Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile

East Pilbara

390,578 km²

Spanning a massive 390,578 square kilometres of arid landscape, East Pilbara is a remote region dominated by a powerful mining industry. It is a young, working community where the typical resident is 36 and many live in rented housing. A strong First Nations presence and a high proportion of recent overseas arrivals create a diverse social fabric. However, the population shrank by 11% between 2016 and 2021, reflecting the shifting nature of the local workforce.

Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.

Open map →

📍 East Pilbara, Statistical Area 2 (SA2)

Explore East Pilbara by topic

Demographics & Identity

Explore Demographics & Identity →

First Nations people make up 22.7% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%. The area is notably young, with very few seniors (4.0%) and children (8.6%) compared to most of Australia.

Age groups

Young adults (25–44) 47.9%

Older adults (45–64) 29.1%

36 yrs Median age — Here 36 yrs WA 38 yrs Aus 38 yrs

22.7% First Nations — Here 22.7% WA 3.3% Aus 3.2%

4.0% Aged 65+ — Here 4.0% WA 16.1% Aus 17.2%

8.6% Under 15 — Here 8.6% WA 19.0% Aus 18.2%

Ancestry & Birthplace

Explore Ancestry & Birthplace →

About 18.7% of residents were born overseas, which is well below the national average. English is the most common ancestry at 20.7%, followed by Australian at 14.0%.

18.7% Born overseas — Here 18.7% WA 32.2% Aus 27.7%

Language

Explore Language →

Language diversity is high, with 25.1% of people using a language other than English at home. This is well above the Western Australian figure of 18.4%.

25.1% Other language — Here 25.1% WA 18.4% Aus 22.3%

2.4% Limited English ▲ +21.3% Here 2.4% WA 2.3% Aus 3.4%

Religion

Explore Religion →

Religious affiliation is lower than typical, with 32.1% of people reporting no religion. This is well below the national figure of 38.9%.

Religion

Not stated 35%
No religion 32%
Christianity 27%
Other religions 4%
Islam 1%
Hinduism 1%
Buddhism 1%
Judaism 0%

32.1% No religion — Here 32.1% WA 42.9% Aus 38.9%

Education & Qualifications

Explore Education & Qualifications →

Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 34.0% of residents completing Year 12. This is consistent with a workforce heavily focused on technical trades and machinery operation.

7.6% Bachelor+ — Here 7.6% WA 23.8% Aus 26.3%

34.0% Year 12 — Here 34.0% WA 58.0% Aus 58.8%

7 Schools

13.81 Schools/1k kids

Income

Explore Income →

Typical personal weekly income is $1,801, which is far above the national figure of $805. However, typical household income is much lower than most areas, and only 13.7% of households earn $3,000 or more a week.

$1,159 Household income — Here $1,159 WA $1,815 Aus $1,746

$1,801 Personal income — Here $1,801 WA $848 Aus $805

$752 Family income — Here $752 WA $2,214 Aus $2,120

28.3% High earners Here 28.3% WA 14.7% Aus 12.5%

13.7% High-income homes Here 13.7% WA 23.2% Aus 22.6%

Health & Disability

Explore Health & Disability →

Residents report far fewer long-term health conditions (12.3%) and mental health conditions (2.7%) than the national average. Only 1.4% of people need help with daily activities.

12.3% Health condition Here 12.3% WA 26.1% Aus 27.7%

2.7% Mental health Here 2.7% WA 8.3% Aus 8.8%

1.4% Needs assistance — Here 1.4% WA 4.6% Aus 5.8%

Community Participation

Explore Community Participation →

Community participation is low, with only 6.7% of people volunteering. Rates of unpaid childcare and housework are also well below the national figures.

6.7% Volunteering — Here 6.7% WA 15.9% Aus 14.1%

6.9% Unpaid carers — Here 6.9% WA 10.7% Aus 11.9%

20.9% Unpaid child care — Here 20.9% WA 28.5% Aus 26.3%

1.8% Defence service Here 1.8% WA 2.9% Aus 2.8%

10.8% Housework 15h+ — Here 10.8% WA 20.1% Aus 20.7%

First Nations

Explore First Nations →

First Nations people are a significant part of the community, with 74.2% speaking a traditional language. However, they face challenges, including a high unemployment rate of 25.2% and a typical household income of $851.

1,343 First Nations people

29 yrs Median age Here 29 yrs WA 24 yrs Aus 24 yrs

32.3% Year 12 Here 32.3% WA 32.5% Aus 37.0%

25.2% Unemployment Here 25.2% WA 15.9% Aus 12.3%

$269 Median income Here $269 WA $481 Aus $540

$851 Household income Here $851 WA $1,480 Aus $1,507

Family & Households

Explore Family & Households →

Homes here are larger than usual, with 3.3 people per household. One-parent families are far more common than in the rest of the country, making up 25.8% of families.

Family types

Couples with children 51%
One-parent families 26%
Couples without children 20%
Other families 3%

3.3 Household size —

25.8% One-parent — Here 25.8% WA 13.5% Aus 14.1%

31.6% Living alone — Here 31.6% WA 25.4% Aus 25.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Explore Housing & Dwellings →

Renting is very common, with 61.6% of households renting—far above the national figure of 30.6%. While weekly rent is very low at $70, home ownership is among the lowest in the state at 11.2% for those who own outright.

Tenure

Rented 61%
Other tenure 15%
Owned outright 11%
Owned with a mortgage 9%
Not stated 4%

$70 Rent — Here $70 WA $340 Aus $375

$2,435 Mortgage — Here $2,435 WA $1,842 Aus $1,863

1.30 People / bedroom — Here 1.30 WA 0.80 Aus 0.80

61.6% Renting — Here 61.6% WA 27.3% Aus 30.6%

11.2% Owned outright — Here 11.2% WA 29.2% Aus 31.0%

Transport & Vehicles

Explore Transport & Vehicles →

Transport is unusual for a remote area, with 26.0% of people commuting by public transport. Despite this, 29.4% of homes have no motor vehicle, far above the national figure of 7.4%.

29.4% No car — Here 29.4% WA 5.0% Aus 7.4%

1.8% Work from home — Here 1.8% WA 7.5% Aus 21.0%

26.0% PT commute — Here 26.0% WA 4.7% Aus 3.1%

0 PT stops

0.00 Stops/1k Here 0.00 WA 5.48

Migration & Movement

Explore Migration & Movement →

The area is less mobile than most, with 32.6% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 15.5% of the population, which is slightly above the national average.

32.6% Recent movers — Here 32.6% WA 39.0% Aus 40.7%

15.5% Recent arrivals — Here 15.5% WA 10.6% Aus 14.5%

Jobs & Industry

Explore Jobs & Industry →

The economy is driven by mining, which employs 55.1% of the workforce. Full-time employment is very high at 80.1%, far above the national figure of 58.9%.

Industry

Mining 55.1%

Construction 12.5%

Accommodation & food 5.2%

Education & training 3.6%

Agriculture, forestry & fishing 3.5%

4.9% Unemployment — Here 4.9% WA 5.1% Aus 5.1%

52.1% Participation — Here 52.1% WA 63.9% Aus 61.1%

80.1% Full-time — Here 80.1% WA 60.2% Aus 58.9%

Economy & Advantage

Explore Economy & Advantage →

The region is ranked among the most disadvantaged in the country, with an overall advantage score of 792. Population growth since 2021 has been very low at 1.3%.

Environment & Climate

Explore Environment & Climate →

The climate is harsh and hot, with an average maximum temperature of 35.4 degrees. This is a little higher than the state average.

311 Rainfall

35.4 Max temp

19.8 Min temp

Walkability

Explore Walkability →

The region is heavily car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.2. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (11.3%) or health services (11.3%).

1.2 Walk score

1.4 Types ≤15 min