Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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What it costs to rent in Esperance Surrounds
Median weekly rents, year-on-year movement and bond-lodgement activity for Esperance Surrounds (6338). Sourced from the NSW Rental Bond Board, DCJ Family & Community Services.
Median rent
$433
per week · Q1 2026
YoY change
▲+13.1%
vs same quarter last year
Active bonds
≈234
est. · currently held
New bonds
≈25
est. · this quarter
Latest Quarter Breakdown · Q1 2026
| Dwelling | Bedrooms | Median $/wk | Active bonds | New bonds (Qtr) | YoY | Quality |
|---|
SOURCE: NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ Family & Community Services), processed by AreaSearch. Imputed values are flagged. Latest publication:
Population
Esperance Surrounds 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 Surrounds' population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, was approximately 4,411 by May 2026. This figure indicates a rise of 445 individuals (11.2%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 3,966. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,396 in June 2025 and an additional 49 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 0.10 persons per square kilometer. Esperance Surrounds' growth rate since the 2021 census (11.2%) surpassed both the SA3 area (6.5%) and the SA4 region, positioning it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 53.9% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all factors including natural growth and interstate migration were positive contributors.
AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Demographic trends suggest above median population growth for national regional areas, with Esperance Surrounds projected to expand by 653 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 14.5% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Esperance Surrounds according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Esperance Surrounds has recorded approximately five residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling 26 homes. As of FY-26, two approvals have been recorded. On average, 17.4 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25. This high demand exceeds new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.
New properties are constructed at an average value of $392,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $2.7 million, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to Rest of WA. Esperance Surrounds shows substantially reduced construction activity (60.0% below regional average per person), supporting stronger demand and values for established properties. This activity is also under the national average, reflecting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent building activity consists solely of standalone homes, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.
The estimated population count per dwelling approval is 896 people. Population forecasts indicate Esperance Surrounds will gain 638 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Esperance Surrounds
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Esperance Surrounds has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 28thth percentile nationally
Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects that may impact this region: South Coast Highway Improvements from Albany to Esperance, Forrestania Gold, Lithium & Nickel Project, Western Australia Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements, and WA Police Satellite Technology Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Resources Community Investment Initiative
A $750 million partnership between the WA Government and major resource companies (Rio Tinto, BHP, Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill, Atlas Iron, Woodside Energy, Chevron Australia, Mineral Resources) to fund iconic community, social, and regional infrastructure across Western Australia. Key projects include the $173.3 million Perth Concert Hall redevelopment (major works commenced early 2026), $40 million for Tom Price and Paraburdoo Hospital redevelopments (via Rio Tinto), the Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Perth Zoo Master Plan, Remote Aboriginal Communities Fund, Ronald McDonald House expansion, and regional education and health initiatives. Woodside Energy has allocated $30 million to the Concert Hall and $20 million to Roebourne District High School upgrades. The initiative is facilitated in partnership with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA.
Enabling Infrastructure for Hydrogen Production
A national program to coordinate and deploy the enabling infrastructure required to support large-scale renewable hydrogen production across Australia. Building on the 2024 National Hydrogen Strategy and the National Hydrogen Infrastructure Assessment (NHIA), the program aligns electricity transmission, water supply, transport corridors, port and storage infrastructure with Renewable Energy Zones and prospective hydrogen hubs (Bell Bay, Darwin, Eyre Peninsula, Gladstone, Latrobe Valley, Hunter Valley, Pilbara). Two key federal mechanisms underpin delivery. The Hydrogen Headstart program provides up to 4 billion AUD in long-term revenue support via production credits, with Round 2 (2 billion AUD administered by ARENA) opening for Expressions of Interest in October 2025 with EOIs closing 8 December 2025. The Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive (HPTI), legislated through the Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Act 2025 which received Royal Assent on 14 February 2025, provides an uncapped refundable tax offset of 2 AUD per kilogram of eligible renewable hydrogen for up to 10 years between 1 July 2027 and 30 June 2040 for projects reaching final investment decision by 2030. The HPTI is jointly administered by the ATO and Clean Energy Regulator and requires certification under the Guarantee of Origin scheme. Round 1 of Hydrogen Headstart shortlisted six projects representing more than 3.5 GW of electrolyser capacity, with 814 million AUD ultimately awarded.
Bulk Water Supply Security
Nationwide program led by the National Water Grid Authority to improve bulk water security and reliability for non-potable and productive uses. Activities include strategic planning, science and business cases, and funding of state and territory projects such as storages, pipelines, dam upgrades, recycled water and efficiency upgrades to build drought resilience and support regional communities, industry and the environment.
National EV Charging Network (Highway Fast Charging)
Partnership between the Australian Government and NRMA to deliver a backbone EV fast charging network on national highways. Program funds and co-funds 117 DC fast charging sites at roughly 150 km intervals to connect all capital cities and regional routes, reducing range anxiety and supporting EV uptake.
WA Regional Digital Connectivity Program (WARDCP)
Statewide co-investment program delivering new and upgraded mobile, fixed wireless and broadband infrastructure to improve reliability, coverage and performance for regional and remote Western Australia. Current workstreams include the Regional Telecommunications Project, State Agriculture Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund, and the WA Regional Digital Connectivity Program (WARDCP).
Network Optimisation Program - Roads
A national program concept focused on improving congestion and reliability on urban road networks by using low-cost operational measures and technology (e.g., signal timing, intersection treatments, incident management) to optimise existing capacity across major city corridors.
South Coast Highway Improvements: Albany To Esperance
Upgrade of the South Coast Highway between Albany and Esperance aims to improve safety, reduce maintenance costs, and accommodate growth in tourism and freight.
Forrestania Gold, Lithium & Nickel Project
An exploration project focused on gold, lithium, and nickel across a dominant asset position of approximately 100km of the prospective Forrestania Greenstone Belt. The project is located near major mining and development operations, including the Covalent Lithium (Wesfarmers-SQM JV) Mt Holland Mine.
Employment
AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Esperance Surrounds performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia
Esperance Surrounds has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate is 1.8%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1% over the past year as of December 2025. There are 2,397 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 1.7%, lower than Regional WA's rate of 3.5%.
Workforce participation is 69.4%, slightly higher than Regional WA's 66.0%. According to Census responses, 20.2% of residents work from home. Employment is concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing, mining, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 5.0 times more residents than the regional level.
Health care & social assistance employs 4.1% of local workers, below Regional WA's 11.9%. The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates a high level of employment opportunities. Over the year to December 2025, employment increased by 2.1%, while labour force grew by 2.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Regional WA's employment rose by 1.0%, labour force grew by 1.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 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 Surrounds' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 3.9% over five years and 9.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch
According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Esperance Surrounds SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $62,746. The average income stood at $80,187. Nationally, these figures compare to median and average incomes of $59,973 and $74,392 respectively in Regional WA. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.93% from financial year ended June 2023 to March 2026, current estimates would be approximately $69,604 (median) and $88,951 (average). Census data shows personal income ranks at the 74th percentile ($960 weekly), with household income at the 44th percentile. Income distribution reveals that 34.4% of individuals earn between $1,500 to $2,999 per week (1,517 individuals). This is consistent with broader trends across the region showing 31.1% in the same earnings band. After housing costs, residents retain 93.0% of their income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Esperance Surrounds is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
In Esperance Surrounds, as per the latest Census, 95.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 4.4% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is in contrast to Regional WA's figures of 88.5% houses and 11.6% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Esperance Surrounds was 51.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 20.4% and rented ones at 28.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,040, lower than Regional WA's average of $1,560. The median weekly rent figure was recorded as $233, compared to Regional WA's $265. Nationally, Esperance Surrounds' mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Esperance Surrounds has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 67.5% of all households, including 28.6% couples with children, 32.2% couples without children, and 6.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.5%, with lone person households at 29.8% and group households comprising 2.3%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Regional WA average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Esperance Surrounds faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally
The area's university qualification rate is 17.4%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.6%) and certificates (30.3%). Educational participation is high at 28.7%, with 13.1% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education.
Educational participation is notably high, with 28.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.1% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is very low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Esperance Surrounds has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by four individual routes that collectively provide 17 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents typically located 4584 meters from the nearest transport stop. Most residents commute outward due to the area's primarily residential nature. The dominant mode of transport is car at 75%, followed by walking at 12% and bus at 8%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, which is above the regional average.
According to the 2021 Census, 20.2% of residents work from home, a figure that may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages two trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately zero weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
The level of general health in Esperance Surrounds is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions
Esperance Surrounds shows superior health outcomes according to AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions.
Private health cover is exceptionally high at nearly 60% (2,624 people), compared to 56.4% across Regional WA. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.3% and 7.1% respectively. 72.2% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 69.3% in Regional WA. Under-65s have better health outcomes. The area has 16.2% (715 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Regional WA's 19.2%. Seniors' health outcomes are above average, aligning with national rankings for the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Esperance Surrounds ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Esperance Surrounds was found to have a below average level of cultural diversity, with 82.4% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (82.5%), and speaking English only at home (93.7%). Christianity is the predominant religion in Esperance Surrounds, comprising 42.6% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Regional WA, with 0.1% of Esperance Surrounds' population identifying as Jewish, while it makes up 0.0% regionally.
In terms of ancestry, Australians are the most represented group at 33.0%, followed by English at 31.1%, and Scottish at 8.2%. However, there are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: South Australian is overrepresented at 1.4% compared to Regional WA's 0.6%, New Zealand is equally represented at 0.9%, and Maori is slightly underrepresented at 0.7% versus Regional WA's 1.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Esperance Surrounds's population is slightly older than the national pattern
The median age in Esperance Surrounds is 40 years, aligning with Regional WA's average but modestly exceeding the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are particularly prominent at 15.4%, while those aged 15-24 are comparatively smaller at 7.5% than in Regional WA. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 13.1% to 15.4% of the population, while the 65-74 cohort increased from 9.7% to 11.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has declined from 15.4% to 12.9%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Esperance Surrounds' age structure. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to increase solidly by 235 people (35%) from 680 to 916. Conversely, both the 85+ and 15-24 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.