Busselton Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

Busselton Surrounds lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of August 2025, Busselton Surrounds' population is approximately 13,932. This figure reflects a growth of 2,032 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 11,900. The increase is inferred from ABS estimates: 13,608 in June 2024 and an additional 536 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 11.4 persons per square kilometer. Busselton Surrounds' growth rate of 17.1% since the 2021 Census exceeds the national average of 8.6%. Interstate migration contributed approximately 62.6% to this growth, with other factors including overseas migration and natural growth also being positive.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024, based on 2022 data, and ABS Greater Capital Region projections from 2023 for areas not covered by the initial data. Future demographic trends project above median population growth in regional areas, with Busselton Surrounds expected to increase by 3,025 persons to 2041, resulting in a total gain of 19.4% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Busselton Surrounds was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Busselton Surrounds granted around 196 residential property approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that between financial years FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 981 homes received approval. As of FY-26, 26 approvals have been recorded. On average, 2.1 people moved to the area per new home constructed over these five years, indicating solid demand for property.

The average construction cost value for new homes was $782,000 during this period. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $47.3 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of WA, Busselton Surrounds exhibited moderately higher development activity, with 19.0% more approvals per person over the five-year period. This maintained reasonable buyer options while sustaining property demand.

However, building activity has slowed in recent years. Nationally, developer confidence in Busselton Surrounds is strong, as shown by its substantially higher development activity compared to national averages. New building activity comprised 90.0% standalone homes and 10.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers with an average of 87 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, projections suggest Busselton Surrounds will add 2,698 residents. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Busselton Surrounds has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 17thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 43 projects that are likely to impact the area, significantly influencing its performance due to changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Key projects include Dunsborough Lakes Residential Estate, Dunsborough Lakes Sporting Precinct, Dunsborough Lakes Primary School, and Dunsborough Precinct Structure Plan Amendment 52. The following list details those projects likely to be of most relevance.

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

The exceptional employment performance in Busselton Surrounds places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Busselton Surrounds has a well-educated workforce. In the construction sector, it stands out with a high representation and an unemployment rate of just 1.4%.

Over the past year, ending June 2025, employment grew by an estimated 5.2%. As of that date, 7,847 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.8%, which is below Rest of WA's rate of 3.2%. Workforce participation is at 63.5%, slightly higher than the Rest of WA average of 59.4%. Key industries for employment among residents are construction, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance.

The area shows strong specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level. However, mining is under-represented, with only 6.4% of Busselton Surrounds' workforce compared to 11.7% in Rest of WA. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work, as indicated by the Census working population count. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 5.2%, while labour force grew by 5.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of WA experienced employment growth of 1.1% and labour force growth of 0.5%, with a 0.6 percentage point drop in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Busselton Surrounds. These projections estimate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Busselton Surrounds' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.7% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Busselton Surrounds had a median income among taxpayers of $51,212. The average income stood at $76,945. Nationally, this is extremely high compared to levels of $57,323 and $71,163 across Rest of WA respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $57,158 (median) and $85,878 (average) as of March 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Busselton Surrounds cluster around the 59th percentile nationally. Distribution data shows 33.7% of the population (4,695 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring regional levels where 31.1% occupy this bracket. After housing, 85.4% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In Busselton Surrounds, as per the latest Census, 91.0% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 9.0% comprising semi-detached, apartments, and other types. This compares to Non-Metro WA's 89.8% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Busselton Surrounds stood at 40.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.0% and rented dwellings at 19.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,993, higher than Non-Metro WA's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Busselton Surrounds was $420, compared to Non-Metro WA's $360. Nationally, Busselton Surrounds' mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

Busselton Surrounds features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 77.3% of all households, including 33.9% couples with children, 35.3% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.7%, with lone person households at 19.7% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Rest of WA average of 2.5.

Busselton Surrounds shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Busselton Surrounds is notably high, with 29.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This compares to 17.6% in the rest of Western Australia and 18.0% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 22.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 41.0% of residents holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (14.2%) and certificates (26.8%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.9% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 2.4% pursuing tertiary education. Busselton Surrounds has five schools with a combined enrollment of 1,171 students. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1068. The educational mix includes four primary schools and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (8.4) are below the regional average (16.5), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Busselton Surrounds has 88 active public transport stops in operation, all of which are bus stops. Two routes serve these stops, offering a total of 126 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is limited, with residents living an average of 1160 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 18 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

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

Busselton Surrounds shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 58% of its total population of 8,052 people, compared to 52.6% in the rest of WA.

The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (7.9%) and mental health issues (6.5%). A higher proportion, 73.8%, report no medical ailments compared to 69.5% in the rest of WA. As of 19.7% of residents aged 65 and over (2,744 people), seniors perform better than average on health metrics.

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

Busselton Surrounds had a lower than average cultural diversity, with 86.7% of its population being Australian citizens and 77.8% born in Australia. The majority spoke English only at home, at 94.6%. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 40.5% of people.

Judaism, however, was notably overrepresented compared to the rest of WA, with 0.1% of Busselton Surrounds' population identifying as such. The top three ancestry groups were English (35.3%), Australian (28.6%), and Irish (8.2%). Notably, New Zealanders were overrepresented at 1.2%, compared to the regional average of 1.0%. French individuals made up 0.8% of Busselton Surrounds' population, slightly higher than the regional average of 0.7%. South Africans also had a higher representation, with 0.9% compared to the region's 0.6%.

Busselton Surrounds hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Busselton Surrounds is 43 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of WA's average of 40 and well above Australia's median of 38. Compared to Rest of WA, the 35-44 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.2% locally while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 10.3%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has grown from 7.7% to 9.4%, and the 25-34 cohort increased from 9.1% to 10.3%. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort declined from 14.8% to 13.1%, and the 65-74 group dropped from 13.3% to 12.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Busselton Surrounds, with the 25-34 age cohort projected to expand by 696 people (48%) from 1,436 to 2,133. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort is projected to decline by 14 people.