Council (LGA) · Area profile
Kalgoorlie-Boulder
95,500 km²
Higher typical incomes than the national figure set Kalgoorlie-Boulder apart as a wealthy regional hub. The community is notably young, with a typical resident aged 34 and a high proportion of children, which helps explain why homes here are often large. While the population has shrank by 5.8% since 2011, it remains a significant center in Western Australia. The area's character is shaped by a strong mining presence and a diverse population, including a First Nations community that is well above the state average.
Household incomes here are high, yet Kalgoorlie-Boulder's schools draw a notably less advantaged community.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
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This is a young community where the typical resident is just 34, making it noticeably younger than the state and national figure of 38. Children under 15 make up 22.1% of the population, while seniors aged 65 and over are much lower than most areas at 9.1%.
Australian and English are the most common ancestries, with 33.7% and 33.4% respectively. About 23.9% of residents were born overseas, though this is well below the Western Australian figure of 32.2%.
English is the main language for 76.1% of people, but 12.8% use another language at home, a figure that has risen since 2011. Only 1.0% of the population speak little or no English.
A growing number of people report no religion, rising 19 points since 2011 to reach 44.6%. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
While 44.7% of residents finished Year 12, this is far below the national figure of 58.8%. Qualifications are heavily geared toward the local economy, with 26.7% of degrees in engineering and related fields.
Typical weekly family income is $2,825, which is well above the national figure of $2,120. High earners are common here, with 21.8% of people earning $2,000 or more a week.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions (21.1%) and lower needs for daily activity help (3.1%) than most other areas.
Volunteer rates are much lower than most areas at 12.5%. Similarly, only 7.1% of people provide unpaid care, which is well below the national figure of 11.9%.
First Nations people make up 7.7% of the population, well above the state average. This group sees higher typical personal incomes ($597) and a lower unemployment rate (12.4%) than the national figures.
Families tend to be larger here, with 2.6 people per home and 61.4% of households consisting of couples with children.
Rental properties are much more common than in most areas, at 36.7%. Most homes are separate houses (81.2%) and are typically large, with 81.3% having three or more bedrooms.
Cars are the primary way to get to work for 69.9% of people, and working from home is very rare at 2.5%. However, 88.9% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.
The population is quite mobile, with 42.6% of people having moved in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 17.7% of the community, although this fell sharply since 2011.
Mining is the dominant industry, employing 26.8% of the workforce. The area has a very high full-time employment rate of 72.0% and a low unemployment rate of 3.4%.
The area is generally advantaged, with an overall advantage score of 980 and high access to money and resources. However, it has a lower score for education and job skills compared to most areas.
The region is quite dry, with average annual rainfall of 131mm, which is well below the state average of 185mm.
Many homes are within a 15-minute walk of parks (91.5%) and schools (75.9%). However, access to health services is far below the state average, with only 38.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk.