City Beach

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

City Beach's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 7,287 people. This figure represents an increase of 482 individuals, marking a 7.1% rise since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 6,805. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,279 as of June 2024 and an additional four validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 742 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages observed across locations analyzed by AreaSearch. City Beach's growth rate of 7.1% places it within 1.8 percentage points of the national average of 8.9%, indicating competitive growth dynamics. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate post-2032 growth, AreaSearch uses age cohort growth rates provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Based on projected demographic shifts, City Beach is expected to experience population growth just below the median of statistical areas nationwide. By 2041, the area's population is projected to increase by 582 persons, reflecting a total gain of 7.9% over the 17-year period, as per the latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees City Beach recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

City Beach has granted approximately 23 residential properties approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25118 homes were approved, with an additional 5 approved so far in FY-26. Each dwelling accommodates around 2.5 new residents per year on average over these five years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

New homes are constructed at an average cost of $1,558,000, reflecting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This financial year has seen $977,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity in City Beach compared to Greater Perth. When assessed nationally, City Beach shows approximately 63% of construction activity per person and ranks among the 47th percentile of areas, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. Recent building activity consists exclusively of detached houses, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

The estimated population count is 357 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, City Beach is projected to grow by 574 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

City Beach has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 12thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact the region. Notable projects include City Beach Car Park Upgrades, Bold Park Aquatic Centre Redevelopment, Ocean Gardens Multi-Generational Living, and Amara City Beach. 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.

City Beach ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

City Beach has a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 0.9% in September 2025.

There were 3,709 residents employed at that time, with an unemployment rate of 3.0%, below Greater Perth's 4.0%. Workforce participation was 60.1%, compared to Greater Perth's 65.2%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training sectors. Professional & technical employment is particularly notable at twice the regional average.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 5.5% versus the regional average of 9.3%. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 3.1%, with employment decreasing by 3.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment grow by 2.9% and labour force expand by 3.0%. State-level data from WA as of 25-Nov shows employment contracted by 0.27%, with the state unemployment rate at 4.6%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts suggest growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to City Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, City Beach SA2 had median income among taxpayers at $80,918 with average level standing at $176,423. This ranks in the top percentile nationally, compared to Greater Perth levels of $58,380 and $78,020 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of September 2025 would be approximately $92,408 (median) and $201,475 (average). From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in City Beach, between the 92nd and 99th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that the $4000+ earnings band captures 48.2% of the community (3,512 individuals), contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.0%. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 57.1% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 89.0% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

As per the latest Census evaluation, dwelling structures in City Beach consisted of 87.6% houses and 12.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Perth metro's 68.6% houses and 31.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in City Beach stood at 53.9%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (34.7%) or rented (11.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,000, higher than Perth metro's average of $3,293. The median weekly rent figure in City Beach was recorded at $750, compared to Perth metro's $450. Nationally, City Beach's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 80.4% of all households, including 43.2% couples with children, 30.5% couples without children, and 6.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 19.6%, with lone person households at 17.8% and group households making up 1.5%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in City Beach places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

City Beach's residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications than the broader areas of WA (27.9%) and Greater Perth (30.1%), with 55.2% holding such degrees. Bachelor degrees are most common at 35.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.3% of qualifications, including advanced diplomas (9.4%) and certificates (7.9%). Educational participation is high with 33.0% currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 12.3% in secondary, 9.7% in primary, and 8.1% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in secondary education, 9.7% in primary education, and 8.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

City Beach has 56 active public transport stops. These are served by buses on four different routes, which together provide 1061 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 197 meters.

On average, there are 151 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

City Beach's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across City Beach, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 91% of the total population (6,645 people), compared to 87.5% in Greater Perth and a national average of 55.3%. Arthritis and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 7.0 and 5.3% of residents respectively, while 74.9% report being completely free of medical ailments, slightly higher than the 74.2% in Greater Perth.

City Beach has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24.1% (1,759 people), compared to 21.5% in Greater Perth. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, largely aligned with the general population's health profile.

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

City Beach's population showed high cultural diversity, with 13.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 30.9% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 55.5%. Judaism, at 0.6%, was slightly higher than Greater Perth's 0.5%.

Top ancestry groups were English (29.0%), Australian (22.6%), and Irish (8.6%). Notably, South African (1.4% vs regional 1.1%), Croatian (1.1% vs 0.8%), and Macedonian (0.6% vs 0.2%) groups were overrepresented in City Beach.

City Beach hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in City Beach is 46 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and also exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, the 15-24 age group is over-represented in City Beach at 17.1%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 5.3%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has increased from 14.3% to 17.1% of City Beach's population, while the 85+ cohort has grown from 4.7% to 5.8%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has decreased from 14.7% to 13.3%, and the 45-54 age group has dropped from 16.5% to 15.2%. Population forecasts for City Beach in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes, with the 85+ age cohort projected to grow by 421 people (100%), from 421 to 843. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 89% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 55-64 age groups are expected to experience population declines.