Council (LGA) · Area profile
Meekatharra
100,189 km²
A massive gap in typical income and education separates Meekatharra from the rest of the state. This remote community of 1,200 people is notably young, with a typical resident aged 34 and a population that is far more likely to be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander than the national average. The area is marked by a high proportion of renters and a strong presence of mining and trade industries. It is a place where many people live alone or in one-parent families, and the total population has shrank by 13% since 2011.
Meekatharra is well supplied with schools for its relatively small share of children.
Explore Meekatharra by topic
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 37.4% of the community, a figure far above the national average of 3.2%. The population is noticeably younger than the rest of Australia, with the typical resident aged 34 and far fewer seniors.
Most residents were born in Australia, though 14.5% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are English and Australian.
English is the main language, but 14.2% of people use another language at home, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2011. However, this is still well below the national average of 22.3%.
People with no religion make up 37.0% of the population, which is a little below the national figure. This group has grown by 8.5 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are far below the national average, with only 29.9% of people completing Year 12 and just 8.6% holding a bachelor degree or higher. School sizes are also much smaller than most areas.
Typical weekly family incomes are far below the national figure, though the typical personal income of $1,010 is well above the Australian average. This contrast is mirrored in the personal income distribution, where 14.4% of people earn $2,000 or more a week.
Residents report far fewer long-term health conditions and mental health issues than most areas. Only 1.3% of people need help with daily activities, which is well below the national average.
Community participation is much lower than the national figure, with far fewer people volunteering or providing unpaid care. There are also fewer people caring for children unpaid.
First Nations residents face significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 24.7% and a typical personal income of $379, both of which are well below national figures. However, 17.8% speak a First Nations language, which is well above the Australian average.
The community has a high number of people living alone (37.3%) and one-parent families (29.3%), both of which are far above national figures. Typical home sizes are about the same as the rest of Australia.
Renting is very common at 49.6%, far above the national average, though typical weekly rents of $115 are among the lowest in the country. Detached houses make up 78.6% of homes.
Many households lack a car, with 18.1% having no motor vehicle, far above the national figure. Public transport use for commuting is also well above the Australian average.
The area sees a high number of recent arrivals from overseas at 29.3%, which is far above the national average. However, the number of people who moved in the last five years has fallen since 2011.
Mining is a major industry, employing 30.4% of the workforce. While full-time employment is far above the national average, the overall number of adults working or looking for work is much lower.
The area is ranked among the most disadvantaged in the country, with very low scores for access to money, resources, and job skills. Population growth has also been far below the state average.
The climate is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 32.3 degrees and annual rainfall that is among the lowest at this level.
The area is mostly car-dependent, but residents have better access to groceries and health services within a 15-minute walk than people in the rest of the state.