South West, WA
dolphin · port-city · coastal · cultural
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Move Regional compares towns across QLD, NSW and WA on price, work, schools and lifestyle, so you can find the one that fits.
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Drive to the coast
3 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
5 min
By road
Airport access
44 min
By road
Schools access
Excellent
Average daytime temp
23.2°C
Rainfall
Dry
Bunbury has the scale of a genuine regional city, with about 75,000 residents and enough population to support a broader working and social life than smaller south-west towns. Growth has been steady at roughly 9% since 2016, while the median age of 39 keeps the profile relatively balanced.
By road, Perth is about two hours away by road, close enough to remain relevant for occasional business or family trips but far enough that Bunbury has to function independently. Healthcare is comparatively close, with a major hospital only about five minutes away and the airport around 45 minutes, which gives residents strong practical access for a regional centre.
The mean daytime temperature is around 23°C, with mild summers and cool winters compared with inland WA. Fixed-line internet adds reliable connectivity for home and work. The key difference from moving to a country village is choice: a city of this size can support more services, employment and daily convenience, while still operating at a lower density than Perth.
The population has continued to rise without the extreme growth seen in some smaller south-west locations. Bunbury makes sense for people who want a regional base that can stand on its own, with Perth accessible when needed but not necessary for routine life.
20 photos
Bunbury is a sensible choice for families and professionals who want regional living without giving up the infrastructure of a sizeable city. It suits people who need a broad employment base, schools, healthcare and shopping, but still want beaches and the South West within easy reach. It is also more practical than smaller towns for households with two people working in different industries.
You trade some small-town intimacy for convenience, and the urban footprint is larger than many people imagine when they picture a regional move. Parts of the city are car-dependent, and it does not have the same wine-region or resort feel as towns farther south. Perth is accessible, but still too far for an easy daily commute.
Meet dolphins at the Dolphin Discovery Centre
Walk Mangrove Cove beside Leschenault Estuary
Visit Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre
Browse Bunbury Regional Art Gallery
Median house price
$740,000
No WA-wide median published
Sourced from REIWA (Real Estate Institute of Western Australia) · June 2026 quarter
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Excellent
10+ shopping centres within 20km — a real retail hub
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 36 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Trades — 12.3%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River and Augusta.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Bunbury (UCL 511001) · 2021 Census
The age profile is close to the national one, with 17.7% aged 65 or over against 17.2% and 19.9% children against 18.2%.
Population
75,196
Population growth
+8.9%
South Bunbury - Bunbury (SA2 501021253)
Median age
39 years
Labour force participation
61.1%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$769
Per week · ≈ $39,988/year
Median family income
$2,003
Per week
Median household income
$1,598
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
69.5%
Rented
27.1%
Born in Australia
74.8%
Born overseas
20.1%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.