Council (LGA) · Area profile
Greater Geraldton
9,909 km²
A First Nations population of 9.7% sets Greater Geraldton apart, as this is well above the national and state figures. The community is growing slowly and is slightly older than the Australian average, with a typical resident aged 40. It is a place where families are common and homes are generally large, though there is a notable number of one-parent households. Overall, it is a regional hub with a distinct cultural identity and a strong presence of detached housing.
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The population is 39,489 and has grown by 2.2% since 2016. Children under 15 make up 19.9% of the community, which is much higher than most similar areas.
Most residents were born in Australia (76.5%), and the number of people born overseas is far below the national figure at 14.2%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 82.6% of the community. Only 7.5% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average.
The number of people reporting no religion has risen 11 points since 2016 to reach 41.2%. This is slightly above the national figure.
Year 12 completion is far below the national average at 40.8%, and only 12.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. Most high-level qualifications are Certificate III or IV.
Typical weekly family income is $2,003, which is about the same as the national figure. While typical incomes are higher than in most similar areas, they remain a little below the state average.
About 28.9% of people have a long-term health condition, which is a little above the national figure. Mental health, asthma, and arthritis are the most common reported conditions.
Volunteering has fallen 4.2 points since 2016 to 16.3%. About 26.4% of the community provide unpaid care for children, which is higher than most similar areas.
The First Nations community is large, with 3,814 people. However, the unemployment rate for this group is 18.1%, which is well above the national figure of 12.3%.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 17.5% of households. About 28% of people live alone.
Homes are typically large, with 83.3% having three or more bedrooms. Detached houses are very common at 86.3%, far above the national figure.
Most people drive to work, and only 1.2% use public transport. Very few people work from home, at just 4.3%, which is far below the national average.
The number of recent arrivals from overseas has fallen 8.0 points since 2016 to 9.0%. This is well below the national figure.
About 59.9% of adults are working or looking for work. The most common industries are health care and social assistance, followed by retail and education.
The area has 3,235 businesses and a general advantage score of 4, which is lower than about 60% of other areas.
The area is quite dry and warm, with average annual rainfall of 277mm, which is well above the state average, and an average maximum temperature of 29.0°C.
Walkability is somewhat limited, with a score of 4.4. Only 46.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, which is far below the state figure.