Council (LGA) · Area profile
Ashburton
100,817 km²
A huge 76% of households in Ashburton are renters, a figure far above the national average. This is a young, working community where the typical resident is just 34, and many are moved here for work in the mining industry. The area has a high proportion of children and First Nations people, creating a youthful character. While the population shrank by 26% since 2011, the community remains wealthy with typical weekly family incomes well above the national figure.
Despite high local incomes, the area's schools serve a less advantaged intake.
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The community is noticeably younger than the state average, with children under 15 making up 23.4% of the population. It is also a diverse area where First Nations people make up 10.4% of the population, a figure well above the national average.
About 18.9% of residents were born overseas, which is higher than most similar areas but well below the Western Australian average. The most common ancestries are Australian and English.
English is the main language, though 11.0% of people use another language at home, a figure that has risen since 2011. Despite this, only 0.6% of residents speak little or no English.
A large number of residents report having no religion, at 46.6%, which is well above the national figure. This trend has grown significantly, rising 17 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 11.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen to 43.3% since 2011.
This is a high-earning area where 43.4% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, far above the national average. The typical weekly family income of $3,310 is also well above the national figure.
Residents are generally healthier than most, with only 15.1% reporting a long-term health condition. This is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
Caring for children is common here, with 29.7% of people providing unpaid childcare, which is much higher than most areas. Volunteering is also a little above the state average at 18.4%.
First Nations people in Ashburton fare well compared to other areas, with a much lower unemployment rate of 6.1% and a typical personal income far above the national figure.
Families are larger than usual, with 2.7 people per home and a high proportion of couples with children (68.5%). People living alone are much less common than in most other areas.
The housing market is dominated by renters, and only 7.4% of homes are owned outright, which is far below the national average. Most homes are large, with 83.2% having three or more bedrooms.
Commuting by public transport is surprisingly high at 22.9%, far above the national average. However, the area is largely car-dependent, with very few people working from home.
The population is very mobile, with 53.5% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 13.7% of the community, though this is down since 2011.
Employment is strong, with 73.1% of people working full-time and a very low unemployment rate of 1.9%. Nearly half of the workforce (48.4%) works in mining.
Ashburton has an overall advantage score of 979, which is higher than about 69% of similar areas. The population has grown by 7.1% since 2021.
The area is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees. Annual rainfall is much lower than most areas, though it remains well above the state average.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 3.8. While it has a high number of walkable amenities per resident, almost no one lives within a 10-minute walk of public transport.