Bunbury

The population is ageing, with the typical resident now 43 and the number of seniors rising 5.9 percentage points since 2011. Children under 15 make up 16.5% of the community, which is a little below the national figure.

While 19.7% of people were born overseas, this is well below the Australian average of 27.7%. Most residents claim English (43.7%) or Australian (35.5%) ancestry.

English is the main language for 83.7% of the community. While the number of people using another language at home rose slightly to 8.6%, this remains far below the national figure.

A significant shift has occurred since 2011, with those reporting no religion rising 20 percentage points to 45.9%. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.

The number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 14.8% since 2011, though this is still far below the national average. Year 12 completion also rose 7.2 percentage points over the decade to 42.6%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,326, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 6.1 percentage points since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 32.5% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are particularly prevalent at 11.3%, well above the national figure.

Community involvement is steady, with 15.8% of people volunteering. About 11.6% of residents provide unpaid care, which is about the same as the national average.

First Nations people make up a larger population than in about 72% of similar areas. However, the unemployment rate for this group is 17.2%, which is well above the national figure of 12.3%.

The area has a high number of people living alone (34.0%) and a much higher proportion of one-parent families (19.4%) than most other areas. This contributes to a lower typical household size of 2.2 people.

Renting is common, with 34.1% of households renting, well above the national figure. Most homes are large, with 80.3% having three or more bedrooms, though typical weekly rents have risen by $50 since 2011.

Most people rely on cars, with 68.5% driving to work. While the area has a high number of public transport stops, only 1.4% of people use these services to commute, a figure that fell since 2011.

The community is relatively mobile, with 38.7% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 10.9% of the population, down 12 percentage points since 2011.

The unemployment rate of 5.6% is much higher than in most similar areas. Many residents work in health care and social assistance (15.7%) or construction (10.7%).

Bunbury's overall advantage score is 921, which is lower than about 74% of all areas. The area has seen population growth of 4.7% since 2021, though this is well below the state average.

The local climate is wetter and cooler than the state average, with annual rainfall far above the Western Australian figure and maximum temperatures well below the state average.

The area is very walkable, with 91.5% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. Most residents can easily access parks, schools and health services within a 15-minute walk.