Withers
Withers ranks in SEIFA decile 1 across all four indexes, placing it among the most disadvantaged suburbs nationally. Yet the median house price sits at just $315,000, making ownership accessible where mortgage repayments average $1,300 a month. Weekly rent of $240 and a renter share of 45.6% are two signals of a suburb where most households do not yet own, and where household income falls in the 12.4th percentile compared with the rest of Australia. Unemployment at 13.5% is well above typical urban averages, and vacancy at 11.9% points to supply that exceeds current demand.
Population
2,979
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$983/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Median House
$315K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a median house price of $315,000, Withers sits well below state and national benchmarks, making entry-level ownership more reachable than in most WA suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 30.5%, at the stress threshold, because household incomes fall in the 12.4th percentile nationally. Separate houses make up 76.6% of stock, with semi-detached at 18.3% and apartments at just 5.2%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 57.7%, and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 23.5% of dwellings. Only 24.3% of residents own outright, while 30.1% carry a mortgage, reflecting a relatively recent transition to ownership for many households in what remains a renter-majority suburb.
For Buyers
At a median house price of $315,000, Withers sits well below state and national benchmarks, making entry-level ownership more reachable than in most WA suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 30.5%, at the stress threshold, because household incomes fall in the 12.4th percentile nationally. Separate houses make up 76.6% of stock, with semi-detached at 18.3% and apartments at just 5.2%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 57.7%, and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 23.5% of dwellings. Only 24.3% of residents own outright, while 30.1% carry a mortgage, reflecting a relatively recent transition to ownership for many households in what remains a renter-majority suburb.
For Investors
The renter share of 45.6% provides a wide tenant pool, with weekly rent at $240. However, a vacancy rate of 11.9% is high and indicates that supply currently outpaces demand in the local rental market. Overseas migration adds an average of 39 residents a year while internal migration removes 11, meaning net migration is modestly positive but not a strong demand driver. Development activity is low at just 5 applications in the past 12 months, concentrated in patios, sheds and a single retaining wall rather than new dwellings. Real income growth was negative at minus 2.4% over the decade, which limits rent growth expectations compared with higher-income suburbs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$39K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1 year below the national figure, a minor difference, but the demographic trajectory is aging, with the senior share rising 6.3 points and the working-age share falling 1.9 points over the past decade. Overseas-born residents make up 20.5%, which is 1.1 points below the national average. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,248 residents), Irish (298) and Scottish (295). Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below the national figure, consistent with a population that includes a meaningful share of single-person or couples-only households. University qualifications reach 14.5%, which is 15.6 points below national, reflecting an occupational base concentrated in labouring and trade rather than professional roles.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.6%
Houses
18.3%
Townhouse
5.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Withers is a predominantly detached suburb, with 76.6% separate houses, 18.3% semi-detached and just 5.2% apartments. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 57.7% of stock and 4-plus bedroom homes for 23.5%, giving most households genuine family-sized space. Tenure sits at 24.3% owned outright, 30.1% mortgaged and 45.6% renting, a renter-majority profile that is higher than the national average. The median house price of $315,000 is estimated from 2025 rental data, and monthly mortgage repayments at $1,300 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.5%, right at the stress threshold given that household incomes fall in the 12.4th percentile nationally. The 11.9% vacancy rate is an important context: this level of vacancy reflects soft underlying demand relative to available stock.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$240
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$552
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.9%
Unoccupied
170
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.5% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.6%
Couples, no children
2,018
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads the local economy at 20.3% of employed residents (127 workers), followed by Construction at 10.9% (68) and Education at 10.7% (67), with Retail at 10.4% and Hospitality at 8.0%. By occupation, Labourers are the largest group at 222, ahead of Community and Personal Services at 154, with Professionals and Machinery Operators both at 110. The unemployment rate is 13.5%, substantially above typical metropolitan levels, and the labour force participation rate is just 46.5%, meaning more than half the working-age population is not in the labour force. All four SEIFA indexes score decile 1, the lowest tier nationally, with an IRSD score of 844 and IRSAD score of 830, indicating concentrated disadvantage across both income and economic resources.
Unemployment
9.0%
Labour Force
2,810
Unemployed
252
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.1%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
46.5%
Employed
982
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.5%
Postgraduate
1.8%
Born Overseas
20.5%
Dwellings
1,254
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 86.1% of residents drive to work, compared with a national rate that is lower in most urban areas, and only 2.3% use public transport. Walking or cycling accounts for 2.8%. No schools are recorded inside the Withers boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. The IRSAD decile of 1 places Withers at the bottom of the national advantage scale, and 9.4% of residents (255 people) need assistance with daily activities, above typical rates for a suburb with a median age of 39. The volunteering rate is 14.8%, a positive indicator of community engagement. Rent-to-income sits at 24.4%, just below the 30% stress threshold, so renters are not in acute financial stress despite below-average incomes.
Drive
86.1%
Public Transport
2.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.09%/yr
(-5 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is effectively flat: the annual trend is minus 0.09%, or about 5 fewer residents per year, and the 10-year change was minus 3.5%. The medium forecast holds the population near 5,352 by 2031, a modest decline from 5,536 in 2025. Overseas migration of 39 residents a year is the only positive driver, offsetting internal outflow of 11. The suburb is classified as not gentrifying, with a gentrification score of 0, and no signals of accelerating investment or demographic shift are present. Rent growth of 20.8% over the period is notable but has not translated into real income gains, with real income growth negative at minus 2.4%, which reduces the economic lift that higher rents might otherwise imply.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+39
Net Internal / yr
-11
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Withers compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Withers a good suburb to live in?
Withers ranks in SEIFA decile 1 across all four indexes, the lowest tier nationally, with household incomes in the 12.4th percentile. The $315,000 median house price is a genuine affordability advantage compared with most WA suburbs, and the renter-to-income ratio of 24.4% keeps housing costs manageable for tenants. The 13.5% unemployment rate and high vacancy of 11.9% reflect economic challenges that prospective residents should weigh.
What is the median house price in Withers?
The median house price is $315,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $240 and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.5%. The suburb's low price point makes it one of the more affordable options in the Bunbury region.
What schools are in Withers?
No schools are recorded inside the Withers suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 14.5%, which is 15.6 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trade and labouring occupations.
Is Withers safe?
Detailed crime rate data is not available for Withers in this dataset. As contextual indicators, the suburb scores SEIFA decile 1 on all four indexes, the lowest national tier for relative disadvantage, and 9.4% of residents need daily assistance. An unemployment rate of 13.5% is above typical urban baselines, which is a relevant factor for assessing community stress levels.
Is Withers good for property investment?
Withers has a 45.6% renter share providing a large tenant pool, and weekly rent of $240 against a $315,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.0%, above typical capital city levels. However, the 11.9% vacancy rate signals oversupply, real income growth was minus 2.4% over the decade, and annual population growth is approximately minus 0.09%, limiting upside for capital gains.
How is Withers's population changing?
Population is in slow decline, with an annual trend of minus 0.09% and a 10-year change of minus 3.5%. The medium forecast puts residents at around 5,352 by 2031, down from 5,536 in 2025. Overseas migration of 39 residents per year partially offsets internal outflow of 11, but net growth remains negative.
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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