Esperance
Statistical Area - sa2

Esperance is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Esperance's population is 12,527 as of August 2025. This shows an increase of 524 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,003. The change was inferred from ABS data: Esperance had an estimated resident population of 12,515 in June 2024 and gained 28 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 26 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Esperance's population grew at a compound annual growth rate of 0.1%, outperforming its SA4 region. Natural growth drove most recent gains, contributing approximately 54.2%.

AreaSearch uses 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 post-2032 years, AreaSearch employs growth rates by age cohort from the ABS's latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future trends suggest Esperance will grow by approximately 1,350 persons to 2041, recording a total gain of around 10.7%.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Esperance according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Esperance has averaged approximately 47 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 235 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with 8 approvals recorded so far in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 0.6 new residents has been associated with each dwelling constructed annually. This supply meets or exceeds demand, providing greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth above projections.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $486,000. In FY-26, there have been $32.3 million in commercial approvals, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of WA, Esperance has slightly more development, with 18.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, balancing buyer choice while supporting current property values. This is lower than the national level, reflecting market maturity and suggesting possible development constraints.

New development consists of 91.0% detached dwellings and 9.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. Esperance reflects a low-density area, with approximately 303 people per approval. Future projections indicate Esperance adding around 1,338 residents by 2041. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Esperance has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

No factors affect a region's performance more than alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has pinpointed 0 projects that could impact the area. Significant projects comprise South Coast Highway Improvements: Albany To Esperance, Western Australia Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements, WA Police Satellite Technology Upgrade, and Regional And Rural Wa Road Network Safety Improvements, with the following list highlighting those most pertinent.

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

The employment environment in Esperance shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Esperance has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, diverse sector representation, and an unemployment rate of 2.4%. As of June 2025, there are 6,148 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.7% below the Rest of WA's rate of 3.2%, and workforce participation similar to the region at 59.4%.

Key sectors for employment include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing. Notably, transport, postal & warehousing has a high concentration with levels at 2.1 times the regional average. Mining's presence is limited with 4.0% employment compared to 11.7% regionally. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparisons.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, Esperance's labour force decreased by 2.4%, while employment declined by 2.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of WA saw employment grow by 1.1% and unemployment fall by 0.6 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Esperance's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.7% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though these are illustrative estimates based on simple weighting extrapolations.

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

Esperance's median income among taxpayers was $55,230 in the financial year ending June 2022. The average income stood at $71,723 during this period. These figures compare to the Rest of WA's median and average incomes of $57,323 and $71,163 respectively. By March 2025, estimates suggest Esperance's median income could reach approximately $61,642, with an average income of around $80,050, based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 11.61%. According to the Census, household, family and personal incomes in Esperance rank modestly, between the 35th and 46th percentiles. In terms of income distribution, 31.5% of Esperance's population (3,946 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 31.1% in the same category. After accounting for housing costs, 86.1% of income remains for other expenses.

Esperance is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Esperance's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.9% houses and 13.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro WA's 86.9% houses and 10.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Esperance was 35.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.5% and rented dwellings at 31.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, higher than Non-Metro WA's average of $1,517. Median weekly rent in Esperance was $270, compared to Non-Metro WA's $260. Nationally, Esperance's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,600 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $270 compared to the national figure of $375.

Esperance has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 67.4% of all households, including 26.1% couples with children, 29.9% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.6%, with lone person households at 29.8% and group households making up 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Rest of WA average.

Esperance faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 15.1%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.5%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.2%) and certificates (31.7%).

Educational participation is high at 30.2%, including 12.2% in primary education, 10.2% in secondary education, and 1.7% pursuing tertiary education. Esperance operates a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 2,348 students with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 956) and balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with 5 primary and 3 secondary schools serving distinct age groups.

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

Esperance has 125 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by six different routes that together offer 103 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is limited, with residents on average living 622 meters away from the nearest stop.

Each route runs an average of 14 trips per day, resulting in approximately zero weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Esperance's health indicators show below-average results with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age groups.

Approximately 55% of Esperance's total population (~6,927 people) has private health cover, which is very high compared to other areas. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.4% and 8.1% of residents respectively. A significant portion, 67.8%, reported being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the 68.9% reported across the rest of WA. Esperance has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 19.1% (2,393 people) falling into this age group. Notably, health outcomes among seniors in Esperance are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in various health metrics.

Esperance is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Esperance's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 84.3% of its population being citizens born in Australia who predominantly speak English at home (95.2%). Christianity is the main religion in Esperance, comprising 42.4% of people, while Buddhism shows slight overrepresentation at 0.8%, compared to 0.7% across Rest of WA. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (34.0%), English (31.7%), and Scottish (7.7%).

Notably, New Zealanders comprise 0.9% of Esperance's population, Maori make up 0.8%, and Australian Aboriginal people account for 3.5%, slightly higher than the regional averages of 0.9% and 3.2% respectively.

Esperance hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Esperance has a median age of 41 years, similar to the Rest of WA's figure of 40 years and slightly higher than the national norm of 38 years. The age group of 15-24 years is strongly represented in Esperance at 11.8%, compared to the Rest of WA's percentage. However, the 45-54 age cohort is less prevalent in Esperance at 11.8%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 35 to 44 years has grown from 11.6% to 13.2%, while the 25 to 34 age group increased from 11.1% to 12.2%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age cohort has declined from 13.2% to 11.8%. Demographic modeling indicates that Esperance's age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow by 45%, adding 679 people, reaching a total of 2,207 from the current figure of 1,527. Meanwhile, population declines are anticipated for the 55 to 64 and 15 to 24 age cohorts.