Donnybrook - Balingup

Population growth drivers in Donnybrook - Balingup are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Donnybrook - Balingup's population is around 6,713 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 558 people (9.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,155 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,584 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 112 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 4.3 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Donnybrook - Balingup's 9.1% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (8.8%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 53.0% 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 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). Moving forward with demographic trends, an above-median population growth for Australia's non-metropolitan areas is projected, with the area expected to expand by 1,079 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, recording a gain of 14.2% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Donnybrook - Balingup when compared nationally

Donnybrook - Balingup has seen around 44 new homes approved each year, totalling 220 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 17 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 2.1 people moving to the area per new home constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), there is healthy demand that should support property values. New homes are being built at an average construction cost of $238,000—below regional levels—indicating more accessible housing choices for buyers. There have also been $9.0 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating a limited commercial development focus.

Compared to the Rest of WA, Donnybrook - Balingup has slightly more development (14.0% above the regional average per person over the 5 year period), balancing buyer choice with support for current property values. New development consists of 93.0% standalone homes and 7.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low-density nature with an emphasis on detached housing to attract space-seeking buyers. At around 166 people per approval, Donnybrook - Balingup reflects a developing area.

Looking ahead, Donnybrook - Balingup is expected to grow by 950 residents through to 2041 (based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). 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.

Donnybrook - Balingup has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 4thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 9 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Donnybrook Town Centre Revitalisation Project, the Bridge Street Housing Project (Independent Living Units), Global Advanced Metals Tantalum Processing, and the Collie to Mumballup Road Upgrade, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

Employment conditions in Donnybrook - Balingup demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Donnybrook - Balingup has a skilled workforce, with manufacturing and industrial sectors strongly represented, an unemployment rate of just 2.6%, and 5.4% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 3,471 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 1.0% below Regional WA's rate of 3.5%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Regional WA's 67.4%. Based on Census responses, a low 13.4% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and mining. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Meanwhile, accommodation & food has a limited presence with 5.4% employment compared to 7.1% regionally. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw employment increasing by 5.4% alongside the labour force increasing by 5.3%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional WA, where employment rose by 1.0%, the labour force grew by 1.4%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Donnybrook - Balingup. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Donnybrook - Balingup's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.3% over five years and 11.8% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Donnybrook - Balingup SA2 is below the national average, with the median assessed at $49,654 while the average income stands at $63,852. This contrasts to Regional WA's figures of a median income of $59,973 and an average income of $74,392. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $54,431 (median) and $69,995 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Donnybrook - Balingup all fall between the 20th and 22nd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate 27.0% of the population (1,812 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 31.1%. After housing, 86.0% of income remains, though this ranks at only the 25th percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Donnybrook - Balingup, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 96.9% houses and 3.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional WA's 88.5% houses and 11.6% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Donnybrook - Balingup was well beyond that of Regional WA, at 45.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (39.2%) or rented (15.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Regional WA average at $1,562, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $290, compared to Regional WA's $1,560 and $265. Nationally, Donnybrook - Balingup's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Donnybrook - Balingup has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 73.4% of all households, comprising 25.9% couples with children, 38.6% couples without children, and 7.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.6%, with lone person households at 24.5% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size of 2.4 people is smaller than the Regional WA average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in Donnybrook - Balingup fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (17.4%) substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 12.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 41.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (30.5%).

A substantial 24.2% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 1.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 8 active transport stops operating within Donnybrook - Balingup, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 4 individual routes, collectively providing 30 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents typically located 1903 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 90%, with 5% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A relatively low 13.4% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 4 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Donnybrook - Balingup are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Health indicators suggest below-average outcomes in Donnybrook-Balingup, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~3,390 people). This compares to 56.4% across Regional WA and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 10.5% and 8.3% of residents, respectively, while 66.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 69.3% across Regional WA. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 22.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,477 people), which is higher than the 19.2% in Regional WA. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than those of the general population.

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

Donnybrook - Balingup was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 80.2% of its population born in Australia, 88.3% being citizens, and 94.9% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Donnybrook - Balingup is Christianity, which makes up 44.3% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.1% of the population, compared to 0.0% across Regional WA.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Donnybrook - Balingup are English, comprising 35.7% of the population, Australian, comprising 28.6% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 8.3% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Dutch is notably overrepresented at 1.7% of Donnybrook - Balingup (vs 1.5% regionally), Italian at 4.9% (vs 3.0%) and New Zealand at 0.8% (vs 0.9%).

Donnybrook - Balingup hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Donnybrook - Balingup's median age of 48 years exceeds Regional WA's 40 and is considerably older than the national norm of 38. Compared to the Regional WA average, the 65 - 74 cohort is notably over-represented (14.2% locally), while 15 - 24 year-olds are under-represented (8.3%). Since 2021, younger residents have shifted the median age down by 1.2 years to 48. In particular, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 8.1% to 11.4% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 11.1% to 12.7%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.7% to 11.6% and the 65 to 74 group dropped from 15.9% to 14.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Donnybrook - Balingup. The 25 to 34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 39%, adding 300 residents to reach 1,066. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 85+ and 15 to 24 cohorts.