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Karratha vs Meekatharra

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

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 513 km apart · Karratha profile · Meekatharra profile

Karratha Meekatharra

Karratha and Meekatharra are two remote Western Australian areas with very different profiles. Karratha is much wealthier, with a typical weekly household income of $3,158 and 48.2% of households earning $3,000 or more each week. It is also a much younger place, where 25.4% of people are children under 15. In contrast, Meekatharra has a far higher proportion of First Nations people at 37.4% and a higher share of one-parent families, at 29.3%.

Both areas are almost identical when it comes to the proportion of people who speak little or no English. They also share similar landscapes, with almost the same average maximum temperature and terrain slope. While they have these commonalities, the gaps in wealth and education have widened since 2016. For example, the difference in typical weekly household income has grown from $1,279 to $1,915 over that period.

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Where they differ most

First Nations: 25.7 pts higher in Meekatharra Population: 20,999 larger in Karratha Family income: $2,170 higher in Karratha One-parent: 20.4 pts higher in Meekatharra Participation: 20.1 pts higher in Karratha

Demographics & Identity

Population in Karratha in Meekatharra +20,999 larger in Karratha gap steady

22,199 61st pct 1,200 15th pct

Median age in Karratha in Meekatharra +2 yrs older in Meekatharra gap narrowing

32 yrs 9th pct 34 yrs 12th pct

Age structure

38.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +1.6 pts 36.5%

22.5% Older adults (45–64) +3.5 pts ▸ 26.1%

25.4% Children (0–14) ◂ +10.7 pts 14.7%

10.7% Youth (15–24) +3.1 pts ▸ 13.8%

3.2% Seniors (65+) +5.5 pts ▸ 8.7%

Marital status

43.8% Never married +12.2 pts ▸ 56.0%

44.9% Married ◂ +17.1 pts 27.8%

6.6% Divorced +1.1 pts ▸ 7.7%

3.5% Separated +1.8 pts ▸ 5.4%

1.2% Widowed +1.8 pts ▸ 3.0%

Age & sex structure

Karratha Meekatharra

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

65.5% Australia ◂ +4.5 pts 61.0%

4.0% New Zealand ◂ +1.2 pts 2.8%

2.5% England ◂ +0.4 pts 2.1%

2.1% Philippines ◂ +0.9 pts 1.3%

1.2% India ◂ +0.4 pts 0.8%

1.1% South Africa ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%

0.5% China +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

32.8% Australian ◂ +15.4 pts 17.4%

30.5% English ◂ +10.9 pts 19.7%

7.3% Irish ◂ +2.3 pts 5.0%

7.2% Scottish ◂ +2.8 pts 4.4%

3.1% German ◂ +0.6 pts 2.6%

2.7% Italian ◂ +1.7 pts 1.1%

2.7% Filipino ◂ +1.2 pts 1.5%

1.4% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

1.6% Dutch ◂ +1.4 pts 0.3%

1.6% Indian ◂ +0.9 pts 0.7%

0.3% Greek even 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

70.2% English only ◂ +9.3 pts 60.9%

1.1% Tagalog ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

0.7% Mandarin +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.4% Hindi ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

0.3% Punjabi ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.1% No religion ◂ +10.1 pts 37.0%

28.9% Christianity +1.9 pts ▸ 30.8%

19.2% Not stated +11.2 pts ▸ 30.4%

1.5% Buddhism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.6%

1.4% Hinduism ◂ +1.2 pts 0.3%

0.7% Other religions +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

1.0% Islam ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Karratha in Meekatharra +8 more in Karratha

11 54th pct 3 21st pct

Schools/1k kids in Karratha in Meekatharra +15.09 more in Meekatharra

1.95 19th pct 17.05 92nd pct

Students in Karratha in Meekatharra +5,037 more in Karratha

5,191 65th pct 154 14th pct

Avg size in Karratha in Meekatharra +421 larger in Karratha

472 80th pct 51 8th pct

ICSEA in Karratha in Meekatharra +315 higher in Karratha

943 32nd pct 628 0th pct

Highest year of school

47.8% Year 12 ◂ +17.9 pts 29.9%

18.9% Year 10 +3.8 pts ▸ 22.6%

10.8% Year 11 ◂ +0.8 pts 10.1%

4.5% Year 9 or below +5.0 pts ▸ 9.6%

Highest qualification level

35.3% Certificate III / IV ◂ +11.4 pts 23.9%

15.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +4.4 pts 11.0%

10.8% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +4.0 pts 6.8%

3.6% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.0 pts 2.6%

3.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.0 pts 2.1%

2.6% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.0 pts 0.6%

Field of qualification

24.6% Engineering & related ◂ +9.9 pts 14.7%

13.2% Management & commerce ◂ +7.0 pts 6.1%

6.8% Education ◂ +2.0 pts 4.8%

6.5% Society & culture ◂ +1.0 pts 5.5%

6.4% Health ◂ +3.4 pts 3.1%

4.5% Architecture & building ◂ +2.0 pts 2.6%

4.2% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.2 pts 4.0%

1.4% Agriculture & environment +0.9 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.5% Natural & physical sciences +0.6 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.4% Creative arts +0.4 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.8% Information technology even 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$535 higher in Karratha gap widening

$1,545 99th pct $1,010 86th pct

Household income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$1,915 higher in Karratha gap widening

$3,158 100th pct $1,243 30th pct

Family income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$2,170 higher in Karratha gap widening

$3,462 100th pct $1,292 12th pct

Household income distribution

31.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +28.5 pts 2.5%

28.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.5 pts 27.5%

9.0% $650–$1,499 +16.7 pts ▸ 25.7%

4.4% Under $650 +17.7 pts ▸ 22.1%

17.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +12.1 pts 5.1%

Personal income distribution

27.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +8.4 pts 19.4%

19.5% Under $650 +7.9 pts ▸ 27.4%

19.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.3 pts 18.6%

13.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +9.7 pts 4.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

2.5% Diabetes +3.7 pts ▸ 6.3%

5.4% Asthma ◂ +0.7 pts 4.7%

4.9% Mental health ◂ +0.5 pts 4.4%

1.1% Heart disease +3.1 pts ▸ 4.3%

4.0% Other condition ◂ +0.7 pts 3.3%

2.8% Arthritis +0.8 pts ▸ 3.6%

0.5% Lung condition +1.4 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.0% Cancer +0.3 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

65.6% None ◂ +9.6 pts 56.0%

12.0% One condition +0.6 pts ▸ 12.6%

2.2% Two conditions +0.8 pts ▸ 3.1%

0.7% Three or more +1.7 pts ▸ 2.4%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Karratha in Meekatharra +2,145 larger in Karratha

2,594 85th pct 449 46th pct

Median age in Karratha in Meekatharra even

25 yrs 50th pct 25 yrs 50th pct

Median income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$191 higher in Karratha

$570 54th pct $379 10th pct

Household income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$1,123 higher in Karratha

$2,133 90th pct $1,010 14th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.4 larger in Karratha gap widening

2.8 87th pct 2.4 43rd pct

Family composition

69.8% Couples with children ◂ +30.8 pts 39.0%

8.9% One-parent families +20.4 pts ▸ 29.3%

20.6% Couples without children +5.9 pts ▸ 26.5%

0.7% Other families +4.1 pts ▸ 4.8%

Household size

21.6% 1 person +15.8 pts ▸ 37.3%

28.3% 2 people +0.3 pts ▸ 28.6%

20.4% 4 people ◂ +12.5 pts 8.0%

16.5% 3 people ◂ +1.6 pts 14.9%

9.5% 5 people ◂ +4.4 pts 5.1%

3.6% 6 or more +3.2 pts ▸ 6.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Karratha in Meekatharra +$170 higher in Karratha gap widening

$285 59th pct $115 7th pct

Mortgage in Karratha in Meekatharra +$1,350 higher in Karratha gap narrowing

$2,000 82nd pct $650 5th pct

People / bedroom in Karratha in Meekatharra even gap steady

0.90 86th pct 0.90 86th pct

How homes are owned or rented

60.7% Rented ◂ +11.0 pts 49.6%

7.1% Owned outright +18.6 pts ▸ 25.7%

24.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +19.0 pts 5.1%

6.2% Other tenure +5.4 pts ▸ 11.6%

2.0% Not stated +6.4 pts ▸ 8.3%

Types of homes

78.5% Separate house +0.1 pts ▸ 78.6%

14.2% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +7.6 pts 6.5%

5.2% Flat or apartment ◂ +1.2 pts 4.0%

1.5% Other dwelling +2.1 pts ▸ 3.6%

Bedrooms per home

39.0% 3 bedrooms +11.8 pts ▸ 50.7%

38.4% 4 bedrooms ◂ +22.8 pts 15.6%

11.2% 2 bedrooms +1.8 pts ▸ 13.0%

4.9% 1 bedroom +4.5 pts ▸ 9.4%

4.0% 5 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 3.6%

0.5% Studio / none +1.3 pts ▸ 1.8%

Weekly rent distribution

31.7% Under $200 +35.5 pts ▸ 67.2%

21.5% $200–$349 ◂ +10.5 pts 10.9%

16.0% $350–$549 ◂ +16.0 pts 0.0%

11.1% $550–$749 ◂ +11.1 pts 0.0%

11.1% $750 or more ◂ +11.1 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

9.4% Under $1,000 +62.1 pts ▸ 71.4%

35.3% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +35.3 pts 0.0%

29.8% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +29.8 pts 0.0%

20.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +20.3 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Karratha in Meekatharra +18 more in Karratha

20 45th pct 2 24th pct

Stops/1k in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.77 more in Meekatharra

0.90 28th pct 1.67 35th pct

Departures/1k in Karratha in Meekatharra +11.4 more in Karratha

14.8 34th pct 3.3 20th pct

PT routes in Karratha in Meekatharra +1 more in Karratha

2 33rd pct 1 29th pct

How people get to work

67.2% Car (driver) ◂ +30.9 pts 36.2%

3.4% Walked +15.2 pts ▸ 18.6%

3.2% Bus +6.5 pts ▸ 9.7%

6.8% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.3 pts 6.4%

2.5% Worked at home +2.9 pts ▸ 5.4%

0.6% Bicycle ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%

0.1% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

44.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +21.2 pts 23.6%

25.3% 1 vehicle +15.2 pts ▸ 40.6%

3.4% No vehicle +14.7 pts ▸ 18.1%

17.6% 3 vehicles ◂ +10.1 pts 7.5%

8.9% 4 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 8.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

25.3% Mining +5.2 pts ▸ 30.4%

8.0% Education & training +5.4 pts ▸ 13.5%

5.6% Accommodation & food +6.2 pts ▸ 11.8%

10.1% Construction ◂ +6.4 pts 3.7%

0.2% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +8.9 pts ▸ 9.1%

7.5% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.5 pts 7.0%

6.1% Retail trade +0.3 pts ▸ 6.4%

6.3% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.5 pts 5.8%

5.6% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.3 pts 3.3%

4.4% Administrative & support ◂ +2.0 pts 2.5%

3.6% Other services ◂ +1.5 pts 2.1%

2.8% Manufacturing ◂ +2.8 pts 0.0%

Occupations people work in

25.6% Technicians & trades ◂ +8.0 pts 17.6%

10.9% Machinery operators & drivers +7.1 pts ▸ 18.0%

10.6% Managers +4.9 pts ▸ 15.5%

14.7% Professionals ◂ +2.2 pts 12.4%

10.1% Labourers +2.3 pts ▸ 12.4%

11.2% Clerical & administrative ◂ +3.4 pts 7.9%

9.2% Community & personal service +0.5 pts ▸ 9.7%

5.4% Sales workers ◂ +1.7 pts 3.7%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +8 higher in Karratha

9 86th pct 1 0th pct

IRSD decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +9 higher in Karratha

10 100th pct 1 0th pct

IER decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +8 higher in Karratha

9 86th pct 1 0th pct

IEO decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +4 higher in Karratha

6 57th pct 2 14th pct

IRSAD score in Karratha in Meekatharra +164 higher in Karratha

1,035 86th pct 871 12th pct

ERP in Karratha in Meekatharra +24,137 higher in Karratha

25,429 61st pct 1,292 15th pct

Growth in Karratha in Meekatharra +8.2 pts higher in Karratha

8.6% 84th pct 0.4% 17th pct

Businesses in Karratha in Meekatharra +1,277 higher in Karratha

1,329 49th pct 52 5th pct

Approvals in Karratha in Meekatharra +60 higher in Karratha

60 52nd pct 0 0th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Karratha in Meekatharra +85 higher in Karratha

273 10th pct 188 1st pct

Max temp in Karratha in Meekatharra +1.7 higher in Karratha

34.0 97th pct 32.3 92nd pct

Min temp in Karratha in Meekatharra +3.9 higher in Karratha

20.6 95th pct 16.6 87th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.6 higher in Karratha

3.8 51st pct 3.2 34th pct

Types ≤15 min in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.3 more in Karratha

4.1 55th pct 3.9 47th pct

15-min city in Karratha in Meekatharra +12.4 pts higher in Meekatharra

40.1% 36th pct 52.5% 57th pct

Walk to shops in Karratha in Meekatharra +40.1 pts higher in Meekatharra

37.0% 30th pct 77.0% 82nd pct

Walk to transit in Karratha in Meekatharra +15.9 pts higher in Karratha

53.5% 56th pct 37.6% 45th pct

Walk to school in Karratha in Meekatharra +20.0 pts higher in Karratha

72.7% 75th pct 52.7% 46th pct

Walk to a park in Karratha in Meekatharra +13.5 pts higher in Karratha

85.5% 69th pct 72.1% 54th pct

Walk to health in Karratha in Meekatharra +23.2 pts higher in Meekatharra

29.2% 33rd pct 52.4% 73rd pct

Amenities/1k in Karratha in Meekatharra +11.7 more in Karratha

38.4 80th pct 26.7 69th pct

Intersections/km² in Karratha in Meekatharra even

0 31st pct 0 0th pct

Mean slope in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.1 pts higher in Meekatharra

2.9% 14th pct 3.0% 17th pct

Compare Karratha with nearby areas

Ashburton Port Hedland Exmouth Upper Gascoyne 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). Karratha vs Meekatharra [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA54310/karratha/vs/LGA55250/meekatharra