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If you feel like you’re working harder but getting nowhere, you’re not imagining it. But what if there’s a place in Australia where your money stretches further, your career moves faster, and your chances of building real wealth genuinely improve? Heading into 2026, one state is quietly rewriting the economic script: Western Australia.
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Because when you strip away the noise and focus on the four factors that create opportunity: higher incomes, lower living costs, strong job demand, and genuine business support, Western Australia keeps coming out on top.
CommSec’s latest State of the States report confirms it. Western Australia isn’t just performing well; it’s outperforming the nation. It leads in employment, retail spending, and construction. While the East Coast struggles with rising unemployment, Western Australia continues to post strong job numbers, driven by mining, engineering, energy, and the massive supply chains that support them.
Skilled workers are in high demand, wages remain strong, and opportunities extend to contractors, tradespeople, and service-based businesses.
But opportunity is not only about what you earn, it’s also about what you keep, and this is where WA quietly crushes the competition.
Perth’s cost of living remains significantly lower than that of Sydney and Melbourne. Median house prices remain manageable, making homeownership a realistic possibility rather than a distant fantasy. Every dollar stretches further, meaning more savings, more investing, and far less pressure on day-to-day life. It’s the combination of high-income potential with lower living costs that creates real upward mobility, and Western Australia is the only major state that delivers on all fronts.
Then there’s the sheer scale of government investment. WA’s infrastructure blitz from METRONET to major regional resource projects is injecting billions into the economy. That money flows directly into construction, logistics, engineering, transport, and professional services. For business owners, it means contracts. For job seekers, it means stability, while for investors, it means long-term economic confidence.
Unlike other states, WA has backed this with genuine business incentives: grants, local procurement programs, and streamlined pathways for businesses looking to grow or relocate. It’s becoming one of the most supportive environments in the country for entrepreneurs, startups, and small to medium-sized enterprises.
WA is no longer just “the mining state”. It’s a blueprint for sustainable growth, combining high wages, affordable living, and strong investment into both infrastructure and industry. Whether you’re building a career, scaling a business, or trying to get ahead financially, it’s one of the few places where the ground is moving in your favour.
So, in 2026, Western Australia isn’t just another option; it’s a strategic advantage and the people who recognise that early are giving themselves the best shot at winning.
For now, good luck and good trading.
Dale Gillham is Chief Analyst at Wealth Within and an international bestselling author of How to Beat the Managed Funds by 20%. He is also the author of Accelerate Your Wealth—It’s Your Money, Your Choice, which is available in bookstores and online at www.wealthwithin.com.au.
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