Council (LGA) · Area profile
Broome
54,402 km²
Higher typical incomes and a strong full-time workforce define Broome, where the usual household earns $2,091 a week. This is a young and growing community with a typical resident aged 34 and a population that has risen 13% since 2011. It is a diverse place with a very high First Nations population and a significant number of recent overseas arrivals. The area is marked by a high proportion of renters and a workforce heavily concentrated in health, education, and professional roles.
Despite high local incomes, the area's schools serve a less advantaged intake.
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This is a young community where the typical resident is 34, and children under 15 make up 23.5% of the population, which is well above the national figure. About 28.6% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a proportion far higher than the state and national averages.
Most people were born in Australia (72.1%), though 14.4% were born overseas. While this is around the middle for similar areas, it is far below the Western Australian and national figures.
About 12.2% of people use a language other than English at home, a figure that has risen since 2011. This is higher than most similar areas, though still well below the state and national averages.
A large proportion of the community—45.1%—reports having no religion, which is well above the national figure. This trend has seen a significant increase of 18 percentage points since 2011.
The area has a well-qualified workforce, with 20.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, a figure that rose 5.9 points since 2011. Nearly half of residents (49.4%) have completed Year 12.
Typical incomes are much higher than in most similar areas, with a typical weekly household earning $2,091. This is a little above the state and national figures, and 25.6% of households earn $3,000 or more each week.
Residents report better health than most other areas, with long-term health conditions affecting only 16.9% of people. This is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
Volunteering is around the middle for its level at 16.5%. While 27.3% of people provide unpaid childcare, the number of people doing 15 or more hours of housework weekly is much lower than most areas.
The First Nations community is large, with 4,847 people, and 18.7% speak a First Nations language, which is well above the national average. However, the unemployment rate for this group is 17.8%, which is well above the national figure.
Homes tend to be larger, with an average of 2.7 people per dwelling. One-parent families make up 19.9% of households, a figure well above both state and national levels.
Renting is very common here, with 52% of households renting, far above the national figure of 30.6%. Only 15% of homes are owned outright, which is much lower than most other areas.
The area is almost entirely car-dependent, with no public transport stops or routes. About 9.8% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the state average.
Broome is a highly mobile place, as 43.7% of residents moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas also make up a significant 19.6% of the population.
The workforce is strongly employed, with 66.7% working full-time, which is well above the national figure. Many people work in health and social assistance (18.4%) or education and training (12.3%).
The area is rated as having high overall advantage, sitting in the top 20% of similar areas. This is supported by high job skills, though access to money and resources is lower than in 80% of similar areas.
The climate is hot and tropical, with an average maximum temperature of 34.5 degrees. Rainfall is higher than in much of Western Australia, averaging 531mm annually.
Most of the area is car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.2. While many people can walk to a park or grocery store, almost no one lives within a 10-minute walk of public transport.