Council (LGA) · Area profile
Capel
558 km²
Spread across 557.9 square kilometres of the Western Australian landscape, Capel is a growing regional hub that attracts young families. It is a place where children are far more common than in most areas, and homes tend to be spacious and detached. The community has become notably more affluent over the last decade, with a significant rise in high-income households and a shift towards a population that generally identifies as having no religion. This combination of family-focused living and increasing prosperity defines the area's current character.
Capel's schools draw a community as advantaged as its high household incomes suggest.
Capel has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
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The population has grown by 24% since 2011 to reach 18,175 people. It is a young community where 22.1% of residents are children under 15, a figure well above the national average, while seniors make up a much smaller share at 13.9%.
English and Australian ancestries are most common, and 21.9% of residents were born overseas. While this is higher than in many similar areas, it is far below the state and national figures.
English is the main language for 86.4% of the community. About 8.8% of people use another language at home, which is more common than in most similar areas but well below the Western Australian average.
Nearly half of the population (48.3%) reports having no religion, a figure that has risen by 20 percentage points since 2011 and is well above the national average.
Higher education is more common here than in most similar areas, with 17.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, this is still well below the state and national figures.
The area is quite prosperous, with a typical weekly household income of $1,949. This is much higher than in most similar areas, and the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 11 percentage points since 2011.
Residents are generally healthier than in most similar areas, with only 3.9% needing help with daily activities. Long-term health conditions are reported at a rate of 27.6%, which is about the same as the national figure.
Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, with 32.2% of people caring for children, among the highest rates for its level. Volunteering is also more common here than across Australia, at 18.5%.
There are 498 First Nations people in the area, and their typical personal income of $588 is higher than in most similar areas. The community is also notably young, with a typical age of 20.
Families here tend to be larger than usual, with an average of 2.8 people per home. This is consistent with the high number of children in the area, meaning very few people (17.6%) live alone.
Housing is dominated by large, separate houses, which make up 95.6% of all dwellings. Over 91% of homes have three or more bedrooms, a rate far above the national average.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 68.2% of workers driving to work and only 1.6% using public transport. Very few homes (2.1%) are without a motor vehicle.
Migration is steady, though the proportion of people who moved in the last five years fell by 12 percentage points since 2011. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 8.5% of the population.
The local workforce is active, with 66.6% of adults working or looking for work, which is much higher than in most similar areas. Health care, construction, and education are the primary industries.
Capel is considered very advantaged, scoring 8 out of 10 for overall advantage. It has high access to money and resources, ranking as one of the most advantaged areas at its level.
The local climate is milder than the state average, with an average maximum temperature of 24.0 degrees. Annual rainfall is 672mm, which is far above the Western Australian average.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.6. Many residents live far from essential services, with only 7.3% within a 15-minute walk of health services.