Broadwater vs Vasse

Vasse is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 53 in Broadwater. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Vasse, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Broadwater: a median of $1.02 million, against $895,000 in Vasse, though rent is higher in Vasse. On these figures, Broadwater tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Vasse suits families with children and 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

Vasse

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

Vasse

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper houses ($895,000 vs $1,021,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Broadwater has cheaper rent ($370/wk vs $420/wk)
  • Vasse leaves renters under less rental stress (23% vs 30%)

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

Commuting to the city

Broadwater

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (155 min vs 161 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Broadwater

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (22% vs 1%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Vasse

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.1% vs 0.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Broadwater Vasse
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.

Broadwater Vasse
Walkability 34 / 0
Broadwater — Walkability: 34/100 Vasse — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 63 / 54
Broadwater — Safety: 63/100 Vasse — Safety: 54/100
Low fire risk 55 / 82
Broadwater — Low fire risk: 55/100 Vasse — Low fire risk: 82/100
Low flood risk 15 / 59
Broadwater — Low flood risk: 15/100 Vasse — Low flood risk: 59/100

Demographics

Broadwater has more residents (4,269 vs 2,853); Vasse has higher household incomes ($94,120 vs $64,064).

Broadwater Vasse
Population 4,269
+33% vs other
 2,853
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.3% +15.1%
Median age 53 39
Median household income $64,064/yr $94,120/yr
+47% vs other
Median weekly rent $370/wk $420/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Broadwater Vasse
0-4 4.0% / 6.0%
Broadwater — 0-4: 4.0% Vasse — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 10.9% / 18.8%
Broadwater — 5-14: 10.9% Vasse — 5-14: 18.8%
15-19 4.3% / 7.3%
Broadwater — 15-19: 4.3% Vasse — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 3.0% / 2.9%
Broadwater — 20-24: 3.0% Vasse — 20-24: 2.9%
25-34 7.7% / 7.8%
Broadwater — 25-34: 7.7% Vasse — 25-34: 7.8%
35-44 10.7% / 17.3%
Broadwater — 35-44: 10.7% Vasse — 35-44: 17.3%
45-54 11.2% / 13.3%
Broadwater — 45-54: 11.2% Vasse — 45-54: 13.3%
55-64 10.8% / 11.8%
Broadwater — 55-64: 10.8% Vasse — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 16.1% / 9.7%
Broadwater — 65-74: 16.1% Vasse — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 12.2% / 4.3%
Broadwater — 75-84: 12.2% Vasse — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 9.2% / 0.6%
Broadwater — 85+: 9.2% Vasse — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 36.9% couple families
Broadwater — Couple Families: 36.9% Broadwater — Lone Person: 43.7% Broadwater — One Parent Families: 15.0% Broadwater — Group Household: 3.7% Broadwater — Other Families: 0.7%
Vasse 58.1% couple families
Vasse — Couple Families: 58.1% Vasse — Lone Person: 21.5% Vasse — One Parent Families: 18.7% Vasse — Group Household: 1.8% Vasse — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 24.5% renting
Broadwater — Owned Outright: 39.5% Broadwater — Mortgage: 36.0% Broadwater — Renting: 24.5%
Vasse 15.5% renting
Vasse — Owned Outright: 33.6% Vasse — Mortgage: 50.8% Vasse — Renting: 15.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Broadwater Vasse
Certificate III & IV 18.0% / 19.1%
Broadwater — Certificate III & IV: 18.0% Vasse — Certificate III & IV: 19.1%
Bachelor Degree 9.0% / 7.2%
Broadwater — Bachelor Degree: 9.0% Vasse — Bachelor Degree: 7.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 6.6%
Broadwater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Vasse — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.8%
Broadwater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Vasse — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 1.2%
Broadwater — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Vasse — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%

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

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.

Broadwater Vasse
England 10.2% / 6.7%
Broadwater — England: 10.2% Vasse — England: 6.7%
New Zealand 2.5% / 2.3%
Broadwater — New Zealand: 2.5% Vasse — New Zealand: 2.3%
South Africa 1.2% / 0.7%
Broadwater — South Africa: 1.2% Vasse — South Africa: 0.7%
Scotland 1.1% / 0.6%
Broadwater — Scotland: 1.1% Vasse — Scotland: 0.6%
Ireland 0.5% / 0.8%
Broadwater — Ireland: 0.5% Vasse — Ireland: 0.8%
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Broadwater — Netherlands: 0.7% Vasse — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 77.6% houses
Broadwater — Houses: 77.6% Broadwater — Townhouses: 19.7% Broadwater — Flats / Apartments: 2.7%
Vasse 98.8% houses
Vasse — Houses: 98.8% Vasse — Townhouses: 0.5% Vasse — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Broadwater Vasse
Median house price $1,021,000 $895,000
Median unit price $205,000 —
Median land price — $382,201
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 49 sales
 16 days
from 58 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Broadwater Vasse
3 bed $880K / $857K
Broadwater — 3 bed: $880K (29 sales) Vasse — 3 bed: $857K (45 sales)

29 vs 45 sales

4 bed $1.08M / $925K
Broadwater — 4 bed: $1.08M (61 sales) Vasse — 4 bed: $925K (80 sales)

61 vs 80 sales

Development activity

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

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Broadwater Vasse
Houses 4.1%
$880/wk on $1.12M
 4.3%
$900/wk on $1.1M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Broadwater Vasse
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 22% of WA Higher than 57% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of WA Higher than 48% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 44% of WA Higher than 45% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of WA Higher than 84% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 29% of WA Higher than 42% of WA

Liveability

Broadwater is more walkable (34 vs 0); Vasse scores higher overall (38 vs 26).

Broadwater Vasse
Grade D C
Score 26/100 38/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Broadwater carries more bushfire risk (45 vs 18); Broadwater carries more flood risk (85 vs 41).

Broadwater Vasse
Bushfire Moderate
45/100
 Low
18/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Moderate
46/100
Flood High
85/100
 Moderate
41/100
Coastal erosion High
95/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Broadwater Vasse
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Broadwater

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

Schools in Vasse

  • Cape Naturaliste College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Vasse Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Broadwater Vasse
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 0 3
GPs 1
same for both
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Broadwater Vasse
Walkability score 34/100 0/100
Distance to Perth 230.4 km 232.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 155 min 161 min
Public transport score 72/100
Bus
 30/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 29.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 5.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
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.

Broadwater Vasse
Car (driver) 79.6% / 79.5%
Broadwater — Car (driver): 79.6% Vasse — Car (driver): 79.5%
Worked from Home 8.1% / 8.4%
Broadwater — Worked from Home: 8.1% Vasse — Worked from Home: 8.4%
Car (passenger) 6.9% / 6.5%
Broadwater — Car (passenger): 6.9% Vasse — Car (passenger): 6.5%
Walked Only 2.9% / 2.9%
Broadwater — Walked Only: 2.9% Vasse — Walked Only: 2.9%
Bus 1.7% / 1.7%
Broadwater — Bus: 1.7% Vasse — Bus: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.6%).

Setting

Broadwater Vasse
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 802 m
3.1 km to a named beach
 4.0 km
4.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Broadwater Vasse
Connectivity score 61/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 28%
2,078 premises
 54%
1,033 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Broadwater Vasse
Division Forrest
same for both
Member Ben Small
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Broadwater Vasse
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Broadwater

Coastal Retirees

Vasse

Acreage Family

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Broadwater

Broadwater vs West Busselton Broadwater vs Abbey

Other comparisons with Vasse

Vasse vs West Busselton Vasse vs Abbey Vasse vs Kealy Vasse vs Ambergate Vasse vs Bovell Vasse vs Marybrook
Full data on Broadwater Full data on Vasse
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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