Leschenault

Demographics

The median age of 47 is seven years above the national average and trending older, with the senior share rising 6.4 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 3.4 points. Only 17.9% of residents were born overseas, 3.7 points below the national figure, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,486), Scottish (359) and Irish (293) lead. University qualifications reach 22%, which is 8.1 points below national, because the workforce earns its income from healthcare, mining and construction rather than knowledge-sector roles. Average household size is 2.9, modestly above the national figure, consistent with the large family home profile where 45% of families are couples with children.

Ownership dominates emphatically: 44% of residents own outright and 49.5% carry a mortgage, leaving just 6.5% as renters, one of the lowest renter proportions in WA. This tenure structure reflects an older, settled population rather than a transient one, with 82.1% of residents having stayed in the area over the prior five years. The stock is almost uniformly large: 77.3% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 95.4% are separate houses. There are no apartments in the dataset. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 21% and rent-to-income of 20.5% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to the 83.5th percentile income base despite the ongoing cost of running large homes.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

The employment base spreads across healthcare (14.5%), education (14.4%), mining (11.9%) and construction (11.9%), a mix that reflects Leschenault's position as a lifestyle address for workers in Bunbury's industrial and service economy. The IER decile of 8 signals above-average economic resources, consistent with household income at the 83.5th percentile nationally, yet the IEO decile of 2 flags below-average education and occupation prestige. The gap is explained by the mining and trades workforce: well-paid but less credentialled than capital-city professionals. The IRSD decile sits at 5, indicating moderate relative advantage overall. Full-time employment runs at 61.9% and the unemployment rate is 4.5%, with 847 residents not in the labour force, a figure shaped by the older median age of 47.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is near total: 88.8% of residents drive to work and only 2.6% use public transport, a figure significantly below the national average and reflecting limited bus services in a low-density, 43 square kilometre suburb. The density of 70.7 people per square kilometre is very low. Housing stress indicators are favourable, with mortgage-to-income at 21% and rent-to-income at 20.5%, both well below the stress threshold. The volunteering rate of 19.8% indicates strong community participation. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families depend on services in neighbouring Bunbury-area suburbs. Crime data is not available, but the IRSD decile of 5 and the high outright ownership rate of 44% are consistent with a stable, low-transience community.

Population Forecast

Population grew 29.7% over the decade and is tracking at 2.15% annually, adding around 467 residents a year. Medium projections carry the broader SA2 from 21,751 in 2025 to approximately 24,665 by 2031, with internal migration at 200 per year as the primary driver. The gentrification score of 39 places the suburb in the early signs stage, supported by signals of population growth above 43% since 2011 and sustained net internal migration. The aging trajectory, with the senior share rising 6.4 points and the working-age share falling 3.4 points over the decade, tempers longer-run demand. Rent grew 16.7% over the same period while real incomes declined 3.2%, which is a stress signal for future affordability if price growth continues.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Leschenault compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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