Kojonup

The community is noticeably older, with a typical resident aged 44 and 20.6% of people aged 65 and over. It also has a significant First Nations presence, with 6.4% of the population identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 13.0% of the population, which is far below the state and national figures. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 43.0% and 42.0% respectively.

English is the primary language for 85.7% of the community. Only 4.5% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average, and very few people report speaking little or no English.

About 46.3% of residents identify as Christian, while 41.1% report having no religion. The proportion of people with no religion has risen by 19 percentage points since 2011.

Educational attainment is lower than the national average, with only 12.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is consistent with the local job market, where 17.7% of qualifications are in agriculture and environment.

Typical weekly household income is $1,385, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. However, there has been a trend of rising earnings, with the typical family income growing by $817 since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are reported by 29.5% of residents, which is a little above the national average. Arthritis is the most common condition, affecting 10.8% of the population.

Volunteering is very common here, with 33.6% of people participating—a rate far above the national figure. Additionally, a high proportion of residents, 25.1%, spend 15 or more hours a week on unpaid housework.

There are 261 First Nations people in the area, though they face significant challenges with an unemployment rate of 23.6%, which is far above the national average. Year 12 completion is also much lower than the national figure at 22.7%.

A high number of people live alone, making up 31.3% of households. While 55% of families are couples with children, the overall number of people per home has edged down slightly since 2011 to 2.4.

The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 95.8% of all dwellings. Housing is far more affordable than in most areas, with typical weekly rents at $179 and 45.1% of homes owned outright.

The community is heavily reliant on cars, with 53.1% of workers driving to work and only 1.0% using public transport. Public transport access is very limited, with a typical 69-minute walk to the nearest stop.

People tend to stay in Kojonup for the long term, as the 27.2% who moved in the last five years is among the lowest for similar areas. Interestingly, recent arrivals from overseas make up 13.3% of the population.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the dominant industry, employing 49.4% of the workforce. Full-time employment is relatively high at 60.9%, and the unemployment rate is very low at 2.9%.

The area has an overall advantage score of 967, which is slightly below the national average. Population growth has been slow, rising by 2.0% since 2021, which is well below the state average.

The climate is cooler than much of Western Australia, with an average minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees. Rainfall is relatively high for its level, averaging 461mm annually.

Kojonup is highly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 1.8. Only 15.1% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, and only 10.4% are near health services.