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West Pilbara vs Mid West

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

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 456 km apart · West Pilbara profile · Mid West profile

West Pilbara Mid West

Mid West and West Pilbara are both large regional areas of Western Australia, but they have very different profiles. Residents in Mid West are far older, with a typical age of 42 and 19.3% of the population aged 65 and over. In contrast, West Pilbara is much younger, with a typical age of 33 and only 3.3% of people aged 65 and over. There is also a huge gap in income; the typical household in West Pilbara earns $3,114 a week, which is far higher than the $1,455 typical for Mid West households. This is reflected in housing, with 63.8% of West Pilbara homes being rented, while 35.1% of Mid West homes are owned outright.

Daily life in both places is similar in some ways, as both are mostly car-dependent and have roughly the same share of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services. However, the gaps between them are shifting. While the difference in typical household income has widened since 2016, the gap in typical personal income has narrowed. Similarly, the difference in the share of people who have moved in the last five years has also narrowed, though West Pilbara remains much more mobile at 52.0% compared to 33.8% in Mid West.

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Where they differ most

Renting: 35.9 pts higher in West Pilbara Owned outright: 28.0 pts higher in Mid West People / bedroom: 0.20 higher in West Pilbara Population: 25,387 larger in Mid West One-parent: 7.6 pts higher in Mid West

Demographics & Identity

Population in West Pilbara in Mid West +25,387 larger in Mid West gap widening

29,594 21st pct 54,981 44th pct

Median age in West Pilbara in Mid West +9 yrs older in Mid West gap widening

33 yrs 7th pct 42 yrs 67th pct

Age structure

38.8% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +15.2 pts 23.6%

22.9% Older adults (45–64) +4.7 pts ▸ 27.6%

24.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +6.2 pts 18.8%

3.3% Seniors (65+) +16.1 pts ▸ 19.3%

10.1% Youth (15–24) +0.6 pts ▸ 10.7%

Marital status

44.8% Married +0.4 pts ▸ 45.2%

43.4% Never married ◂ +7.9 pts 35.6%

6.9% Divorced +2.6 pts ▸ 9.5%

1.2% Widowed +4.5 pts ▸ 5.6%

3.7% Separated +0.5 pts ▸ 4.1%

Age & sex structure

West Pilbara Mid West

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

64.6% Australia +9.8 pts ▸ 74.4%

4.4% New Zealand ◂ +2.5 pts 1.9%

2.5% England +1.4 pts ▸ 3.9%

1.9% Philippines ◂ +0.9 pts 1.0%

1.0% South Africa even 1.0%

1.0% India ◂ +0.5 pts 0.5%

0.4% China ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.1% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Vietnam even 0.2%

0.1% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

30.6% English +7.9 pts ▸ 38.5%

32.7% Australian +5.2 pts ▸ 37.9%

7.6% Irish +1.2 pts ▸ 8.8%

7.2% Scottish +1.4 pts ▸ 8.6%

3.1% German +0.3 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.6% Italian +0.8 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.5% Filipino ◂ +1.2 pts 1.2%

1.6% Dutch even 1.6%

1.4% Indian ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

1.3% Chinese ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

0.2% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.3% Greek even 0.3%

Language

Language used at home

70.1% English only +11.1 pts ▸ 81.2%

1.0% Tagalog ◂ +0.6 pts 0.4%

0.6% Mandarin ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.2% Italian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.0% No religion ◂ +6.2 pts 40.7%

28.8% Christianity +14.2 pts ▸ 43.0%

19.7% Not stated ◂ +6.1 pts 13.6%

1.5% Buddhism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.8%

1.2% Hinduism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.3%

1.0% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.9% Other religions ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in West Pilbara in Mid West +30 more in Mid West

17 29th pct 47 84th pct

Schools/1k kids in West Pilbara in Mid West +2.25 more in Mid West

2.31 54th pct 4.56 86th pct

Students in West Pilbara in Mid West +3,499 more in Mid West

6,569 28th pct 10,068 50th pct

Avg size in West Pilbara in Mid West +172 larger in West Pilbara

386 42nd pct 214 19th pct

ICSEA in West Pilbara in Mid West +2 higher in West Pilbara

935 13th pct 933 13th pct

Highest year of school

46.6% Year 12 ◂ +7.6 pts 39.0%

19.0% Year 10 +7.5 pts ▸ 26.4%

11.0% Year 11 +0.9 pts ▸ 11.9%

4.5% Year 9 or below +5.0 pts ▸ 9.5%

Highest qualification level

36.1% Certificate III / IV ◂ +0.5 pts 35.6%

14.6% Bachelor degree ◂ +0.5 pts 14.1%

10.6% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.0 pts ▸ 12.5%

2.9% Certificate I / II +1.0 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.5 pts 2.7%

2.4% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.2 pts ▸ 2.6%

Field of qualification

24.4% Engineering & related ◂ +6.5 pts 17.9%

12.5% Management & commerce ◂ +0.7 pts 11.8%

6.1% Health +3.7 pts ▸ 9.8%

6.6% Education +2.2 pts ▸ 8.8%

6.4% Society & culture +1.4 pts ▸ 7.8%

4.8% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 5.4%

4.4% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.6 pts ▸ 5.0%

1.5% Agriculture & environment +2.1 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.3% Creative arts +0.4 pts ▸ 1.7%

1.5% Natural & physical sciences even 1.5%

0.7% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

Income

Personal income in West Pilbara in Mid West +$852 higher in West Pilbara gap narrowing

$1,618 100th pct $766 43rd pct

Household income in West Pilbara in Mid West +$1,659 higher in West Pilbara gap widening

$3,114 100th pct $1,455 29th pct

Family income in West Pilbara in Mid West +$1,518 higher in West Pilbara gap widening

$3,426 100th pct $1,908 40th pct

Household income distribution

29.4% $4,000 or more ◂ +22.3 pts 7.1%

28.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.4 pts 27.2%

8.8% $650–$1,499 +17.7 pts ▸ 26.5%

4.7% Under $650 +14.1 pts ▸ 18.9%

17.8% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +9.0 pts 8.7%

Personal income distribution

18.6% Under $650 +19.6 pts ▸ 38.2%

28.9% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +11.3 pts 17.6%

18.8% $650–$1,499 +8.1 pts ▸ 26.9%

14.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +10.4 pts 3.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

2.8% Arthritis +6.0 pts ▸ 8.8%

4.8% Mental health +3.5 pts ▸ 8.3%

5.5% Asthma +2.6 pts ▸ 8.1%

3.9% Other condition +3.0 pts ▸ 6.9%

2.6% Diabetes +3.1 pts ▸ 5.7%

1.2% Heart disease +3.0 pts ▸ 4.3%

1.1% Cancer +2.1 pts ▸ 3.1%

0.5% Lung condition +1.6 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.2% Stroke +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.1% Dementia +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

65.3% None ◂ +8.6 pts 56.8%

12.0% One condition +6.7 pts ▸ 18.7%

2.3% Two conditions +3.7 pts ▸ 6.0%

0.8% Three or more +2.8 pts ▸ 3.6%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in West Pilbara in Mid West +1,835 larger in Mid West

3,365 77th pct 5,200 87th pct

Median age in West Pilbara in Mid West +1 yrs older in West Pilbara

26 yrs 64th pct 25 yrs 57th pct

Median income in West Pilbara in Mid West +$178 higher in West Pilbara

$643 60th pct $465 12th pct

Household income in West Pilbara in Mid West +$931 higher in West Pilbara

$2,181 86th pct $1,250 14th pct

Family & Households

Household size in West Pilbara in Mid West +0.4 larger in West Pilbara gap widening

2.8 86th pct 2.4 29th pct

Family composition

69.6% Couples with children ◂ +19.0 pts 50.6%

21.0% Couples without children +11.1 pts ▸ 32.0%

8.7% One-parent families +7.6 pts ▸ 16.3%

0.7% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

Household size

28.7% 2 people +8.3 pts ▸ 37.0%

22.0% 1 person +6.9 pts ▸ 28.9%

20.1% 4 people ◂ +7.9 pts 12.2%

16.1% 3 people ◂ +2.5 pts 13.5%

9.5% 5 people ◂ +3.9 pts 5.6%

3.6% 6 or more ◂ +0.8 pts 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in West Pilbara in Mid West +$30 higher in Mid West gap narrowing

$220 10th pct $250 14th pct

Mortgage in West Pilbara in Mid West +$483 higher in West Pilbara gap narrowing

$2,000 65th pct $1,517 29th pct

People / bedroom in West Pilbara in Mid West +0.20 higher in West Pilbara gap widening

0.90 86th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

63.8% Rented ◂ +35.9 pts 27.9%

7.2% Owned outright +28.0 pts ▸ 35.1%

19.8% Owned with a mortgage +11.6 pts ▸ 31.4%

7.2% Other tenure ◂ +3.8 pts 3.4%

2.0% Not stated +0.2 pts ▸ 2.2%

Types of homes

80.2% Separate house +6.6 pts ▸ 86.8%

12.3% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +3.1 pts 9.2%

4.6% Flat or apartment ◂ +3.1 pts 1.5%

2.0% Other dwelling ◂ +0.3 pts 1.7%

Bedrooms per home

43.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +4.2 pts 39.7%

34.3% 4 bedrooms +2.1 pts ▸ 36.3%

10.8% 2 bedrooms +1.8 pts ▸ 12.7%

3.5% 5 or more +1.9 pts ▸ 5.4%

4.8% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.3 pts 3.5%

0.6% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

17.7% $200–$349 +34.2 pts ▸ 51.9%

42.6% Under $200 ◂ +16.7 pts 25.9%

13.3% $350–$549 +1.7 pts ▸ 15.0%

8.8% $750 or more ◂ +8.5 pts 0.3%

8.8% $550–$749 ◂ +8.1 pts 0.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

29.9% $1,000–$1,799 +7.3 pts ▸ 37.3%

34.2% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +8.1 pts 26.1%

9.7% Under $1,000 +12.0 pts ▸ 21.7%

20.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +11.8 pts 9.0%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in West Pilbara in Mid West +344 more in Mid West

20 6th pct 364 61st pct

Stops/1k in West Pilbara in Mid West +5.94 more in Mid West

0.68 5th pct 6.62 87th pct

Departures/1k in West Pilbara in Mid West +265.7 more in Mid West

11.1 3rd pct 276.8 32nd pct

PT routes in West Pilbara in Mid West +11 more in Mid West

2 4th pct 13 27th pct

How people get to work

59.4% Car (driver) +5.2 pts ▸ 64.6%

8.2% Bus ◂ +6.5 pts 1.7%

6.6% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.1 pts 5.4%

2.6% Worked at home +3.5 pts ▸ 6.1%

4.3% Walked ◂ +0.3 pts 4.0%

0.8% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.1% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

43.1% 2 vehicles ◂ +4.8 pts 38.3%

28.1% 1 vehicle +5.7 pts ▸ 33.8%

16.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.2 pts 14.6%

8.5% 4 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 8.7%

3.5% No vehicle +1.1 pts ▸ 4.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

31.2% Mining ◂ +22.9 pts 8.3%

6.6% Health care & social assistance +6.6 pts ▸ 13.2%

7.7% Education & training +2.3 pts ▸ 10.0%

9.7% Construction ◂ +1.1 pts 8.6%

5.3% Retail trade +4.1 pts ▸ 9.5%

0.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +8.1 pts ▸ 8.6%

5.5% Accommodation & food +1.7 pts ▸ 7.2%

5.8% Public administration & safety +0.6 pts ▸ 6.4%

4.9% Transport & warehousing +0.9 pts ▸ 5.9%

4.3% Administrative & support ◂ +1.6 pts 2.6%

3.1% Other services +0.7 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.8% Professional & technical +1.4 pts ▸ 3.2%

Occupations people work in

25.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +9.2 pts 16.2%

13.4% Professionals +1.8 pts ▸ 15.2%

14.9% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +4.8 pts 10.2%

9.8% Managers +3.8 pts ▸ 13.7%

8.7% Community & personal service +3.6 pts ▸ 12.2%

10.4% Labourers +1.7 pts ▸ 12.0%

10.3% Clerical & administrative +0.5 pts ▸ 10.7%

4.8% Sales workers +3.2 pts ▸ 8.0%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in West Pilbara in Mid West +25,734 higher in Mid West

33,764 19th pct 59,498 43rd pct

Growth in West Pilbara in Mid West +4.3 pts higher in West Pilbara

8.2% 73rd pct 3.9% 33rd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in West Pilbara in Mid West +190 higher in West Pilbara

370 5th pct 180 0th pct

Max temp in West Pilbara in Mid West +1.1 higher in West Pilbara

32.7 97th pct 31.7 95th pct

Min temp in West Pilbara in Mid West +1.6 higher in West Pilbara

17.6 91st pct 16.0 86th pct

Walkability

Walk score in West Pilbara in Mid West even

3.8 28th pct 3.8 29th pct

Types ≤15 min in West Pilbara in Mid West +0.6 more in West Pilbara

4.4 41st pct 3.8 29th pct

15-min city in West Pilbara in Mid West +1.0 pts higher in West Pilbara

47.3% 36th pct 46.3% 34th pct

Walk to shops in West Pilbara in Mid West +0.8 pts higher in West Pilbara

43.6% 29th pct 42.8% 28th pct

Walk to transit in West Pilbara in Mid West +21.2 pts higher in Mid West

37.6% 19th pct 58.7% 32nd pct

Walk to school in West Pilbara in Mid West +24.4 pts higher in West Pilbara

73.8% 60th pct 49.4% 28th pct

Walk to a park in West Pilbara in Mid West +8.6 pts higher in West Pilbara

84.3% 42nd pct 75.7% 33rd pct

Walk to health in West Pilbara in Mid West +0.8 pts higher in West Pilbara

41.3% 48th pct 40.5% 46th pct

Amenities/1k in West Pilbara in Mid West +16.7 more in West Pilbara

39.2 94th pct 22.5 82nd pct

Intersections/km² in West Pilbara in Mid West even

0 1st pct 0 0th pct

Mean slope in West Pilbara in Mid West +1.7 pts higher in Mid West

2.9% 3rd pct 4.6% 32nd pct

Compare West Pilbara with nearby areas

Gascoyne Mid West East Pilbara Wheat Belt - North Wanneroo Swan Joondalup Stirling

Compare Mid West with nearby areas

West Pilbara Gascoyne East Pilbara Wheat Belt - North Goldfields Swan Wanneroo Mundaring

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). West Pilbara vs Mid West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/51003/west-pilbara/vs/51104/mid-west