Ambergate vs Bovell
Ambergate is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 46 in Bovell. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Bovell: a median of $1.7 million, against $1.35 million in Ambergate, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Ambergate tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Bovell suits couples.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Ambergate
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($1,350,000 vs $1,700,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Ambergate
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 22%)
- has cheaper rent ($275/wk vs $480/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Bovell
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (148 min vs 154 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (224 km vs 230 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Bovell
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 15%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Ambergate
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (20.8% vs 0.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Ambergate and Bovell drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Bovell rents higher ($480/wk vs $275/wk); Bovell skews older (46 vs 42).
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 564 +16% vs other | 475 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +20.8% | +0.6% |
| Median age | 42 | 46 |
| Median household income | $120,536/yr +7% vs other | $112,632/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $275/wk | $480/wk +75% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,350,000 | $1,700,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 36 days from 5 sales |
Development activity
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 440 across Busselton same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +9% same for both | |
Ranking within WA
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 86% of WA | Higher than 79% of WA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 8% of WA | Higher than 67% of WA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 43% of WA | Higher than 44% of WA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 59% of WA | Higher than 84% of WA |
Liveability
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 60/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | very advantaged area decile 9/10 |
Risk profile
Bovell carries more flood risk (21 vs 0); Ambergate carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 17).
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 27/100 | Low 17/100 |
| Crime | Low 18/100 | Low 15/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 | Low 21/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km | 3 within 5 km |
Schools
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Ambergate sits further from the CBD (230 km vs 224 km).
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 4/100 |
| Distance to Perth | 230 km +3% vs other | 224 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 154 min | 148 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 6280 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 58 postcode 6280 same for both | |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.0%).
Setting
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 21 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 11 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 6.5 km | 4.2 km |
NBN connectivity
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 71/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 201 premises | 49% 185 premises |
Climate
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 624 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $3,028/yr same for both | |
| Council | Busselton same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Forrest same for both | |
| Member | Ben Small same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Ambergate | Bovell | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $800,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Ambergate
Other comparisons with Bovell
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.