Ocean Reef
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Ocean Reef's population was approximately 8,791 as of August 2025. This marked a rise from the 2021 Census figure of 8,125 people, indicating an increase of 666 individuals (8.2%) over four years. This growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 8,789 in June 2024 and an additional 18 validated new addresses since the Census date. Ocean Reef's population density was around 1,671 persons per square kilometer as of August 2025, which is higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 8.2% since the census is within 0.4 percentage points of the national average (8.6%), suggesting competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 85.3% of overall population gains in recent periods, driving primary growth in the area.

AreaSearch adopted 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 used growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Based on the latest population numbers, Ocean Reef is projected to grow by 1,151 persons to reach a total of approximately 10,042 individuals by 2041. This represents an increase of 13.1% over the 17-year period from August 2025 to December 2041.

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

Ocean Reef has recorded approximately 14 residential properties granted approval per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 72 homes approved over the past five financial years between FY-21 and FY-25, and none so far in FY-26. On average, 8.6 people have moved to the area each year for each dwelling built during these five years. This indicates that supply is substantially lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $823,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, $10.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development compared to previous years. When measured against Greater Perth, Ocean Reef has approximately half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 20th percentile nationally for areas assessed, indicating more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. This activity is also under the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

Recent development in Ocean Reef has been entirely comprised of standalone homes, maintaining its traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With around 798 people per approval, Ocean Reef shows a mature, established area. Future projections show Ocean Reef adding approximately 1,149 residents by 2041. Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Ocean Reef has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 40thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Ocean Reef Marina, Ocean Reef Marina Redevelopment, Ocean Reef Marina Development, and another Ocean Reef Marina Development. The following details those most relevant.

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

The exceptional employment performance in Ocean Reef places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Ocean Reef's workforce is well-educated with significant representation in essential services sectors. The area's unemployment rate was 1.6% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Perth's 3.9%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.2%. There were 5,203 residents employed in June 2025, with an unemployment rate of 2.2%, similar to Greater Perth's workforce participation rate of 65.2%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction stands out with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average, while transport, postal & warehousing employs just 3.0% locally compared to Greater Perth's 4.7%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 4.2%, labour force grew by 4.0%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Perth recorded employment growth of 3.7% with unemployment rising slightly. Statewide in WA to Sep-25, employment contracted by 0.82%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5% with employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ocean Reef's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch aggregated postcode-level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Ocean Reef had a median taxpayer income of $58,121 and an average income of $74,792. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Greater Perth's median income of $58,380 and average income of $78,020. From March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $64,869 (median) and $83,475 (average), accounting for an 11.61% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Ocean Reef's household income ranks at the 90th percentile, with weekly earnings of $2,480. Income distribution shows that 28.7% of residents fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, mirroring the regional trend where 32.0% occupy this bracket. Higher earners make up a significant portion at 40.9%, indicating strong purchasing power in the community. After housing costs, residents retain 87.8% of their income, reflecting robust purchasing power. Ocean Reef's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Ocean Reef, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.9% houses and 4.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Perth metro's 88.7% houses and 11.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ocean Reef stood at 42.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (45.7%) or rented (12.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,253, higher than Perth metro's average of $2,080. The median weekly rent figure for Ocean Reef was recorded at $525, compared to Perth metro's $400. Nationally, Ocean Reef's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 85.9% of all households, including 45.1% couples with children, 31.8% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 14.1%, with lone person households at 12.4% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Perth average of 2.7.

The educational profile of Ocean Reef exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Tertiary education reaches 28.9% of Ocean Reef residents aged 15 and above. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 5.7% and graduate diplomas at 2.7%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 38.0% of residents holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 13.1% and certificates at 24.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in secondary education, 9.4% in primary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education. Ocean Reef has five schools with a combined enrollment of 3,712 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1066. Education provision is balanced, with three primary schools and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. Ocean Reef functions as an education hub, offering 42.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 19.7, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis shows 47 operational public transport stops in Ocean Reef. These stops offer a variety of bus services, with 4 different routes providing a total of 736 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transports is deemed good, with residents typically residing 227 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 105 daily trips across all routes, which amounts to approximately 15 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Ocean Reef with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (4,966 people), compared to 59.3% across Greater Perth.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 7.8 and 6.4% of residents respectively, while 72.9% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.5% across Greater Perth. As of June 2021, 20.1% of Ocean Reef's residents are aged 65 and over (1,762 people). Health outcomes among seniors in the area perform particularly strongly, even better than the general population in health metrics.

Ocean Reef was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Ocean Reef had a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 10.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the latest data from 2016. In terms of birthplace, 44.9% of Ocean Reef's residents were born overseas. Christianity was found to be the predominant religion in Ocean Reef, with 52.9% of people identifying as such, compared to 49.6% across Greater Perth.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups were English at 34.6%, Australian at 19.1%, and Irish at 9.1%. Notably, South African ancestry was overrepresented in Ocean Reef at 2.3%, compared to 1.8% regionally. Similarly, Welsh ancestry stood at 1.1%, matching the regional figure, while French ancestry was slightly higher at 0.9%, compared to 0.6% across Greater Perth.

Ocean Reef hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Ocean Reef has a median age of 44, which exceeds Greater Perth's figure of 37 and is significantly higher than Australia's national norm of 38. The age group of 55-64 is strongly represented in Ocean Reef at 15.2%, compared to Greater Perth. However, the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 7.0%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.4% to 5.9% of Ocean Reef's population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 13.7% to 15.1%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 16.0% to 14.2%. Demographic modeling indicates that Ocean Reef's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041. Leading this demographic shift, the 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 99%, adding 516 people and reaching a total of 1,036 from its current figure of 519. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 67% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to experience population declines.