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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/

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 606 km apart · Karratha profile · Meekatharra profile

Karratha Meekatharra

Karratha and Meekatharra are both regional Western Australian centres, but they differ sharply in wealth and age. Karratha is much younger and wealthier, with a typical weekly household income of $3,194 compared to $1,202 in Meekatharra. Families are more common in Karratha, where 26.5% of people are under 15 and 32.8% provide unpaid childcare, while Meekatharra has a much larger proportion of older residents, with 13.0% aged 65 and over. First Nations presence is also more significant in Meekatharra, where 24.3% of the population is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Both areas are remarkably similar in some respects, such as having an identical number of schools and public transport stops. However, many gaps between them are widening. The difference in typical household income and the share of people owning their homes outright have both increased since 2016. While Karratha has far more people who have completed Year 12, this gap has also grown over time.

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Where they differ most

Participation: 27.4 pts higher in Karratha Recent movers: 24.3 pts higher in Karratha Owned outright: 23.6 pts higher in Meekatharra One-parent: 19.3 pts higher in Meekatharra Year 12: 22.9 pts higher in Karratha

Demographics & Identity

Population in Karratha in Meekatharra +13,860 larger in Karratha gap steady

17,013 83rd pct 3,153 12th pct

Median age in Karratha in Meekatharra +6 yrs older in Meekatharra gap narrowing

32 yrs 9th pct 38 yrs 43rd pct

Age structure

38.5% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.2 pts 34.3%

21.6% Older adults (45–64) +6.1 pts ▸ 27.8%

26.5% Children (0–14) ◂ +12.3 pts 14.1%

2.8% Seniors (65+) +10.2 pts ▸ 13.0%

10.7% Youth (15–24) +0.7 pts ▸ 11.4%

Marital status

43.2% Never married +7.1 pts ▸ 50.3%

45.6% Married ◂ +15.8 pts 29.8%

6.6% Divorced +3.5 pts ▸ 10.2%

3.6% Separated +2.9 pts ▸ 6.5%

1.0% Widowed +2.2 pts ▸ 3.2%

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

64.9% Australia ◂ +11.4 pts 53.4%

4.2% New Zealand ◂ +1.4 pts 2.9%

2.6% England +0.6 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.4% Philippines ◂ +1.4 pts 1.0%

1.4% India ◂ +1.0 pts 0.4%

1.3% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

0.3% China even 0.3%

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

33.4% Australian ◂ +14.2 pts 19.2%

31.8% English ◂ +9.6 pts 22.1%

7.6% Irish ◂ +2.5 pts 5.1%

7.6% Scottish ◂ +3.0 pts 4.6%

3.2% German ◂ +0.9 pts 2.3%

3.0% Filipino ◂ +2.0 pts 1.0%

2.8% Italian ◂ +1.2 pts 1.6%

2.0% Indian ◂ +1.5 pts 0.4%

1.8% Dutch ◂ +1.1 pts 0.7%

1.4% Chinese ◂ +0.3 pts 1.0%

0.4% Greek even 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

72.3% English only ◂ +16.4 pts 55.9%

1.3% Tagalog ◂ +0.9 pts 0.5%

0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.5% Hindi ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

0.3% Punjabi ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.2% Cantonese even 0.2%

0.2% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.8% No religion ◂ +14.1 pts 33.7%

16.4% Not stated +19.4 pts ▸ 35.9%

30.4% Christianity ◂ +1.8 pts 28.6%

1.8% Buddhism ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%

1.7% Hinduism ◂ +1.6 pts 0.2%

1.3% Islam ◂ +1.1 pts 0.2%

0.5% Other religions +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Karratha in Meekatharra even

8 87th pct 8 87th pct

Schools/1k kids in Karratha in Meekatharra +16.16 more in Meekatharra

1.78 41st pct 17.94 100th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Karratha in Meekatharra even

8 18th pct 8 18th pct

Students in Karratha in Meekatharra +4,085 more in Karratha

4,502 88th pct 417 14th pct

Avg size in Karratha in Meekatharra +511 larger in Karratha

563 68th pct 52 1st pct

ICSEA in Karratha in Meekatharra +304 higher in Karratha

952 20th pct 649 0th pct

Highest year of school

51.5% Year 12 ◂ +22.9 pts 28.6%

17.5% Year 10 +2.3 pts ▸ 19.7%

10.7% Year 11 ◂ +2.2 pts 8.4%

3.7% Year 9 or below +5.0 pts ▸ 8.7%

Highest qualification level

35.1% Certificate III / IV ◂ +11.6 pts 23.5%

16.6% Bachelor degree ◂ +7.6 pts 9.1%

11.3% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +4.8 pts 6.5%

4.1% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.8 pts 2.4%

3.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.7 pts 2.4%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.0 pts 0.9%

Field of qualification

24.1% Engineering & related ◂ +9.8 pts 14.3%

14.1% Management & commerce ◂ +7.6 pts 6.4%

7.3% Education ◂ +2.7 pts 4.7%

6.9% Society & culture ◂ +2.0 pts 5.0%

6.8% Health ◂ +2.7 pts 4.0%

4.8% Architecture & building ◂ +2.2 pts 2.6%

4.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.3 pts 3.1%

1.4% Agriculture & environment +0.5 pts ▸ 1.9%

1.6% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.1 pts 1.5%

1.5% Creative arts ◂ +0.4 pts 1.1%

0.9% Information technology ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

Income

Personal income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$546 higher in Karratha gap widening

$1,570 100th pct $1,024 79th pct

Household income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$1,992 higher in Karratha gap widening

$3,194 100th pct $1,202 14th pct

Family income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$2,146 higher in Karratha gap widening

$3,497 96th pct $1,351 8th pct

Household income distribution

31.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +28.0 pts 3.5%

29.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.8 pts 24.2%

7.7% $650–$1,499 +20.7 pts ▸ 28.5%

3.5% Under $650 +19.7 pts ▸ 23.2%

17.5% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +12.4 pts 5.1%

Personal income distribution

29.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +11.8 pts 17.8%

18.5% Under $650 +6.5 pts ▸ 25.0%

21.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.6 pts 16.8%

14.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +8.9 pts 5.3%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

2.1% Diabetes +4.2 pts ▸ 6.3%

5.5% Asthma ◂ +0.8 pts 4.7%

5.1% Mental health even 5.1%

2.6% Arthritis +1.7 pts ▸ 4.3%

1.0% Heart disease +3.2 pts ▸ 4.2%

4.0% Other condition ◂ +0.2 pts 3.8%

0.4% Lung condition +1.4 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.0% Cancer +0.6 pts ▸ 1.6%

0.2% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Dementia +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.6% None ◂ +20.0 pts 47.6%

12.0% One condition ◂ +0.4 pts 11.6%

2.1% Two conditions +2.0 pts ▸ 4.1%

0.7% Three or more +2.3 pts ▸ 2.9%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Karratha in Meekatharra +763 larger in Karratha

1,530 88th pct 767 86th pct

Median age in Karratha in Meekatharra +4 yrs older in Meekatharra

22 yrs 29th pct 26 yrs 64th pct

Median income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$524 higher in Karratha

$910 85th pct $386 3rd pct

Household income in Karratha in Meekatharra +$1,479 higher in Karratha

$2,491 87th pct $1,012 6th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.6 larger in Karratha gap widening

2.8 79th pct 2.2 14th pct

Family composition

70.6% Couples with children ◂ +35.3 pts 35.3%

20.7% Couples without children +13.6 pts ▸ 34.2%

8.3% One-parent families +19.3 pts ▸ 27.6%

0.5% Other families +3.5 pts ▸ 4.0%

Household size

21.8% 1 person +17.8 pts ▸ 39.6%

28.2% 2 people +4.9 pts ▸ 33.1%

20.7% 4 people ◂ +14.9 pts 5.8%

16.6% 3 people ◂ +5.5 pts 11.1%

9.2% 5 people ◂ +4.4 pts 4.8%

3.5% 6 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 4.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Karratha in Meekatharra +$200 higher in Karratha gap widening

$320 33rd pct $120 0th pct

Mortgage in Karratha in Meekatharra +$1,322 higher in Karratha gap narrowing

$1,972 59th pct $650 0th pct

People / bedroom in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.10 higher in Karratha gap steady

0.90 86th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

60.0% Rented ◂ +19.4 pts 40.6%

6.2% Owned outright +23.6 pts ▸ 29.8%

25.4% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +18.4 pts 7.0%

6.4% Other tenure +8.9 pts ▸ 15.3%

2.0% Not stated +6.1 pts ▸ 8.0%

Types of homes

79.3% Separate house +1.1 pts ▸ 80.4%

13.4% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +9.3 pts 4.1%

1.2% Other dwelling +5.4 pts ▸ 6.6%

5.9% Flat or apartment ◂ +4.3 pts 1.6%

Bedrooms per home

35.4% 3 bedrooms +10.8 pts ▸ 46.1%

42.0% 4 bedrooms ◂ +28.3 pts 13.7%

10.7% 2 bedrooms +8.3 pts ▸ 19.0%

5.4% 1 bedroom +4.2 pts ▸ 9.6%

4.2% 5 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 4.8%

0.4% Studio / none +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%

Weekly rent distribution

23.6% Under $200 +42.2 pts ▸ 65.8%

23.9% $200–$349 ◂ +9.1 pts 14.7%

17.8% $350–$549 ◂ +16.0 pts 1.8%

13.1% $550–$749 ◂ +13.1 pts 0.0%

12.8% $750 or more ◂ +12.8 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

9.1% Under $1,000 +59.6 pts ▸ 68.8%

34.9% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +28.6 pts 6.3%

31.7% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +25.4 pts 6.3%

19.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +19.4 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Karratha in Meekatharra even

10 19th pct 10 19th pct

Stops/1k in Karratha in Meekatharra +2.58 more in Meekatharra

0.59 7th pct 3.17 33rd pct

Departures/1k in Karratha in Meekatharra +3.2 more in Karratha

10.8 8th pct 7.6 5th pct

PT routes in Karratha in Meekatharra +1 more in Karratha

2 14th pct 1 7th pct

Stop walk in Karratha in Meekatharra

9 68th pct —

How people get to work

70.4% Car (driver) ◂ +38.0 pts 32.4%

3.0% Walked +15.9 pts ▸ 19.0%

2.0% Bus +7.5 pts ▸ 9.5%

6.7% Car (passenger) +0.8 pts ▸ 7.5%

2.5% Worked at home +4.0 pts ▸ 6.6%

0.6% Bicycle +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

44.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +15.5 pts 29.4%

25.7% 1 vehicle +12.9 pts ▸ 38.6%

17.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +8.5 pts 9.3%

2.7% No vehicle +9.7 pts ▸ 12.3%

8.8% 4 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 9.8%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

20.4% Mining +12.7 pts ▸ 33.2%

11.4% Construction ◂ +6.4 pts 5.0%

6.7% Public administration & safety +4.2 pts ▸ 10.9%

8.3% Education & training +1.4 pts ▸ 9.7%

0.1% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +9.3 pts ▸ 9.5%

5.5% Accommodation & food +2.8 pts ▸ 8.4%

7.5% Health care & social assistance ◂ +2.2 pts 5.3%

6.7% Retail trade ◂ +2.1 pts 4.5%

5.9% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.6 pts 3.2%

4.3% Administrative & support ◂ +1.4 pts 2.9%

3.8% Other services ◂ +2.3 pts 1.5%

3.2% Manufacturing ◂ +2.9 pts 0.3%

Occupations people work in

24.8% Technicians & trades ◂ +7.0 pts 17.9%

9.9% Machinery operators & drivers +10.9 pts ▸ 20.8%

11.0% Managers +4.9 pts ▸ 15.9%

15.2% Professionals ◂ +4.8 pts 10.4%

9.9% Labourers +4.5 pts ▸ 14.4%

11.5% Clerical & administrative ◂ +4.6 pts 6.9%

9.4% Community & personal service ◂ +1.5 pts 7.9%

6.0% Sales workers ◂ +3.4 pts 2.6%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +7 higher in Karratha

8 71st pct 1 0th pct

IRSD decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +8 higher in Karratha

9 86th pct 1 0th pct

IER decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +6 higher in Karratha

7 64th pct 1 0th pct

IEO decile in Karratha in Meekatharra +3 higher in Karratha

5 43rd pct 2 14th pct

IRSAD score in Karratha in Meekatharra +185 higher in Karratha

1,051 72nd pct 866 6th pct

ERP in Karratha in Meekatharra +16,275 higher in Karratha

19,659 86th pct 3,384 12th pct

Growth in Karratha in Meekatharra +9.6 pts higher in Karratha

9.9% 80th pct 0.3% 13th pct

Businesses in Karratha in Meekatharra +958 higher in Karratha

1,120 61st pct 162 7th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Karratha in Meekatharra +94 higher in Karratha

270 0th pct 176 0th pct

Max temp in Karratha in Meekatharra +1.5 higher in Karratha

33.3 100th pct 31.8 96th pct

Min temp in Karratha in Meekatharra +5.3 higher in Karratha

21.3 98th pct 16.1 86th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Karratha in Meekatharra +1.7 higher in Karratha

4.0 30th pct 2.4 14th pct

Types ≤15 min in Karratha in Meekatharra +1.6 more in Karratha

4.4 36th pct 2.7 17th pct

15-min city in Karratha in Meekatharra +4.9 pts higher in Karratha

41.7% 30th pct 36.8% 26th pct

Walk to shops in Karratha in Meekatharra +3.5 pts higher in Meekatharra

40.1% 29th pct 43.5% 32nd pct

Walk to transit in Karratha in Meekatharra +33.2 pts higher in Karratha

54.8% 26th pct 21.6% 15th pct

Walk to school in Karratha in Meekatharra +34.5 pts higher in Karratha

81.0% 57th pct 46.5% 28th pct

Walk to a park in Karratha in Meekatharra +29.6 pts higher in Karratha

88.1% 35th pct 58.6% 17th pct

Walk to health in Karratha in Meekatharra +13.7 pts higher in Karratha

36.8% 42nd pct 23.2% 27th pct

Amenities/1k in Karratha in Meekatharra +32.5 more in Meekatharra

5.9 3rd pct 38.4 86th pct

Intersections/km² in Karratha in Meekatharra +19 higher in Karratha

19 30th pct 0 0th pct

Mean slope in Karratha in Meekatharra +0.5 pts higher in Meekatharra

2.8% 6th pct 3.2% 14th pct

Compare Karratha with nearby areas

Roebourne Ashburton South Hedland Port Hedland Newman Exmouth Carnarvon Meekatharra

Compare Meekatharra with nearby areas

Newman Ashburton Exmouth East Pilbara South Hedland Port Hedland Mukinbudin Roebourne

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/sa2/510031272/karratha/vs/511041290/meekatharra