Federal Electorate · Area profile
Forrest
8,013 km²
Spanning over 8,000 square kilometres of the Western Australian landscape, Forrest is a vast and aging regional community. The area has grown by 9.4% since 2011, though it is now noticeably older than the national average, with a typical resident aged 42. Many people here live in large, detached family homes, creating a residential character that is far more spacious and less urban than most other parts of the state.
Families are well catered for: 77 schools serve Forrest.
Explore Forrest by topic
The community is aging, as the proportion of seniors aged 65 and over rose 7.2 points since 2011 to reach 19.8%. This is well above the state figure of 16.1%. Children under 15 make up 19.3% of the population.
Australia and England are the most common birthplaces, but the proportion of people born overseas has fallen 11 points since 2011 to 19.8%. This is far below the Western Australian figure of 32.2%.
English is the primary language for 86.7% of residents. The share of people using another language at home fell 9.7 points since 2011 to 7.1%, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Nearly half of the population (49.5%) reports having no religion, a figure that rose 23 points since 2011. This is far above the national average of 38.9%.
Qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 16.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The share of people who completed Year 12 also fell 5.6 points since 2011 to 47.4%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,541, which is a little below the state figure of $1,815. Only 17.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is well below the national figure of 22.6%.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 29.3% of people. This is well above the state figure of 26.1%, with arthritis and mental health being the most reported issues.
Volunteering is very high at 19.1%, well above the national figure of 14.1%. Residents also spend more time on unpaid housework and childcare than people in most other areas.
Families with children make up 54.6% of households. The typical home has 2.5 people, which is about the same as the national average.
The area is dominated by separate houses (88.4%) and large homes, with 85.6% having three or more bedrooms. This is far above the national figure of 73.8%.
Car use is essential, as 65.2% of people drive to work and only 1.5% use public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 40.8% have two.
Around 38.5% of people moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 8.7% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 14.5%.
Unemployment is low at 4.0%, which is a little below the state average of 5.1%. Many residents work in health care, construction, and retail trade.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.9, well below the state average of 5.4. Only 41.6% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.