Usher
Usher's most distinctive feature is its established, detached-house profile: 88.5% of dwellings are separate houses and 50.5% contain four or more bedrooms across a population of 2,137. The median age is 39, one year below the national figure, yet the area is on an aging trajectory, with the senior share up 6.3 percentage points. Compared with Carey Park and South Bunbury, Usher reads as a lower-density, car-oriented residential pocket rather than a high-turnover apartment market. Household income sits at the 39.4th percentile, below the national midpoint, which helps explain its mortgage-belt character and practical, value-focused appeal.
Local council: Bunbury
Population
2,137
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,385/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Homebuyers are choosing a strongly detached housing mix, with 88.5% separate houses, 10.3% semi-detached homes and 50.5% with four or more bedrooms. A current median house price is not available, so buyers should compare recent sales street by street rather than rely on a suburb-wide benchmark. Mortgage repayments are $1,351 per month and mortgage-to-income pressure is 22.5%, slightly above the rent-to-income figure of 21.7%, with neither measure flagged as stress. Weekly rent of $300 provides a useful cross-check for buyers weighing ownership against renting. Compared with denser Bunbury locations, Usher is better suited to households seeking space and parking than apartment-style living.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are choosing a strongly detached housing mix, with 88.5% separate houses, 10.3% semi-detached homes and 50.5% with four or more bedrooms. A current median house price is not available, so buyers should compare recent sales street by street rather than rely on a suburb-wide benchmark. Mortgage repayments are $1,351 per month and mortgage-to-income pressure is 22.5%, slightly above the rent-to-income figure of 21.7%, with neither measure flagged as stress. Weekly rent of $300 provides a useful cross-check for buyers weighing ownership against renting. Compared with denser Bunbury locations, Usher is better suited to households seeking space and parking than apartment-style living.
For Investors
Investor conditions are mixed rather than momentum-led. Renting accounts for 33.2% of households, weekly rent is $300 and vacancy is 6.8%, a more flexible leasing setting than a tightly constrained market. Only 1 development approval was recorded in the latest 12-month period, limiting evidence of a major new supply wave. Forecast growth is -0.09% annually, migration is labelled Balanced and gentrification has a score of 0 with a Not gentrifying stage. Compared with higher-growth corridors, Usher is more dependent on steady tenant demand, sensible entry pricing and property quality than rapid capital appreciation. Detached housing at 88.5% may appeal to family renters, but investors should test insurance, maintenance and resale depth carefully.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$6K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Usher has 2,137 residents and a median age of 39, which is 1 year below the national figure, although its trajectory is aging as the senior share has risen 6.3 percentage points and the young share has fallen 2.4 points. English ancestry is the largest reported background at 892 people, followed by Scottish at 209 and Irish at 174. No religion is recorded for 1,115 residents, compared with 777 identifying with Christianity. University attainment is 13.8%, 16.3 percentage points below the national comparison, helping explain the strong trades, labouring and machinery-driver presence. Compared with Carey Park and South Bunbury, Usher appears more settled than highly transient, with 77.1% staying at the same address and turnover at 22.9%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.5%
Houses
10.3%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Usher's housing stock is overwhelmingly separate-house based at 88.5%, with 42.2% of dwellings containing 3 bedrooms and 50.5% containing 4 or more. Tenure is split between 42.0% mortgaged, 23.7% owned outright and 33.2% rented, so the suburb has a larger financed and rental presence than its outright-owner share. Mortgage repayments average $1,351 monthly, while rent is $300 weekly; the related income ratios are 22.5% and 21.7%, neither flagged as stress. With no median sale price available, compare individual properties carefully. Compared with apartment-oriented parts of Bunbury, Usher's detached format should favour households wanting yards, storage and multiple bedrooms, because 50.5% of homes have at least four bedrooms.
Mortgage / mo
$1,351
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$686
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.8%
Unoccupied
60
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.6%
Couples with children
38.3%
Couples, no children
25.9%
Single parent
572
Total families
Economy & Employment
Usher's employment base is led by healthcare at 18.9% and 95 workers, followed by manufacturing at 11.8%, education at 11.4%, retail at 9.6% and construction at 9.0%. Occupations are concentrated in trades with 173 people, labourers with 172 and machinery or drivers with 135, ahead of community and personal services at 122 and professionals at 98. Unemployment is 7.3% and participation is 59.9%, while full-time work accounts for 58.3% of employment. All four SEIFA measures sit in decile 1: IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD, placing Usher below national socioeconomic benchmarks. That apparent mismatch with a functioning healthcare and manufacturing base reflects lower educational attainment at 13.8% university qualified and household income at the 39.4th percentile.
Unemployment
7.3%
Labour Force
1,030
Unemployed
75
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.3%
Part-time
34.8%
Participation
59.9%
Employed
955
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.8%
Postgraduate
2.1%
Born Overseas
18.1%
Dwellings
825
Transport to Work
Livability in Usher is practical and car dependent. About 85.2% travel as car drivers, compared with 2.4% using public transport, while 1.7% walk or cycle and 2.1% work from home. That pattern makes access to employment, shopping and services by road more important than rail-style convenience. Families should check nearby Bunbury school options and exact enrolment zones before signing a lease or contract. Safety should be assessed through current street-level sources because a suburb-wide crime rate is not available. IRSAD is in decile 1, below the national socioeconomic midpoint, so affordability, services and household support may matter more than lifestyle branding. With 2,137 residents and 3.85 square kilometres, the 554.8 people-per-square-kilometre density remains compact for a detached-house area.
Drive
85.2%
Public Transport
2.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
2.1%
Growth Outlook
Usher is an established, slow-growth suburb: the forecast trend is -0.09% a year and population change across the wider area is -3.5% over 10 years. Migration is labelled Balanced, so neither internal nor overseas movement is identified as the sole growth engine. The shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 6.3 percentage points, the young share down 2.4 points and rent growth at 20.8%. Gentrification scores 0 and is classified Not gentrifying. Compared with expanding Bunbury-region corridors, this points to stable demand rather than a speculative upswing, because limited development activity and a mature housing base reduce the signs of rapid change. Buyers seeking momentum should weigh the -0.09% trend against Usher's established amenity and lower-turnover profile.
Population trend: Bunbury council area
Usher sits in the Bunbury council area. These are the council area's residents, not Usher's.
Residents 2025
35,730
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.1%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Usher compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Usher a good suburb to live in?
It can suit households seeking detached housing and car access: 88.5% of dwellings are separate houses and 85.2% commute by car. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, daily life is more road dependent, while IRSAD decile 1 means buyers should assess services and affordability as carefully as the home itself.
What is the median house price in Usher?
A current median house price is not available for Usher, so compare recent sales for similar 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom homes rather than using a broad estimate. The suburb's weekly rent is $300 and the monthly mortgage measure is $1,351, useful context when testing a purchase budget against renting.
What schools are in Usher?
Families choosing in Usher should check nearby Bunbury school options and confirm the exact enrolment zone before committing. With 2,137 residents and 85.2% travelling by car, school access is more practical for households planning regular driving than for those depending on public transport.
Is Usher safe?
A suburb-wide crime rate is not available, so Usher cannot be rated safer or less safe than nearby Bunbury areas on that basis alone. With 2,137 residents, assess the exact street, lighting, traffic and current WA Police information before deciding. Treat IRSAD decile 1 as socioeconomic context, not a crime measure.
Is Usher good for property investment?
Usher may suit a conservative, income-focused strategy more than a rapid-growth play. Rent is $300 a week, 33.2% of households rent and vacancy is 6.8%; forecast growth is -0.09% annually, while gentrification scores 0 and is classified Not gentrifying. Compared with higher-growth locations, returns depend more on purchase price, tenant retention and upkeep than on a strong capital-growth cycle.
How is Usher's population changing?
Usher's population is 2,137 today, and the wider-area forecast records -3.5% change over 10 years with an annual trend of -0.09%. The shift is labelled Aging: the senior share rose 6.3 percentage points while the young share fell 2.4 points. Compared with a growth suburb, this indicates a stable-to-contracting profile driven more by an established resident base than rapid expansion; migration is labelled Balanced.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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