WA · Busselton Council

West Busselton, 6280

Est. population · Jun 2025

10,019

Growth (1 yr)

+2.1%

Growth (5 yr)

+10.7%

Median age

46

Median income

$1,185/wk

Employment rate

53.5%

Languages at home

5.3%non-English

Most common: Italian, Vietnamese, German

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

43.8/100
Average

Top 43% of Western Australia's suburbs

Verified 78% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • Excellent transport
  • Education hub
  • Heritage area
What West Busselton is known for: Green suburb, National parks, Excellent transport, Education hub, Heritage area

Suburb profile

In Busselton Council, West Busselton keeps a rural calm, a established suburb with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with plenty of young families in the mix. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting.

Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. Buses are a genuine asset, linking residents to work, study and nearby neighbourhoods. Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers.

Reported crime has been falling recently. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities compared with similar regional towns, though schools and education remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

West Busselton snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$800/wk

Population (ERP)

10,019

+2.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

14.6%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#24

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

2nd

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

74th

percentile in WA

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

36th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
43.8/100 — Average
State standing
Top 43% of Western Australia's suburbs
National rank
3115th in Australia
State rank
294th in WA
Peer rank
#24 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#45 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
78%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
$800
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
1,888

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

10,019(June 2025)

+2.1% annual · +10.7% over 5 years · 74th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.1%
5-year growth
+10.7%
Change in 1 year
+204
Change in 5 years
+966
Growth rank in WA
74th 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 (~11,300), extrapolated at +2.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
8,869
Median age
46
Median household income / week
$1,185
Dwelling vacancy
14.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
625 of 4,268
Median monthly mortgage
$1,625
Employment rate
53.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
3,118 / 506 / 4 (+ 10 other)

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
799.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 4 residents
State safety percentile
2.1th (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

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
6
Median school ICSEA (6 schools)
974.5
Median ICSEA percentile
36th
School list
  • Busselton Senior High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 952 · 26th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 594 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
  • St Mary MacKillop CollegeCombined · Catholic · ICSEA 1052 · 69th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 1,552 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Geographe Education Support CentreSpecial · Government · ICSEA 973 · 35th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 62 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Geographe Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 976 · 36th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 413 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
  • West Busselton Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 954 · 26th percentile · LBOTE 21% · 347 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
  • Cornerstone Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1038 · 63th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 380 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

59 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Bussell Hwy After Abbey St
  • Bussell Hwy After Fairway Dr
  • Bussell Hwy After Foursomes Rd
  • Bussell Hwy After Garter St
  • Bussell Hwy Before Gale St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

6 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 playgrounds · 1 sports centres · 1 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily errands
  • Decent local green space6 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport59 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.68
Sport & outdoors(4)
  • Playground
  • Geographe Leisure CentreSports centre
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool
Other(2)
  • Bicycle Parking
  • Public toilets

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

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

Parks & reserves

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Cloisters ParkPark
  • McBride ParkPark
  • Park or reserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
8
Parks (OSM)
6

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
2
Nearest hospital
Busselton Hospital (0.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
On site
  • Busselton HospitalHospital
  • Potential Occupational Therapy for Children!Occupational_Therapist

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
294
Participants per 1,000 residents
29.3

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° / 15°
Rainfall
49 mm · ~6 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
22° / 13°
Rainfall
242 mm · ~30 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 9°
Rainfall
600 mm · ~75 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
20° / 11°
Rainfall
248 mm · ~31 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

  • Bond Store & Resident Magistrate's Office (fmr), Busselton22 Kent St, West Busselton395

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage registerState heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

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 13.3 km away).

Coalition 55.4%Labor 44.6%

3.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +0.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Busselton SouthLabor 44.4% · Coalition 55.6% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
  • Busselton WestLabor 44.9% · Coalition 55.1% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
  • BusseltonLabor 49.2% · Coalition 50.8% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
  • Busselton EastLabor 49.4% · Coalition 50.6% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
  • YalyalupLabor 41.5% · Coalition 58.5% TPP (2025)5.5 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)
3/10
IRSD decile (2021)
3/10

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

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Busselton Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Western Australia.