Council (LGA) · Area profile
Karratha
15,238 km²
A remarkably young population defines Karratha, where the typical resident is just 32 years old. This is a high-earning community of working families, with many young couples and children living in large homes. The area is highly dynamic, with over half the population having moved here in the last five years. It stands out as a wealthy regional hub where high incomes and full-time employment are the norm.
Despite high local incomes, the area's schools serve a less advantaged intake.
A family-heavy area that's short on schools per child.
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The community is notably young, with children under 15 making up 25.4% of the population, while seniors over 65 are far fewer than the national figure at only 3.2%. There is a strong presence of First Nations people at 11.7%, and de facto relationships are far more common here than across Australia.
Most residents were born in Australia (65.5%), though the proportion of people born overseas is higher than in most similar areas at 18.6%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 70.2% of people. While 12.5% use another language at home, this is well below the national figure, and very few people speak little or no English.
People with no religion make up 47.1% of the population, a figure that has risen by 12 points since 2016 and is well above the national average.
Qualifications are skewed toward technical fields, with 24.6% of degrees in engineering. While 47.8% of residents completed Year 12, this is far below the national figure of 58.8%.
Karratha is a high-income area where typical weekly family earnings are $3,462, far above the national figure of $2,120. Nearly half of all households earn $3,000 or more per week, a figure that rose 10 points since 2016.
Residents are generally healthier than the national average, with a long-term health condition reported by only 15.0% of people. The number of people needing help with daily activities is also among the lowest at this level.
Unpaid childcare is very common here, with 31.8% of people caring for children, which is well above the national figure. However, volunteering has fallen by 5.1 points since 2016.
The First Nations community is strong, with 2,594 people living here. Nearly a quarter (24.9%) speak a First Nations language, which is far above the national figure, and household incomes for this group are well above the national average.
Homes are larger than usual, with 2.8 people per household. Families with children are the most common, making up 69.8% of households, while those living alone are much fewer than in most areas.
Rental properties are very common at 60.7%, far above the national figure. Most homes are large, with 81.3% having three or more bedrooms, though very few (7.1%) are owned outright.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, as 67.2% of people drive to work and only 2.5% work from home. Very few homes (3.4%) are without a motor vehicle.
The population is highly mobile, with 51.5% of residents moving in the last five years, far above the national average. Recent overseas arrivals make up 14.4% of the community.
Full-time employment is very high at 71.1%, far above the national figure. The job market is led by mining (25.3%) and construction (10.1%), and the unemployment rate is much lower than most areas at 2.9%.
Karratha is in a position of high advantage, ranking in the top 10% of areas for access to money and resources. The population has continued to grow by 8.6% since 2021.
The climate is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 34.0 degrees, which is a little above the state average. Annual rainfall is among the lowest at this level.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 3.8. Many homes are far from groceries (37.0% within a 15-minute walk) and health services (29.2% within a 15-minute walk).