Katanning

First Nations people make up 8.1% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The community is slightly older than the state average, and while children under 15 make up 19.5% of residents, this figure has fallen by 5.2 percentage points since 2011.

Australian and English are the most common ancestries, with 34.6% and 33.9% respectively. While 20.5% of people were born overseas—far below the Western Australian average—this figure has risen slightly since 2011.

About 17.8% of residents use a language other than English at home. This helps explain why the proportion of people who speak little or no English is 6.1%, which is much higher than in most similar areas.

Christianity is the most common faith at 42.3%. Those reporting no religion make up 35.8% of the town, a figure that has risen by 14 percentage points since 2011, though it remains well below the state average.

Educational attainment is quite low, with only 9% of adults holding a bachelor degree and 37.7% completing Year 12, both far below national figures. However, there are many schools for the number of children, with 5.69 schools per 1,000 children.

Typical weekly household income is $1,347, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. While incomes have risen since 2011, the town remains much lower than most areas, with only 10.8% of households earning $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are reported by 28.1% of residents, which is about the same as the national figure. Arthritis is the most common condition, affecting 10.6% of the population.

Volunteering is very high here, with 21.6% of people helping out, well above the national rate of 14.1%. This high level of community spirit sits alongside a lower rate of unpaid childcare compared to the state.

The First Nations community is large, with 366 people, but faces significant hardship. This is seen in an unemployment rate of 21.7% and a typical weekly personal income of $454, which is much lower than in most areas.

More people live alone here (28.6%) than in the typical Australian area. Family sizes are standard, with an average of 2.5 people per home, though one-parent families are slightly more common than elsewhere.

Most people live in separate houses (91.5%), and 35% own their home outright. Rent is very affordable, with a typical weekly rent of $200, which is far below the national figure of $375.

The town is heavily reliant on cars, with 65.2% of people driving to work. This is reflected in the low number of public transport stops and a very small percentage of people who work from home.

The community is relatively stable, as only 31.6% of people moved in the last five years—well below the national figure of 40.7%. However, recent arrivals from overseas are much more common here than in most similar areas.

Many residents work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing (18%) or manufacturing (13.9%). While the unemployment rate is 5%, which is typical for the state, fewer adults are working or looking for work overall compared to most areas.

The town is ranked as having low overall advantage, with an overall advantage score of 907. This is consistent with its low ranking for education and job skills, which are among the lowest for its level.

The area receives 405mm of annual rainfall, far above the state average of 185mm. It is also cooler than the rest of the state, with a much lower typical minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.8. While 71.3% of homes are near a park, only 39.4% are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state average.