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Ashburton vs Meekatharra

Name: Ashburton vs Meekatharra — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 372 km apart · Ashburton profile · Meekatharra profile

Ashburton Meekatharra

Ashburton and Meekatharra are both large, sparsely populated regions in Western Australia. There are stark differences in wealth and demographics between them. Ashburton is much wealthier, with a typical weekly family income of $3,310 compared to $1,292 in Meekatharra. Ashburton also has a higher proportion of residents who finished Year 12 (43.3% versus 29.9%) and a much higher share of households earning over $3,000 a week (43.4% versus 7.6%). In contrast, Meekatharra has a far higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 37.4%, compared to 10.4% in Ashburton.

Many of these gaps have widened since 2011, particularly the difference in typical family incomes and the share of people finishing Year 12. Despite these diverging trends, the two areas share some basic characteristics. Residents in both regions are typically 34 years old, and they experience very similar temperatures and terrain. They also have nearly identical rates of people needing help with daily activities, at around 1.2% to 1.3%.

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Where they differ most

First Nations: 27.0 pts higher in Meekatharra Rent: $67 higher in Meekatharra Renting: 26.3 pts higher in Ashburton Family income: $2,018 higher in Ashburton One-parent: 21.3 pts higher in Meekatharra

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ashburton in Meekatharra +6,191 larger in Ashburton gap narrowing

7,391 41st pct 1,200 15th pct

Median age in Ashburton in Meekatharra even gap narrowing

34 yrs 12th pct 34 yrs 12th pct

Age structure

40.6% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.1 pts 36.5%

23.9% Older adults (45–64) +2.2 pts ▸ 26.1%

23.4% Children (0–14) ◂ +8.7 pts 14.7%

8.6% Youth (15–24) +5.1 pts ▸ 13.8%

3.4% Seniors (65+) +5.3 pts ▸ 8.7%

Marital status

42.3% Never married +13.8 pts ▸ 56.0%

44.6% Married ◂ +16.7 pts 27.8%

8.0% Divorced ◂ +0.4 pts 7.7%

4.0% Separated +1.3 pts ▸ 5.4%

1.1% Widowed +1.9 pts ▸ 3.0%

Age & sex structure

Ashburton Meekatharra

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

61.9% Australia ◂ +0.9 pts 61.0%

5.5% New Zealand ◂ +2.7 pts 2.8%

2.6% England ◂ +0.5 pts 2.1%

1.4% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%

0.5% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% China +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.7% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

0.2% Italy even 0.3%

0.1% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

32.6% Australian ◂ +15.2 pts 17.4%

30.7% English ◂ +11.0 pts 19.7%

8.5% Irish ◂ +3.5 pts 5.0%

7.2% Scottish ◂ +2.8 pts 4.4%

3.1% German ◂ +0.5 pts 2.6%

2.3% Italian ◂ +1.2 pts 1.1%

1.8% Filipino ◂ +0.3 pts 1.5%

0.9% Chinese +0.7 pts ▸ 1.7%

1.5% Dutch ◂ +1.3 pts 0.3%

0.8% Indian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

0.2% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

69.9% English only ◂ +9.0 pts 60.9%

0.4% Mandarin +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.3% Arabic ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.0% Cantonese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Italian even 0.3%

0.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.0% Punjabi even 0.0%

0.0% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

46.6% No religion ◂ +9.6 pts 37.0%

28.3% Christianity +2.6 pts ▸ 30.8%

21.1% Not stated +9.4 pts ▸ 30.4%

1.4% Other religions ◂ +0.4 pts 1.1%

1.3% Buddhism ◂ +0.8 pts 0.6%

0.8% Islam ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%

0.4% Hinduism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Ashburton in Meekatharra +3 more in Ashburton

6 36th pct 3 21st pct

Schools/1k kids in Ashburton in Meekatharra +13.57 more in Meekatharra

3.47 46th pct 17.05 92nd pct

Students in Ashburton in Meekatharra +1,224 more in Ashburton

1,378 43rd pct 154 14th pct

Avg size in Ashburton in Meekatharra +178 larger in Ashburton

230 50th pct 51 8th pct

ICSEA in Ashburton in Meekatharra +275 higher in Ashburton

903 18th pct 628 0th pct

Highest year of school

43.3% Year 12 ◂ +13.4 pts 29.9%

19.2% Year 10 +3.4 pts ▸ 22.6%

11.5% Year 11 ◂ +1.4 pts 10.1%

4.3% Year 9 or below +5.2 pts ▸ 9.6%

Highest qualification level

38.6% Certificate III / IV ◂ +14.6 pts 23.9%

12.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +1.3 pts 11.0%

9.7% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.9 pts 6.8%

2.4% Postgraduate degree +0.2 pts ▸ 2.6%

2.3% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 2.1%

1.7% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%

Field of qualification

23.9% Engineering & related ◂ +9.2 pts 14.7%

10.7% Management & commerce ◂ +4.5 pts 6.1%

6.2% Education ◂ +1.3 pts 4.8%

6.1% Society & culture ◂ +0.6 pts 5.5%

5.4% Architecture & building ◂ +2.8 pts 2.6%

5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.9 pts 4.0%

4.9% Health ◂ +1.8 pts 3.1%

1.6% Agriculture & environment +0.6 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.3% Natural & physical sciences +0.8 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.0% Creative arts +0.8 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.5% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Ashburton in Meekatharra +$855 higher in Ashburton gap narrowing

$1,865 100th pct $1,010 86th pct

Household income in Ashburton in Meekatharra +$1,694 higher in Ashburton gap steady

$2,937 100th pct $1,243 30th pct

Family income in Ashburton in Meekatharra +$2,018 higher in Ashburton gap widening

$3,310 98th pct $1,292 12th pct

Household income distribution

31.2% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.6 pts 27.5%

8.3% $650–$1,499 +17.4 pts ▸ 25.7%

23.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +20.4 pts 2.5%

5.2% Under $650 +16.9 pts ▸ 22.1%

20.4% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +15.4 pts 5.1%

Personal income distribution

32.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +12.7 pts 19.4%

15.9% Under $650 +11.5 pts ▸ 27.4%

15.7% $650–$1,499 +2.9 pts ▸ 18.6%

15.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +10.9 pts 4.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

2.7% Diabetes +3.6 pts ▸ 6.3%

5.8% Asthma ◂ +1.1 pts 4.7%

4.6% Mental health ◂ +0.2 pts 4.4%

1.5% Heart disease +2.7 pts ▸ 4.3%

2.8% Arthritis +0.8 pts ▸ 3.6%

3.5% Other condition ◂ +0.2 pts 3.3%

0.6% Lung condition +1.3 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.2% Cancer +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.2% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

64.5% None ◂ +8.5 pts 56.0%

11.8% One condition +0.8 pts ▸ 12.6%

2.4% Two conditions +0.7 pts ▸ 3.1%

0.8% Three or more +1.6 pts ▸ 2.4%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Ashburton in Meekatharra +323 larger in Ashburton

772 58th pct 449 46th pct

Median age in Ashburton in Meekatharra +3 yrs older in Ashburton

28 yrs 71st pct 25 yrs 50th pct

Median income in Ashburton in Meekatharra +$750 higher in Ashburton

$1,129 96th pct $379 10th pct

Household income in Ashburton in Meekatharra +$1,304 higher in Ashburton

$2,314 94th pct $1,010 14th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ashburton in Meekatharra +0.3 larger in Ashburton gap steady

2.7 86th pct 2.4 43rd pct

Family composition

68.5% Couples with children ◂ +29.4 pts 39.0%

7.9% One-parent families +21.3 pts ▸ 29.3%

22.5% Couples without children +4.1 pts ▸ 26.5%

0.8% Other families +4.0 pts ▸ 4.8%

Household size

24.2% 1 person +13.2 pts ▸ 37.3%

30.1% 2 people ◂ +1.5 pts 28.6%

18.6% 4 people ◂ +10.6 pts 8.0%

14.5% 3 people +0.4 pts ▸ 14.9%

9.2% 5 people ◂ +4.2 pts 5.1%

3.4% 6 or more +3.5 pts ▸ 6.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ashburton in Meekatharra +$67 higher in Meekatharra gap widening

$48 0th pct $115 7th pct

Mortgage in Ashburton in Meekatharra +$963 higher in Ashburton gap widening

$1,613 63rd pct $650 5th pct

People / bedroom in Ashburton in Meekatharra even gap steady

0.90 86th pct 0.90 86th pct

How homes are owned or rented

76.0% Rented ◂ +26.3 pts 49.6%

7.4% Owned outright +18.3 pts ▸ 25.7%

11.8% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 11.6%

1.7% Not stated +6.6 pts ▸ 8.3%

3.2% Owned with a mortgage +1.9 pts ▸ 5.1%

Types of homes

86.7% Separate house ◂ +8.0 pts 78.6%

5.1% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.4 pts ▸ 6.5%

4.0% Other dwelling ◂ +0.4 pts 3.6%

2.2% Flat or apartment +1.8 pts ▸ 4.0%

Bedrooms per home

63.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +12.8 pts 50.7%

17.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.0 pts 15.6%

9.7% 2 bedrooms +3.4 pts ▸ 13.0%

4.1% 1 bedroom +5.3 pts ▸ 9.4%

2.0% 5 or more +1.6 pts ▸ 3.6%

0.7% Studio / none +1.1 pts ▸ 1.8%

Weekly rent distribution

77.9% Under $200 ◂ +10.8 pts 67.2%

5.7% $200–$349 +5.3 pts ▸ 10.9%

4.3% $350–$549 ◂ +4.3 pts 0.0%

2.2% $550–$749 ◂ +2.2 pts 0.0%

1.6% $750 or more ◂ +1.6 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

26.0% Under $1,000 +45.4 pts ▸ 71.4%

26.0% $3,000 or more ◂ +26.0 pts 0.0%

18.0% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +18.0 pts 0.0%

6.0% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +6.0 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Ashburton in Meekatharra +2 more in Meekatharra

0 0th pct 2 24th pct

Stops/1k in Ashburton in Meekatharra +1.67 more in Meekatharra

0.00 0th pct 1.67 35th pct

Departures/1k in Ashburton in Meekatharra +3.3 more in Meekatharra

0.0 0th pct 3.3 20th pct

PT routes in Ashburton in Meekatharra +1 more in Meekatharra

0 0th pct 1 29th pct

How people get to work

36.8% Car (driver) ◂ +0.5 pts 36.2%

22.7% Bus ◂ +13.0 pts 9.7%

7.0% Walked +11.7 pts ▸ 18.6%

6.0% Car (passenger) +0.4 pts ▸ 6.4%

2.7% Worked at home +2.6 pts ▸ 5.4%

1.2% Bicycle ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.7% 1 vehicle +0.9 pts ▸ 40.6%

36.2% 2 vehicles ◂ +12.6 pts 23.6%

3.9% No vehicle +14.2 pts ▸ 18.1%

13.6% 3 vehicles ◂ +6.2 pts 7.5%

6.7% 4 or more +1.9 pts ▸ 8.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

48.4% Mining ◂ +18.0 pts 30.4%

6.6% Education & training +6.8 pts ▸ 13.5%

5.2% Accommodation & food +6.6 pts ▸ 11.8%

1.5% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +7.6 pts ▸ 9.1%

8.4% Construction ◂ +4.7 pts 3.7%

4.2% Health care & social assistance +2.9 pts ▸ 7.0%

3.0% Retail trade +3.4 pts ▸ 6.4%

4.4% Public administration & safety +1.4 pts ▸ 5.8%

4.0% Administrative & support ◂ +1.5 pts 2.5%

3.0% Transport & warehousing +0.4 pts ▸ 3.3%

1.9% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.5% Wholesale trade ◂ +1.5 pts 0.0%

Occupations people work in

26.7% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +8.7 pts 18.0%

25.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +7.5 pts 17.6%

7.5% Managers +8.0 pts ▸ 15.5%

9.9% Professionals +2.5 pts ▸ 12.4%

10.8% Labourers +1.6 pts ▸ 12.4%

7.0% Community & personal service +2.7 pts ▸ 9.7%

7.4% Clerical & administrative +0.4 pts ▸ 7.9%

2.9% Sales workers +0.8 pts ▸ 3.7%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Ashburton in Meekatharra +6 higher in Ashburton

7 64th pct 1 0th pct

IRSD decile in Ashburton in Meekatharra +7 higher in Ashburton

8 71st pct 1 0th pct

IER decile in Ashburton in Meekatharra +4 higher in Ashburton

5 43rd pct 1 0th pct

IEO decile in Ashburton in Meekatharra +1 higher in Ashburton

3 29th pct 2 14th pct

IRSAD score in Ashburton in Meekatharra +108 higher in Ashburton

979 69th pct 871 12th pct

ERP in Ashburton in Meekatharra +7,043 higher in Ashburton

8,335 41st pct 1,292 15th pct

Growth in Ashburton in Meekatharra +6.7 pts higher in Ashburton

7.1% 77th pct 0.4% 17th pct

Businesses in Ashburton in Meekatharra +157 higher in Ashburton

209 17th pct 52 5th pct

Approvals in Ashburton in Meekatharra +17 higher in Ashburton

17 33rd pct 0 0th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Ashburton in Meekatharra +106 higher in Ashburton

294 12th pct 188 1st pct

Max temp in Ashburton in Meekatharra +1.1 higher in Ashburton

33.3 95th pct 32.3 92nd pct

Min temp in Ashburton in Meekatharra +1.2 higher in Ashburton

17.8 89th pct 16.6 87th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Ashburton in Meekatharra +0.6 higher in Ashburton

3.8 52nd pct 3.2 34th pct

Types ≤15 min in Ashburton in Meekatharra +1.1 more in Ashburton

4.9 72nd pct 3.9 47th pct

15-min city in Ashburton in Meekatharra +11.8 pts higher in Ashburton

64.3% 74th pct 52.5% 57th pct

Walk to shops in Ashburton in Meekatharra +17.6 pts higher in Meekatharra

59.4% 70th pct 77.0% 82nd pct

Walk to transit in Ashburton in Meekatharra +37.6 pts higher in Meekatharra

0.0% 0th pct 37.6% 45th pct

Walk to school in Ashburton in Meekatharra +23.8 pts higher in Ashburton

76.5% 78th pct 52.7% 46th pct

Walk to a park in Ashburton in Meekatharra +9.3 pts higher in Ashburton

81.4% 65th pct 72.1% 54th pct

Walk to health in Ashburton in Meekatharra +17.5 pts higher in Ashburton

69.9% 85th pct 52.4% 73rd pct

Amenities/1k in Ashburton in Meekatharra +11.6 more in Ashburton

38.3 79th pct 26.7 69th pct

Intersections/km² in Ashburton in Meekatharra even

0 7th pct 0 0th pct

Mean slope in Ashburton in Meekatharra +0.2 pts higher in Meekatharra

2.8% 12th pct 3.0% 17th pct

Compare Ashburton with nearby areas

Karratha Upper Gascoyne Port Hedland Exmouth Carnarvon Meekatharra Murchison Shark Bay

Compare Meekatharra with nearby areas

Cue Upper Gascoyne Murchison Wiluna Mount Magnet Sandstone Ashburton Leonora

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ashburton vs Meekatharra [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA50250/ashburton/vs/LGA55250/meekatharra