Council (LGA) · Area profile
Port Hedland
18,417 km²
Set in a hot, dry landscape of the northwest, Port Hedland is a high-earning industrial hub. The community is notably young, with a typical resident aged just 32 and a high proportion of children. It is a diverse place where nearly one in five people are First Nations and many others have arrived from overseas. This mix of mining wealth and a transient population creates a distinctive town where incomes are far above the national figure, yet few people own their own homes.
Household incomes here are high, yet Port Hedland's schools draw a notably less advantaged community.
Port Hedland has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
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The area is much younger than the state average, with children under 15 making up 24.7% of the population. First Nations people represent 18.6% of residents, which is far above the national figure, and de facto relationships are very common at 23.6%.
About 20.6% of residents were born overseas, though this is still well below the national figure. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, with a growing Filipino community.
Using another language at home is much more common here than in most similar areas, rising to 14.5% since 2011. However, English remains dominant, and only 1.1% of people speak little or no English.
A large number of residents report having no religion, at 43.9%. This figure has risen by 19 percentage points since 2011 and is well above the national average.
Education levels are lower than the state average, with only 12.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree. Despite this, Year 12 completion rose to 45.6% since 2011, and many hold trade certificates, particularly in engineering.
Weekly incomes are among the highest in the country; the typical family earns $3,264, which is well above the national figure. Nearly 29% of individuals earn $2,000 or more per week.
Residents are generally healthier than those in most other areas, with a long-term health condition reported by only 16.5% of people. Mental health conditions are also much lower than the national average.
Unpaid care for children is very high at 29.5%, while volunteering is much lower than most areas at 12.4%. This suggests a community focused on young families rather than civic groups.
First Nations people make up a significant part of the town, and 18% speak a First Nations language. Typical personal income for this group is $632, which is higher than most other similar areas.
Families tend to be larger here, with 2.7 people per home. Most households are couples with children, representing 64.3% of all homes.
Renters dominate the market at 66.7%, which is far above the national figure, while only 7.3% of homes are owned outright. Typical weekly rent is $225, which is far below the national average.
Most people drive to work, and 42.1% of homes have two vehicles. Very few people work from home (2.4%), and only 1.1% use public transport for their commute.
The population is highly mobile, with 57.1% of people having moved in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 17.5% of the community, though this is down from 2011.
Full-time employment is very high at 72.7%, far above the national figure. The workforce is heavily concentrated in mining (26.1%) and transport and warehousing (10.6%).
The town is ranked as having high overall advantage, scoring an 8 out of 10 compared to all areas. This is driven by strong job skills and very high typical incomes.
Port Hedland is very hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 35.0 degrees and low annual rainfall of 341mm.
While 92% of homes are near public transport, the area is generally not walkable. Only 4.3% of residents can walk to health services, and just 26.2% are within 15 minutes of groceries.