Council (LGA) · Area profile
Yilgarn
30,429 km²
A far older population than the national figure defines Yilgarn, where the typical resident is 47. The community has shrunk by 28% since 2011, leaving a sparsely populated area with a distinct lean towards mature adults and seniors. It is a place of contrasting economics, combining a high proportion of full-time workers in mining and farming with a notable number of people living alone. This creates a quiet, rural character where large detached homes are the norm.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
Yilgarn's schools draw a less advantaged community than the area overall.
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The area is far older than the state and national average, and the number of children under 15 has fallen sharply since 2011 to just 9.9%. While the population is small, about 17% are seniors, a figure that has risen significantly over the last decade.
About 18.2% of residents were born overseas, which is higher than similar areas but well below the national figure. English, Australian, and Scottish are the most common ancestries reported.
English is the main language for 74.9% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home has risen slightly since 2011 to 7.2%, though this remains far below the state average.
Christianity is the most common affiliation at 44.6%. Those with no religion make up 34.5% of the population, a figure that has risen by 9.2 points since 2011, though it is still well below the national figure.
Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 9.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national average at 36.3%.
Typical personal weekly incomes are well above the national figure at $1,128, and 20% of people earn over $2,000 a week. However, typical household incomes are well below the state average, partly because so many people live alone.
Residents are slightly less likely to need help with daily activities than most areas. Long-term health conditions are reported at 25.4%, which is about the same as the state average, with arthritis being the most common condition.
Volunteer rates are well above the national figure at 18.9%. Conversely, the proportion of people providing unpaid care or looking after children is among the lowest at this level, consistent with the small number of children in the area.
There are 26 First Nations people in the area. The typical age of this group is 32, which is far older than the state and national figure of 24.
The area has a very high proportion of people living alone at 42.2%, which is far above the national figure. This helps explain why the typical number of people per home is very low at 2.0.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, with 92% of homes being detached. A high 43.2% of these are owned outright, and typical weekly rents of $150 are far below the national figure.
While most people use a car to get to work, 10.2% commute by public transport, which is well above the national average. All public transport in the area is provided by trains.
The population has become more stable over time, with the proportion of people who moved in the last five years falling to 32.4% since 2011.
Employment is very strong, with 72.1% of the workforce in full-time roles, far above the national figure. Most people work in mining (31.6%) or agriculture, forestry, and fishing (20.8%).
Overall advantage is higher than about 53% of similar areas. However, the population has slightly decreased since 2021, falling by 0.1% compared to a 10.7% increase across the state.
The area receives an average annual rainfall of 281mm, which is well above the state average. The average maximum temperature is 26.3 degrees, slightly lower than the state figure.
The area is heavily car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.5. Only 21.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a 'city' walkshed, far below the state average of 64%.