Council (LGA) · Area profile
Dowerin
1,863 km²
Spanning over 1,800 square kilometres of the Western Australian wheatbelt, Dowerin is a small farming town with a population of 715. This community is noticeably older than the national average, with over a quarter of residents aged 65 and over. It is a place of high civic engagement and stability, where nearly 40% of people volunteer and most residents own their homes outright. The town has a strong family presence, with children under 15 making up 21.5% of the population.
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The typical resident is 45, which is noticeably older than the state and national figure of 38. While seniors are very common, the area also has a higher proportion of children under 15 than most other regions.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the community has a very small overseas-born population of 8.3%, which is far below the national figure.
English is the dominant language, with only 1.8% of people using another language at home. No one in the area reports speaking little or no English.
A large proportion of the community—43.6%—report having no religion, a figure that rose 18 points since 2011 and is well above the national average.
The area has fewer people with university degrees than most other regions, with 9.2% holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the percentage of people who completed Year 12 rose to 40.7% since 2011.
Typical household incomes are well below the national figure, but there is a small group of high earners, with 11.5% of people earning $2,000 or more a week.
Long-term health conditions are very common here, affecting 36.4% of residents, which is far above the state average. Arthritis and asthma are the most reported conditions.
Volunteering is a standout feature of the town, with 39.1% of people contributing—far higher than the national figure of 14.1%. Many residents also provide unpaid care for children.
There are 34 First Nations people in the area, and their typical personal income is far above the state and national averages.
Living alone is very common, with 36.9% of households consisting of one person, though over half of all families are couples with children.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, and 47.2% of homes are owned outright. Rents are much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly rent of $150.
The town is heavily reliant on cars, with almost no one using public transport and very few homes without a vehicle. This is consistent with the long 111-minute drive to the city.
The population is very stable, with only 24% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national rate.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the primary industry, employing 44% of the workforce. Full-time employment is higher than the national average at 62.3%.
The town is considered to have a generally advantageous position, ranking higher than 70% of all areas in overall advantage.
The area receives an average annual rainfall of 296mm, which is well above the state average, and has a typical maximum temperature of 26.7 degrees.
The town is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score and no health services within a 15-minute walk.