Urban Centre · Area profile
West Island
6 km²
High incomes and a strong professional workforce set West Island (L) apart from most similar areas. This small community of 147 people is far older than the national average, with a typical resident aged 46. It is a wealthy pocket where many households earn over $3,000 a week, consistent with a high proportion of adults holding university degrees. The area is almost entirely made up of detached houses and is characterized by a high number of de facto relationships.
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The population has grown slightly to 147 people and is notably older than the national figure. While 19.7% are children, the number of seniors has risen to 9.5% since 2011. De facto relationships are very common here, far exceeding both the state and national figures.
People born overseas make up 15% of the community, which is much higher than most similar areas but far below the national average of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
About 10.2% of residents use a language other than English at home, a figure that is much higher than in most similar areas. However, this is far below the national rate of 22.3%.
A majority of residents (56.5%) report having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. This represents a significant increase of 24 percentage points since 2011.
The community is well-qualified, with 27.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Half of the residents have completed Year 12, which is well above the state average.
West Island (L) is a high-earning area where typical weekly household income is $2,791, well above the national figure. Nearly a quarter of individuals earn $2,000 or more per week.
Residents here report very good health, with 0.0% needing help with daily activities. The rate of long-term health conditions (12.9%) is far below the national average of 27.7%.
Volunteering is very high at 37.2%, far above the national figure, though this is down from 2011. There is also a slightly higher rate of former Defence Force members compared to the rest of the country.
Families are common, with 60.9% being couples with children and people per home being slightly higher than the national average. Very few people live alone here.
Every home in the area is a separate house, and renting is very common at 62.8%, far above the national rate. Typical weekly rents are very low at $68, while typical monthly mortgage payments are far above the national average.
Every household owns at least one motor vehicle. About 21.3% of people walk to work, and 12.4% work from home, which is well above the state average.
The population is quite mobile, with 50.7% having moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 13.6% of the community, a figure well above the state average.
Employment is very strong with a 0.0% unemployment rate. A high proportion of the workforce is employed full-time (65.2%), mostly in education, public administration, and management.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 84.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school or groceries. However, no homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.