nationally, Bentley-Wilson-St. James' mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were significantly lower at $375.

Bentley - Wilson - St James features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 54.7% of all households, including 21.1% couples with children, 23.2% couples without children, and 7.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 45.3%, with lone person households at 33.0% and group households comprising 12.3%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.7.

The educational profile of Bentley - Wilson - St James exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Bentley-Wilson-St James shows significant surpassing of broader benchmarks, with 39.7% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 27.9% in WA and 29.9% in the SA4 region. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 26.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 28.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (16.8%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 36.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 16.7% in tertiary education, 6.8% in primary education, and 5.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Bentley-Wilson-St James has 158 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 42 individual routes, facilitating 7,310 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located 161 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 1,044 trips per day, equating to approximately 46 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Bentley - Wilson - St James is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Bentley-Wilson-St James demonstrates a lower prevalence of common health conditions among its general population compared to national averages. However, it has higher rates among older, at-risk cohorts. Approximately 49% (~11,717 people) have private health cover, which is relatively low compared to Greater Perth's 52.2% and the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (7.7%) and arthritis (6.2%). About 73.7% of residents report having no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Perth's 76.0%. Around 15.2% (3,647 people) of the population is aged 65 or over. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention compared to the broader population.

Bentley - Wilson - St James is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bentley-Wilson-St James has high cultural diversity, with 40.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 51.2% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Bentley-Wilson-St James, making up 38.6%. Buddhism comprises 7.7%, higher than Greater Perth's 6.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (21.0%), Other (20.1%), and Australian (16.5%). Korean is overrepresented at 1.1% compared to the regional average of 1.2%. Chinese representation is 10.9%, lower than Greater Perth's 14.7%. Indian representation is also lower at 4.0%, compared to 6.5% regionally.

Bentley - Wilson - St James's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Bentley-Wilson-St James's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, Bentley-Wilson-St James has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (23.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.8%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 17.7% to 19.4%, while those aged 35-44 increased from 13.0% to 14.2%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 85 and above has declined from 4.6% to 3.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Bentley-Wilson-St James's age profile, with the strongest growth expected in the 75-84 cohort (a 58% increase adding 802 residents to reach 2,188). Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 51% of population growth. Meanwhile, declines are projected for the 35-44 and 5-14 age cohorts.