Dunsborough vs Naturaliste

Naturaliste is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 41 in Dunsborough. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Dunsborough, about half of households are couple families. In Naturaliste, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Dunsborough: a median of $1.23 million, against $1 million in Naturaliste, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Naturaliste tends to suit people living alone, families with children, 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

Dunsborough

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 46%)
  • But Naturaliste has more separate houses rather than flats (103% vs 90%)

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

First-home buyers

Naturaliste

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($195,000 vs $992,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,000,000 vs $1,230,000)
  • But Dunsborough leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 104%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Naturaliste

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Dunsborough

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (32/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (172 min vs 178 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (250.6 km vs 256.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dunsborough

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (32/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 13%)

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

Investors

Naturaliste

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (55.1% vs 20.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dunsborough Naturaliste
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.

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Walkability 32 / 0
Dunsborough — Walkability: 32/100 Naturaliste — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 62 / 57
Dunsborough — Safety: 62/100 Naturaliste — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 56 / 58
Dunsborough — Low fire risk: 56/100 Naturaliste — Low fire risk: 58/100
Low flood risk 86 / 100
Dunsborough — Low flood risk: 86/100 Naturaliste — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Dunsborough has more residents (6,413 vs 107); Dunsborough rents higher ($450/wk vs $300/wk).

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Population 6,413
+98% vs other
 107
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.5% +55.1%
Median age 41 35
Median household income $90,376/yr
+23% vs other
 $69,316/yr
Median weekly rent $450/wk
+33% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dunsborough Naturaliste
0-4 6.1% / 2.8%
Dunsborough — 0-4: 6.1% Naturaliste — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 15.9% / 23.4%
Dunsborough — 5-14: 15.9% Naturaliste — 5-14: 23.4%
15-19 5.1% / 3.7%
Dunsborough — 15-19: 5.1% Naturaliste — 15-19: 3.7%
20-24 2.6% / 3.7%
Dunsborough — 20-24: 2.6% Naturaliste — 20-24: 3.7%
25-34 10.2% / 11.2%
Dunsborough — 25-34: 10.2% Naturaliste — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 16.2% / 11.2%
Dunsborough — 35-44: 16.2% Naturaliste — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 13.7% / 11.2%
Dunsborough — 45-54: 13.7% Naturaliste — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 10.6% / 15.0%
Dunsborough — 55-64: 10.6% Naturaliste — 55-64: 15.0%
65-74 11.9% / 8.4%
Dunsborough — 65-74: 11.9% Naturaliste — 65-74: 8.4%
75-84 6.3% / 4.7%
Dunsborough — 75-84: 6.3% Naturaliste — 75-84: 4.7%
85+ 1.5% / —
Dunsborough — 85+: 1.5% Naturaliste — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dunsborough 48.6% couple families
Dunsborough — Couple Families: 48.6% Dunsborough — Lone Person: 30.9% Dunsborough — One Parent Families: 14.6% Dunsborough — Group Household: 5.2% Dunsborough — Other Families: 0.7%
Naturaliste 46.4% couple families
Naturaliste — Couple Families: 46.4% Naturaliste — Lone Person: 53.6% Naturaliste — One Parent Families: 0.0% Naturaliste — Group Household: 0.0% Naturaliste — 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.

Dunsborough 21.6% renting
Dunsborough — Owned Outright: 34.5% Dunsborough — Mortgage: 43.9% Dunsborough — Renting: 21.6%
Naturaliste 26.9% renting
Naturaliste — Owned Outright: 50.0% Naturaliste — Mortgage: 23.1% Naturaliste — Renting: 26.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Bachelor Degree 14.4% / 19.6%
Dunsborough — Bachelor Degree: 14.4% Naturaliste — Bachelor Degree: 19.6%
Certificate III & IV 15.6% / 5.6%
Dunsborough — Certificate III & IV: 15.6% Naturaliste — Certificate III & IV: 5.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 9.3%
Dunsborough — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Naturaliste — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 2.8%
Dunsborough — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Naturaliste — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / —
Dunsborough — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Naturaliste — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).

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.

Dunsborough Naturaliste
England 8.2% / 2.8%
Dunsborough — England: 8.2% Naturaliste — England: 2.8%
Canada 0.5% / 4.7%
Dunsborough — Canada: 0.5% Naturaliste — Canada: 4.7%
New Zealand 2.4% / 2.8%
Dunsborough — New Zealand: 2.4% Naturaliste — New Zealand: 2.8%
France — / 2.8%
Dunsborough — France: not among its largest Naturaliste — France: 2.8%
South Africa 1.3% / —
Dunsborough — South Africa: 1.3% Naturaliste — South Africa: not among its largest
Germany 0.9% / —
Dunsborough — Germany: 0.9% Naturaliste — Germany: not among its largest
Ireland 0.6% / —
Dunsborough — Ireland: 0.6% Naturaliste — Ireland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dunsborough 89.8% houses
Dunsborough — Houses: 89.8% Dunsborough — Townhouses: 8.7% Dunsborough — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Naturaliste 103.3% houses
Naturaliste — Houses: 103.3% Naturaliste — Townhouses: 0.0% Naturaliste — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Median house price $1,230,000 $1,000,000
Median unit price $992,500 $195,000
Median land price $985,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 48 days
from 106 sales
 48 days
from 3 sales

Development activity

Dunsborough Naturaliste
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.

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Houses 3.1%
$900/wk on $1.5M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Dunsborough Naturaliste
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 54% of WA Higher than 27% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of WA Higher than 17% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 66% of WA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of WA Higher than 56% of WA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 10% of WA —

Liveability

Dunsborough is more walkable (32 vs 0).

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Grade B —
Score 55/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Dunsborough carries more flood risk (14 vs 0).

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Bushfire Moderate
44/100
 Moderate
42/100
Crime Low
38/100
 Moderate
43/100
Flood Low
14/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion High
77/100
 Low
36/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Dunsborough

  • Dunsborough Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Our Lady of the Cape Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Naturaliste

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

Amenities in the suburb

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 8 5
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 6 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 0 5
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Naturaliste sits further from the CBD (256.9 km vs 250.6 km).

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Walkability score 32/100 0/100
Distance to Perth 250.6 km 256.9 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 172 min 178 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 6281
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 6281
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.

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Car (driver) 74.4% / 50.0%
Dunsborough — Car (driver): 74.4% Naturaliste — Car (driver): 50.0%
Worked from Home 15.2% / 30.6%
Dunsborough — Worked from Home: 15.2% Naturaliste — Worked from Home: 30.6%
Walked Only 2.9% / 19.4%
Dunsborough — Walked Only: 2.9% Naturaliste — Walked Only: 19.4%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / —
Dunsborough — Car (passenger): 4.6% Naturaliste — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 1.5% / —
Dunsborough — Bus: 1.5% Naturaliste — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.4%).

Setting

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Elevation 27 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.0 km
3.9 km to a named beach
 2.6 km
2.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Connectivity score 57/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
4,791 premises
 0%
72 premises

Climate

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Annual rainfall 669 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 11.1°C
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Division Forrest
same for both
Member Ben Small
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dunsborough Naturaliste
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dunsborough

Acreage Coastal

Naturaliste

Coastal Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dunsborough

Dunsborough vs Quindalup Dunsborough vs Quedjinup

Other comparisons with Naturaliste

Naturaliste vs Yallingup Naturaliste vs Quedjinup Naturaliste vs Eagle Bay
Full data on Dunsborough Full data on Naturaliste
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or