Northam

The community is aging, with a typical resident aged 43 and the proportion of seniors rising by 5.7 points since 2011. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.3% of the population, which is well above the national figure.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 18% of the population, which is far below the Western Australian average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 40.7% and 38.9% respectively.

English is the primary language for 82.2% of the population. Only 5.4% of residents use another language at home, a figure that is far below both the state and national averages.

About 42% of residents report having no religion, a figure that has risen by 17 points since 2011. This is slightly above the national average, while 42% of the community identifies as Christian.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 9.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure at 35.8%, though this has risen 4.1 points since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,316, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 8 points since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 31.7% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure, and 6.3% of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteer rates are about the same as the state average at 16.8%, though this has fallen since 2011. A higher than average 3.4% of the population served in the Defence Force.

The First Nations community is relatively young, with a typical age of 22. Unemployment is much higher than in most areas at 18.8%, and Year 12 completion is far below the national average at 22.6%.

One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas at 18.3%. About 29% of people live alone, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%.

Northam is dominated by separate houses, making up 94.8% of all homes. Renting is less common than in most areas, and the typical weekly rent of $250 is well below the national figure.

The community is heavily reliant on cars, with 66.1% of workers driving to work. Public transport use is very low at 1%, and the walk to the nearest stop is among the longest for similar areas.

The population is relatively stable, with 31.6% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national average. Recent overseas arrivals have fallen sharply to 4.7% since 2011.

Full-time employment is higher than the national average at 61%, though the overall number of adults working or looking for work is much lower than most areas. The unemployment rate is 5.9%.

The area is ranked as having low education and job skills compared to other regions. While population growth since 2021 has been much higher than most areas, overall advantage remains below the national average.

The climate features an average maximum temperature of 26.6°C and average annual rainfall of 379mm, which is far above the state average.

Northam is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.3. Only 25.8% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a variety of amenities, far below the state average of 64%.