WA · Capel Council

Forrest Beach, 6271

Est. population · Jun 2025

37

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+8.8%

Median age

50

Median income

$1,125/wk

Employment rate

57.1%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Heritage area
What Forrest Beach is known for: Heritage area

Suburb profile

In Capel Council, Forrest Beach keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here. Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub.

Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs.

Crime trends have improved of late compared with the previous period. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.

At a glance

Forrest Beach snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$650/wk

Population (ERP)

37

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

18.8%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

86th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

14th

percentile in WA

Advantage (IRSAD)

7/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Housing

All types (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
$650
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
139

Median weekly rent from WA rental bond lodgements. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

  • WA rental bond lodgementsDepartment of Communities (WA) · wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv · Updated · Monthly bond summaries

Population

Estimated resident population

37(June 2025)

0.0% annual · +8.8% over 5 years · 14th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
+8.8%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
+3
Growth rank in WA
14th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~50), extrapolated at +1.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
34
Median age
50
Median household income / week
$1,125
Dwelling vacancy
18.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
3 of 16
Median monthly mortgage
$2,300
Employment rate
57.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
13 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
8,011
Against the person
2,104
Against property
3,892
Rate per 1,000 residents
216,513.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 1 residents
State safety percentile
86th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-22%

Most common offence types

  • Assault (Family)943
  • Breach Of Violence Restraint Order964
  • Drug Offences1051
  • Property Damage780
  • Stealing1857

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • WA Police district crime statisticsWestern Australia Police Force · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Quarterly timeseries XLSX; district-level aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Health access

Nearest hospital
Busselton Hospital (18.5 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
1
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.0

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
26° / 13°
Rainfall
51 mm · ~6 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
22° / 11°
Rainfall
179 mm · ~22 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
15° / 6°
Rainfall
396 mm · ~50 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
189 mm · ~24 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • Higgins Cut (fmr)Springfield, Ludlow Rd North, Capel368

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage registerState heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via WA bush fire prone area mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Forrest
Member of Parliament
Ben SMALL (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
117,485
Turnout (2025)
89.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.9 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 52.2%Labor 47.8%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 22.4 km away).

Coalition 57.0%Labor 43.0%

4.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -2.3 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • CapelLabor 38.6% · Coalition 61.4% TPP (2025)7.0 km away
  • Busselton EastLabor 49.4% · Coalition 50.6% TPP (2025)13.2 km away
  • YalyalupLabor 41.5% · Coalition 58.5% TPP (2025)14.4 km away
  • BusseltonLabor 49.2% · Coalition 50.8% TPP (2025)15.5 km away
  • Busselton SouthLabor 44.4% · Coalition 55.6% TPP (2025)18.1 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Capel Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.