Council (LGA) · Area profile
Rockingham
257 km²
Far more families with children live here than in most other Australian areas, making Rockingham a notably young community. The typical resident is 36, which is younger than the national figure. This family-focused character is reflected in the high proportion of large homes and the fact that many residents are unpaid carers for children. Since 2011, the population has grown by 30%, adding over 31,000 people to the area.
Rockingham has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
A fast-growing area where schools haven't kept pace per child.
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The population is younger than most areas, with 21.7% being children under 15—a figure well above the national average. Conversely, seniors aged 65 and over make up 14.2% of the community, which is well below the Australian figure.
People born overseas make up 30.4% of the population, which is slightly above the national average. English, Australian, and Scottish are the most common ancestries.
While 8.1% of residents use a language other than English at home—higher than in most similar areas—this is still far below the state and national figures. English remains the dominant language for 86% of the community.
A majority of residents (50.6%) report having no religion, a figure far above the national average of 38.9%. This represents a significant shift, as the number of people with no religion rose by 21 percentage points since 2011.
Year 12 completion rose by 8.6 percentage points since 2011 to 49.2%, though this remains well below the national figure. About 12.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.
Typical weekly household income is $1,724, which is about the same as the national figure. High earners are well represented, with 13.3% of people earning $2,000 or more per week, much higher than in most similar areas.
Mental health conditions are reported by 10% of residents, which is higher than both the state and national figures. About 28.7% of the population has a long-term health condition.
The area has a very high proportion of people caring for children unpaid (31.4%) and a strong military connection, with 6.5% of residents having served in the Defence Force—well above the national figure.
The First Nations community is notably young, with a typical age of 20. This group also sees higher Year 12 completion (40.2%) and higher typical personal incomes compared to most other areas.
Households here are larger than usual, with 2.6 people per home. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 59% of all families.
Homes are predominantly separate houses (90.4%) and are typically large, with 89.4% having three or more bedrooms—far above the national average. However, only 24.9% of homes are owned outright, which is well below the national figure.
Most people drive to work (63%), and 40.4% of homes have two vehicles. While public transport stops are numerous, the typical walk to the nearest stop is much longer than in most other areas.
About 38.5% of residents moved in the last five years. The proportion of recent arrivals from overseas has fallen sharply since 2011, dropping from 22.4% to 5.7%.
The unemployment rate is 6.4%, which is a little above the state and national figures. The most common industries for local workers are health care, social assistance, and construction.
Rockingham shows strong growth, with a population increase of 13.8% since 2021, well above the state average. Residents generally have high access to money and resources compared to most similar areas.
The area receives 673mm of annual rainfall, far above the Western Australian average. Temperatures are generally milder than the state average.
Most homes are within a short walk of a park or school, but only 54.1% are within 15 minutes of groceries. Access to health services on foot is far below the state average.