West Beach

Demographics

The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, and the senior share rose 1.3 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 0.8 points, confirming a gradual aging trajectory. Overseas-born residents at 15.9% are 5.7 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a predominantly locally-born community. Ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic, with English (685), Scottish (168) and Irish (164) the top three groups. University qualifications reach 31.3%, which is 1.2 percentage points above the national average. The volunteering rate of 32.1% is notably high. Couples with children (525 families) outnumber couples without children (368), and 77.6% of residents did not change address in the five years to census, indicating strong residential stability.

Housing tenure in West Beach skews toward ownership, with 41.9% owning outright and 34.4% paying a mortgage, leaving only 23.7% renting. The predominance of outright owners above mortgage holders suggests an established population that bought well before recent price rises. Separate houses represent 96.8% of all dwellings, one of the highest detached-house shares you will find in any suburb, with semi-detached at just 2.7%. Bedrooms skew large: 55.5% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.9% have 3, so smaller households occupy substantial family homes. Rent-to-income at 16.6% and mortgage-to-income at 19.0% are both below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable compared to incomes that rank at the 79.7th percentile nationally.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Education leads the local economy at 18.7% of employed residents (100 workers), followed by Healthcare at 15.0% (80 workers) and Construction at 9.4% (50 workers). Transport at 8.6% and Wholesale at 6.6% complete the top five. By occupation, Professionals (184) and Managers (107) are the largest groups, consistent with SEIFA IEO decile 7 for education and occupation advantage. The unemployment rate is low at 2.0%, with 457 employed full-time and 245 part-time. The full-time employment rate of 65.1% is solid, though the participation rate of 59.5% is moderate, in part because 362 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age of 44. Real income grew 13.5% over the decade.

Transport to Work

West Beach is almost entirely car-dependent: 89.0% of residents drive to work, and only 0.5% use public transport. Walking and cycling accounts for 5.0%. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on facilities in neighbouring areas. The IRSAD decile 8 score places West Beach in the upper advantage tier nationally, and the IRSD decile 8 confirms low relative disadvantage. The need-for-assistance rate is 3.2%, or 45 residents, modest for a median age of 44. Rent stress is absent at 16.6% rent-to-income, and mortgage stress is similarly absent at 19.0%, both well below national concern levels. The high volunteering rate of 32.1% suggests strong community participation relative to comparable suburbs.

Population Forecast

Population grew 15.5% over the ten-year period, and the annual trend rate is 0.91%, adding roughly 50 persons per year. The medium forecast places population at 5,777 by 2031, up from 5,487 in 2025. Overseas migration is the primary driver, averaging 75 net arrivals per year, while internal migration contributes only 10 per year. The gentrification score of 31 places West Beach in the early signs stage, supported by the signal of population growth above 17% since 2011. However, affordability actually improved between 2011 (40.5%) and 2021 (35.7%), suggesting incomes rose faster than housing costs over that period, a positive dynamic for existing owners. The gentrification trajectory is classified as mixed rather than strongly upward.

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

How West Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions