Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Eaton

Eaton sits on the Collie River and Eaton Foreshore, with parkland, playgrounds, riverfront walking and cycle paths plus boating and fishing access. It has a relaxed, family-oriented feel and a local retail heart around Eaton Fair shopping centre. Housing is mostly single-family, from established brick and weatherboard homes near the river to newer estates inland, and the suburb is served by sporting fields and community facilities. Road links make Bunbury's services and beaches easy to reach while Eaton keeps a quiet, small-town character.

Eaton has 8,669 residents, a median age of 41 and a median total household income of $1,485 a week (about $77,200 a year). Households are strongly family-focused, with couple families (with and without children) making up 81.6% of families, and 76.9% of homes owner-occupied. Recent and ongoing civic work includes a new library and community building, a new design and technology block at Eaton Community College, foreshore upgrades including a boat ramp and jetty, and planned town-centre, recreation centre and traffic improvements. If you want established riverside housing, parks and local shops, Eaton is worth a look; whether it suits you depends on your priorities.

Rent in Eaton would take a large share of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census: $650 a week for a house is about 43.7% of that weekly income, while $625 a week for a unit is about 42.0%. Buying is more stretched against local incomes, with a median house price of $745,000 working out to roughly 9.6 times a typical local household's annual income at the last Census. On these figures, both renting and buying sit strongly against what a typical Eaton household earned at the last Census, with buying especially stretched; whether that feels expensive depends on your own income and circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

The most striking movement over the past year is unit rents, which jumped 25.0%. Unit rent growth outpaced unit values, which rose 16.7%, and was much stronger than the 0.8% rise in house rents. If rental income is your priority, the unit side has been the stronger performer this year.

In Eaton, house values climbed 18.9% over the year, a strong rise, while the rent those houses earn only edged up 0.8%. That means the past year saw stronger capital growth on the house side but far stronger rental growth on the unit side; whether that balance suits your objectives and circumstances is for you to decide.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.