Council (LGA) · Area profile
Coolgardie
30,298 km²
A car-dependent lifestyle defines Coolgardie, where most residents rely on vehicles to get around. This regional hub has a shrinking population that has lost 13% of its people since 2011, yet it remains a place of high earners, with typical weekly household incomes reaching $1,893. It is a community shaped by a heavy presence of mining workers and a significant First Nations population, though it faces challenges with low school completion rates.
Household incomes here are high, yet Coolgardie's schools draw a notably less advantaged community.
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The community is relatively young, with children under 15 making up 20.1% of the population, which is a little above the national figure. This stands in contrast to seniors, who make up only 11.4% of residents, a figure well below the Australian average.
Australian and English ancestries are most common here. The proportion of people born overseas is 16.6%, which is far below the national figure of 27.7% and has fallen since 2011.
English is the primary language for 72% of the community. Only 5.5% of people use another language at home, which is far below both the state and national figures.
A large part of the population reports no religion at 43.5%, a figure that has risen 16 points since 2011 and is now well above the national average.
Educational attainment is very low compared to other areas, with only 28% of residents completing Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%. Only 5.4% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.
Weekly incomes are notably high here; the typical household earns $1,893, which is a little above the national figure. This trend is reinforced by the 18.2% of people who earn $2,000 or more per week, a share well above the national average.
Residents generally report fewer health issues than other areas, with 23.9% having a long-term health condition, which is well below the national figure of 27.7%.
Volunteer rates are much lower than most areas at 11.2%. Similarly, only 6.2% of people provide unpaid care, which is well below the national figure of 11.9%.
First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, though they face higher unemployment at 19.8% and have a Year 12 completion rate of 23.9%, which is far below the national average.
People living alone are more common here than in most areas, accounting for 31.1% of households. One-parent families also make up a higher share of the community at 16.5%.
Separate houses are very common, making up 88.6% of dwellings. Renting is much more frequent than in other areas at 34.7%, though the typical weekly rent of $200 is far below the national figure.
Most people drive to work, as 64.2% are car drivers. Working from home is very rare here, with only 1.5% of people doing so, a figure far below the national average.
The population has become more stable, with the share of people who moved in the last five years falling 14 points since 2011 to 34.5%. Recent overseas arrivals also fell sharply to 8.7%.
The local economy is dominated by mining, which employs 44% of the workforce. Full-time employment is much higher here than in most areas, at 68.1%.
Overall advantage is very low, with the area ranking in the bottom 10% for both general advantage and education and job skills.
The area is quite dry, with an average annual rainfall of 240mm, which is among the lowest for its level, though this is still well above the state average.
While 72.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, overall walkability is lower than in most of Western Australia, and far fewer homes are within a short walk of public transport.