Urban Centre · Area profile
Busselton
50 km²
A quarter of the population in Busselton are seniors aged 65 and over, making it a noticeably older community than the rest of Australia. The town has grown by 27% since 2011, attracting many new residents, with 42.1% of people moving here in the last five years. This growth is seen in a mix of established retirees and families living in large, detached homes. It is a place where people generally enjoy a relaxed pace, with high rates of volunteering and a strong preference for separate houses.
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The typical resident is 45, which is noticeably older than the national figure. This trend is driven by a large senior population, which rose 7.0 points since 2011 to reach 25% of the community.
While 75.9% of residents were born in Australia, the 19% born overseas is much higher than in most similar areas, though still well below the state and national figures.
English is the primary language for 89.5% of the community. Only 5.3% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Nearly half of residents (48.8%) report having no religion, a figure that is well above the national average and has risen 21 points since 2011.
People here are more likely to have a bachelor degree or higher (14.6%) compared to most similar areas, though this remains far below the national figure of 26.3%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,347, which is well below the national figure. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more per week rose 8.8 points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than elsewhere, with 32.3% of people affected, well above the national figure of 27.7%.
Busselton is a helpful community where 20% of people volunteer, a rate well above the national figure. Unpaid care for children is also higher than in most similar areas.
Homes are slightly larger than average, with 2.4 people per household. About 27.2% of people live alone, a figure that has risen slightly since 2011.
The area is dominated by separate houses (87.2%), with 85.7% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Home ownership is strong, as 35.1% of houses are owned outright.
Most people rely on cars, with 66.1% driving to work. Very few residents use public transport for their commute, at just 1.4%.
The community is quite mobile, as 42.1% of residents moved here in the last five years. This is higher than in most similar areas and the state average.
The unemployment rate is 3.6%, which is a little below the national figure. Many residents work in health care, retail, or the hospitality industry.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 3.9. While most homes are near a park, very few are within a 15-minute walk of schools or groceries.