Bovell vs Busselton

Bovell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 56 in Busselton. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Bovell, the large majority of households are couple families. In Busselton, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bovell: a median of $1.7 million, against $900,000 in Busselton, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Bovell tends to suit families with children and couples, while Busselton suits people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Bovell

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 95/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 31%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 71%)
  • But Busselton has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Bovell leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 40%)
  • Busselton has cheaper houses ($900,000 vs $1,700,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Busselton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (40% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $480/wk)
  • But Bovell leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 34%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Busselton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 4/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Busselton

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 4/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (29% vs 3%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • But Bovell carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 95/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Bovell and Busselton drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bovell Busselton
Hides rows where both suburbs match

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.

Bovell Busselton
Walkability 4 / 82
Bovell — Walkability: 4/100 Busselton — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 85 / 5
Bovell — Safety: 85/100 Busselton — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 83 / 62
Bovell — Low fire risk: 83/100 Busselton — Low fire risk: 62/100
Low flood risk 79 / 19
Bovell — Low flood risk: 79/100 Busselton — Low flood risk: 19/100

Demographics

Busselton has more residents (1,838 vs 475); Bovell has higher household incomes ($112,632 vs $49,348).

Bovell Busselton
Population 475 1,838
+287% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.6% -2.1%
Median age 46 56
Median household income $112,632/yr
+56% vs other
 $49,348/yr
Median weekly rent $480/wk
+33% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bovell Busselton
0-4 4.6% / 3.0%
Bovell — 0-4: 4.6% Busselton — 0-4: 3.0%
5-14 14.7% / 6.5%
Bovell — 5-14: 14.7% Busselton — 5-14: 6.5%
15-19 8.8% / 3.6%
Bovell — 15-19: 8.8% Busselton — 15-19: 3.6%
20-24 3.6% / 4.6%
Bovell — 20-24: 3.6% Busselton — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 2.5% / 9.5%
Bovell — 25-34: 2.5% Busselton — 25-34: 9.5%
35-44 12.6% / 8.5%
Bovell — 35-44: 12.6% Busselton — 35-44: 8.5%
45-54 16.6% / 12.4%
Bovell — 45-54: 16.6% Busselton — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 16.6% / 15.2%
Bovell — 55-64: 16.6% Busselton — 55-64: 15.2%
65-74 12.8% / 19.1%
Bovell — 65-74: 12.8% Busselton — 65-74: 19.1%
75-84 7.2% / 12.4%
Bovell — 75-84: 7.2% Busselton — 75-84: 12.4%
85+ 1.3% / 4.7%
Bovell — 85+: 1.3% Busselton — 85+: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bovell 80.0% couple families
Bovell — Couple Families: 80.0% Bovell — Lone Person: 12.2% Bovell — One Parent Families: 7.8% Bovell — Group Household: 0.0% Bovell — Other Families: 0.0%
Busselton 18.3% couple families
Busselton — Couple Families: 18.3% Busselton — Lone Person: 63.7% Busselton — One Parent Families: 12.3% Busselton — Group Household: 4.2% Busselton — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bovell 4.6% renting
Bovell — Owned Outright: 53.6% Bovell — Mortgage: 41.7% Bovell — Renting: 4.6%
Busselton 40.5% renting
Busselton — Owned Outright: 43.7% Busselton — Mortgage: 15.8% Busselton — Renting: 40.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Bovell Busselton
England 8.2% / 8.9%
Bovell — England: 8.2% Busselton — England: 8.9%
New Zealand 2.5% / 2.8%
Bovell — New Zealand: 2.5% Busselton — New Zealand: 2.8%
South Africa 1.3% / 1.2%
Bovell — South Africa: 1.3% Busselton — South Africa: 1.2%
Scotland — / 1.2%
Bovell — Scotland: not among its largest Busselton — Scotland: 1.2%
Ireland — / 0.8%
Bovell — Ireland: not among its largest Busselton — Ireland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.9%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Bovell Busselton
Certificate III & IV 16.6% / 16.8%
Bovell — Certificate III & IV: 16.6% Busselton — Certificate III & IV: 16.8%
Bachelor Degree 11.6% / 8.6%
Bovell — Bachelor Degree: 11.6% Busselton — Bachelor Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 6.3%
Bovell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Busselton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 2.2%
Bovell — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Busselton — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.6%
Bovell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Busselton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bovell 97.4% houses
Bovell — Houses: 97.4% Bovell — Townhouses: 0.0% Bovell — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Busselton 70.7% houses
Busselton — Houses: 70.7% Busselton — Townhouses: 17.0% Busselton — Flats / Apartments: 12.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bovell Busselton
Median house price $1,700,000 $900,000
Median unit price — $764,750
Median land price — $942,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 5 sales
 31 days
from 19 sales

Development activity

Bovell Busselton
New dwellings approved 440
across Busselton
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
same for both

Ranking within WA

Bovell Busselton
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 79% of WA Higher than 9% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 67% of WA Higher than 96% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 44% of WA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of WA Higher than 74% of WA

Liveability

Busselton is more walkable (82 vs 4).

Bovell Busselton
Grade — D
Score — 27/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Busselton carries more crime risk (95 vs 15); Busselton carries more flood risk (81 vs 21).

Bovell Busselton
Bushfire Low
17/100
 Low
38/100
Crime Low
15/100
 High
95/100
Flood Low
21/100
 High
81/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
82/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Bovell Busselton
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Bovell

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Busselton

  • South West Community College - Busselton campus Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Bovell Busselton
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 19
Parks & reserves 1 9
Childcare 0 6
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 3
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 0 3
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Bovell Busselton
Walkability score 4/100 82/100
Distance to Perth 224 km 222.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 148 min 146 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.

Bovell Busselton
Car (driver) 78.0% / 77.2%
Bovell — Car (driver): 78.0% Busselton — Car (driver): 77.2%
Worked from Home 10.3% / 6.9%
Bovell — Worked from Home: 10.3% Busselton — Worked from Home: 6.9%
Car (passenger) 7.0% / 6.7%
Bovell — Car (passenger): 7.0% Busselton — Car (passenger): 6.7%
Walked Only 3.3% / 5.1%
Bovell — Walked Only: 3.3% Busselton — Walked Only: 5.1%
Bicycle — / 3.5%
Bovell — Bicycle: not among its largest Busselton — Bicycle: 3.5%
Bus 1.4% / 0.5%
Bovell — Bus: 1.4% Busselton — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.0%).

Setting

Bovell Busselton
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 -2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.2 km 1.3 km

NBN connectivity

Bovell Busselton
Connectivity score 71/100 60/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 49%
185 premises
 27%
2,072 premises

Climate

Bovell Busselton
Annual rainfall 624 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Bovell Busselton
Average residential rate $3,028/yr
same for both
Council Busselton
same for both

Federal electorate

Bovell Busselton
Division Forrest
same for both
Member Ben Small
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bovell Busselton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bovell

Acreage Premium

Busselton

Coastal Parks Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bovell

Bovell vs West Busselton Bovell vs Yalyalup Bovell vs Vasse Bovell vs Ambergate Bovell vs Reinscourt Bovell vs Kalgup

Other comparisons with Busselton

Busselton vs West Busselton Busselton vs Geographe Busselton vs Reinscourt
Full data on Bovell Full data on Busselton
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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.

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