THE City of Swan has emerged as one of the top three leading business growth hotspots driving a wave of small business activity over the past five years in Western Australia.

More than 3000 new businesses were added in Swan over that period.

Perth’s northern and south-eastern corridors are leading the way with Wanneroo and Stirling taking the top two spots followed by Swan, Gosnells and Canning.

New figures commissioned and released by the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) show more than 30,000 new sole traders and small businesses were established across WA between 2020 and 2025, with many of the state’s fastest-growing population centres leading the charge.

The City of Wanneroo recorded the largest increase, adding 3080 businesses over the five-year period, followed by Stirling (+3060), Swan (+3050), Gosnells (+2920) and Canning (+2250).

Together, the five local government areas accounted for almost half of all new small business growth across Western Australia.

WA Small Business Commissioner Saj Abdoolakhan, said the figures highlighted the close relationship between population growth and business creation.

“These are some of the fastest-growing communities in Western Australia and they’re attracting young families, skilled workers and migrants who all need homes, services and infrastructure,” Mr Abdoolakhan said.

“When new suburbs emerge and populations grow, demand follows for everything from builders and electricians to healthcare providers, childcare operators to retailers, real estate agents and technology services.

“This new research demonstrates that many of WA’s entrepreneurs are choosing to create their own businesses in the communities where they live, contributing to the local economy and providing essential services to the community.”

The growth comes as Western Australia continues to experience strong population growth driven by interstate and overseas migration, with the state forecast to grow from around 3.1 million people today to 3.6 million by 2036.

The data shows WA counted more sole traders in several industries since 2019, outpacing national growth in many sectors such as transport, postal and warehousing (+56%), other services (+48%) and administrative and support services (+44%), highlighting the growing demand for flexible, specialised and contract-based work.

Mr Abdoolakhan said the demographic trends point to continued opportunities for small business operators over the coming decade.

“Small businesses remain the backbone of our economy and these figures show there is no shortage of opportunity for people willing to back themselves and start a business,” he said.

“The good news is they don’t have to do it alone. The SBDC provides advice and support to help small business owners navigate everything from planning and finance to growth and expansion – and we want them to know they can turn to us at any stage of their business journey.”

The SBDC’s state government-funded services include free one to one business advisory services, practical business skills workshops, free business resources, dispute resolution and more, helping entrepreneurs start, grow and adapt their businesses.

Western Australia is now home to almost 258,000 small businesses and sole traders, representing 97 per cent of all businesses operating across the State.

The cities of Armadale, Cockburn, Rockingham, Belmont, Bayswater, Perth and Kwinana round out the top 12 local government areas for business growth.