Abbey
With a 24.7% vacancy rate and a median house price around $484,000, Abbey sits at an unusual intersection: affordable detached housing with unusually high turnover in a small coastal suburb of just 1,321 residents. Nearly all dwellings (95.6%) are separate houses and 56.7% have four or more bedrooms, yet the vacancy rate is well above typical WA levels. Household income sits at the 60.9th percentile nationally, meaning residents earn above average but the suburb is not wealthy by metro standards. The median age of 42 is 2 years above the national figure, and the community skews heavily toward established homeowners, with 39.6% owning outright compared to just 24.5% renting.
Population
1,321
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,737/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$484K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Abbey's median house price of approximately $484,000 represents an accessible entry point compared to Perth metropolitan medians, with mortgage repayments averaging $1,742 per month. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.2%, below the 30% stress threshold, so typical household finances are not under pressure. The stock is almost entirely separate houses (95.6%), and four-plus bedroom homes make up 56.7% of dwellings, which favours families over downsizers. Three-bedroom properties account for 38.5%, giving buyers choice at different price points. Outright owners at 39.6% outnumber mortgage holders at 35.9%, indicating a mature, stable ownership base rather than a speculative or rapidly turning market.
For Buyers
Abbey's median house price of approximately $484,000 represents an accessible entry point compared to Perth metropolitan medians, with mortgage repayments averaging $1,742 per month. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.2%, below the 30% stress threshold, so typical household finances are not under pressure. The stock is almost entirely separate houses (95.6%), and four-plus bedroom homes make up 56.7% of dwellings, which favours families over downsizers. Three-bedroom properties account for 38.5%, giving buyers choice at different price points. Outright owners at 39.6% outnumber mortgage holders at 35.9%, indicating a mature, stable ownership base rather than a speculative or rapidly turning market.
For Investors
Abbey's rental fundamentals show a weekly rent of $410, which against a $484,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.4%, above many metropolitan WA suburbs. However, the 24.7% vacancy rate is a significant signal of oversupply relative to rental demand, likely driven by the suburb's small population of 1,321 and seasonal coastal dynamics. Renters make up just 24.5% of residents, so the tenant pool is narrow. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, meaning no pipeline of new supply is expected to absorb demand. The household income at the 60.9th percentile nationally suggests tenant affordability is reasonable, but investors should weigh yield potential against the high vacancy figure before committing.
Demographics
Abbey's median age of 42 is 2 years above the national figure, pointing to an established, middle-aged resident base. Overseas-born residents make up 17.6% of the population, which is 4 points below the national average, and ancestry is overwhelmingly Anglo-Celtic: English (686 residents), Scottish (154) and Irish (141) lead the counts. University qualifications stand at 25.9%, which is 4.2 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a trade and services workforce rather than a knowledge-economy one. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national figure, and 48.5% of families are couples with children. Resident stability is high, with 78.9% of residents having lived at the same address for five or more years, well above most suburban turnover rates.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.6%
Houses
3.5%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses dominate at 95.6% of all dwellings, making Abbey one of the more detached-dominant suburbs in WA. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 56.7% of stock, with three-bedroom at 38.5%, so the typical dwelling is large by national standards. Tenure is split between outright ownership (39.6%), mortgage holders (35.9%) and renters (24.5%). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,742, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.2%, comfortably below stress levels. Rent-to-income sits at 23.6%, also below the 30% stress threshold. The $484,000 estimated median house price places Abbey lower than broader WA coastal markets, and the high outright ownership rate suggests many long-term residents have paid off their mortgages.
Mortgage / mo
$1,742
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$837
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
24.7%
Unoccupied
147
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.7%
Couples, no children
1,057
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 18.3% (78 workers), followed by Construction at 13.4% (57) and Education at 12.0% (51). Manufacturing (8.2%) and Mining (7.0%) round out the top five, reflecting the regional Busselton-Margaret River economy's mix of services and resource extraction. By occupation, Professionals lead with 114 workers, followed by Community and Personal Services (101) and Managers (88). Full-time employment runs at 58.8% and the unemployment rate is 2.9%, below the national average. Personal weekly income averages $837, and household weekly income of $1,737 places the suburb at the 60.9th percentile nationally. Participation at 57.2% is relatively low, consistent with the older age profile and a higher share of residents no longer in the labour force.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.8%
Part-time
38.3%
Participation
57.2%
Employed
570
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.9%
Postgraduate
3.6%
Born Overseas
17.6%
Dwellings
453
Transport to Work
Abbey is car-dependent, with 88.0% of residents driving to work, compared to around 70% nationally. Public transport use at 2.6% is low, consistent with a regional coastal location outside major transit networks. Walking and cycling accounts for 3.7% of commutes, reasonable for a low-density suburb. Volunteering engagement is high at 25.6%, well above national averages, pointing to an active community culture. Only 3.4% of residents (43 people) require daily assistance, lower than many comparable suburbs. Housing stress is absent on both measures: mortgage repayments at 23.2% of income and rent at 23.6% both sit below the 30% stress threshold. No schools are recorded within the Abbey boundary, so families rely on facilities in neighbouring areas including Busselton.
Drive
88.0%
Public Transport
2.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Abbey compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Abbey a good suburb to live in?
Abbey suits residents seeking a quiet, detached housing environment near the WA coast. Household incomes sit at the 60.9th percentile nationally, housing stress is low at 23.2% mortgage-to-income, and 78.9% of residents stay long-term. The trade-off is limited public transport and no schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Abbey?
The estimated median house price is $484,000, based on 2025 rental data. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,742, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.2%. Weekly rent averages $410. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 95.6% of dwellings.
What schools are in Abbey?
No schools are recorded within the Abbey suburb boundary in this dataset. With a population of 1,321, families typically use schools in neighbouring Busselton and surrounding areas. About 25.9% of residents hold university qualifications, 4.2 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Abbey safe?
Specific crime statistics for Abbey are not available in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has a low assistance need rate of 3.4% (43 residents) and a high residential stability rate of 78.9%, both consistent with a settled, low-disadvantage community. Housing stress measures are below stress thresholds.
Is Abbey good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $410 against an estimated $484,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.4%, higher than many WA metro suburbs. However, the 24.7% vacancy rate signals significant oversupply or seasonal demand patterns, which is a material risk. Only 24.5% of residents rent, limiting the tenant pool to roughly 324 households in a suburb of 1,321 people.
How is Abbey's population changing?
Abbey's population stands at 1,321 across a 2.64 km2 area, giving a density of 499.7 people per km2. Residential stability is high, with 78.9% of residents having stayed at the same address for at least 5 years. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, suggesting limited near-term population growth from new construction.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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