Busselton, WA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Busselton fronts the calm waters of Geographe Bay about 220 kilometres south-west of Perth. In the Noongar language of the local Wadandi people the area is called Undalup, part of the Noongar country known as Wadandi Boodja; the European name honours the Bussell family, who settled here in the 1830s. The town is best known for the Busselton Jetty, said to be the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere at nearly 1.8 kilometres, with an underwater observatory at its end. Its sheltered, gently shelving beaches make it a long-standing family holiday spot, and it serves as a northern gateway to the celebrated Margaret River wine region.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Busselton is more socio-economically advantaged than about 16% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 915, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Busselton at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,838
- Median age
- 56
- Median weekly household income
- $949
- SEIFA score
- 915
- Coordinates
- -33.6556, 115.3496
Busselton demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Busselton using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is seniors (65+) at 36%, 39% of homes are rented, and 25% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 176 | 10% |
| Youth (15–24) | 151 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 332 | 18% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 508 | 28% |
| Seniors (65+) | 665 | 36% |
Share of the 1,832 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 360 | 42% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 130 | 15% |
| Rented | 333 | 39% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 608 | 71% |
| Townhouses & semis | 146 | 17% |
| Flats & apartments | 11 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 861 occupied private dwellings in Busselton.
- Median weekly rent
- $320
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,635
- Average household size
- 1.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,362
- Median weekly personal income
- $624
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 421 (25%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 113 (7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 30 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 671 (41%)
- Labour-force participation
- 46.5%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.8%
- Employed full-time
- 385
- Employed part-time
- 301
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Busselton
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Busselton is January (average daytime high around 28.5°C) and the coolest is August (around 16°C). The area receives roughly 548 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.5°C | 16.3°C | 13 mm |
| Feb | 28.1°C | 16.6°C | 15 mm |
| Mar | 25.9°C | 16.1°C | 33 mm |
| Apr | 22.1°C | 13.8°C | 34 mm |
| May | 18.8°C | 12°C | 72 mm |
| Jun | 16.7°C | 10.9°C | 83 mm |
| Jul | 16°C | 10.4°C | 108 mm |
| Aug | 16°C | 9.6°C | 83 mm |
| Sep | 17.2°C | 10.1°C | 52 mm |
| Oct | 19.3°C | 11.3°C | 32 mm |
| Nov | 23.1°C | 13°C | 16 mm |
| Dec | 26.5°C | 14.8°C | 7 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Busselton
Where is Busselton?
Busselton is a suburb of Western Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Busselton?
At the 2021 Census, Busselton had a population of about 1,838.
Is Busselton an advantaged area?
Busselton has an ABS SEIFA score of 915, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 16 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 16% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Busselton?
Busselton has average daytime highs of about 21.5°C and overnight lows of about 12.9°C, with roughly 548 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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