Busselton - West

The area is noticeably older than the state and national average, with a typical age of 45 and a high percentage of seniors at 24.9%. About 18.6% of the population are children under 15, which is around the middle for similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (18.3%) than the Western Australian average of 32.2%. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, used by 90.1% of the community. Only 4.9% of people use another language at home, a figure far below both the state and national averages.

Nearly half of the population (49.5%) report having no religion, which is well above the Western Australian figure and far above the national average.

Education levels are lower than in most similar areas, with only 14.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national average at 46.3%.

Household incomes are well below the state and national figures, with the typical weekly household earning $1,351. Those earning $3,000 or more per week make up 14.8% of households, which is lower than most areas.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 32.1% of people living with a long-term health condition. About 6.6% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the state average.

Local residents are very active in their community; 20% are volunteers, which is well above the national figure. A higher-than-usual 24% also spend 15 or more hours a week on unpaid housework.

The First Nations community is noticeably younger than the wider area, with a typical age of 18. Year 12 completion for First Nations residents is 44.1%, which is far above the state average.

A large portion of the community lives in couples with children (53%) or couples without children (32.6%). About 27.3% of people live alone, which is a little above the national average.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (86.4%), and 84.3% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Home ownership is strong, with 34.8% of residents owning their home outright.

The area is very car-dependent, with 65.3% of workers commuting by car and only 1.3% using public transport. Despite a high number of public transport stops, walking distances to these stops are among the highest at this level.

The population is quite mobile, with 41.1% of people moving in the last five years. However, recent arrivals from overseas (6.2%) are well below the national average.

Full-time employment is much lower than in most areas at 52.8%, and the proportion of adults working or looking for work is also well below the state average. The unemployment rate is a low 3.3%.

The area has seen a population growth of 8.9% since 2021, which is much higher than most similar areas. Its overall advantage score is 958, which is smaller than about 66% of other areas.

The local climate is milder than the state average, with an average maximum temperature of 23.5 degrees. Annual rainfall is 674mm, which is far above the Western Australian average.

Most residents are car-dependent, as the walkability score is well below the state average. While most homes are near a park, very few are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services.