Sub-region (SA3) · Area profile

Esperance

55,661 km²

Very low unemployment and a high rate of full-time work define the workforce in Esperance. The community is noticeably older than the state and national average, with a typical resident aged 42 and a growing number of seniors. It is a predominantly Australian-born area where many people own their homes outright. This creates a stable, settled feel, though the population has remained nearly flat over the last few years.

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📍 Esperance, Sub-region (SA3)

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Demographics & Identity

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The typical resident is 42, which is noticeably older than the national figure. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 19.2% of the population, a figure that has risen by 2.4 points since 2016.

Age groups

Older adults (45–64) 27.6%

Young adults (25–44) 23.5%

Children (0–14) 19.5%

Seniors (65+) 19.2%

Youth (15–24) 10.2%

15,970 Population —

42 yrs Median age — Here 42 yrs WA 38 yrs Aus 38 yrs

4.3% First Nations — Here 4.3% WA 3.3% Aus 3.2%

19.2% Aged 65+ — Here 19.2% WA 16.1% Aus 17.2%

19.5% Under 15 — Here 19.5% WA 19.0% Aus 18.2%

Ancestry & Birthplace

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The area is far less diverse than the rest of the state, with only 13.7% of people born overseas. Australian and English ancestries are the most common, accounting for 43.0% and 40.3% respectively.

13.7% Born overseas — Here 13.7% WA 32.2% Aus 27.7%

Language

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English is the primary language for 85.0% of the community. Only 4.6% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

4.6% Other language — Here 4.6% WA 18.4% Aus 22.3%

0.3% Limited English ▲ +10.4% Here 0.3% WA 2.3% Aus 3.4%

Religion

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Nearly half of the population (49.5%) report having no religion. This is far above the national average and shows a significant increase of 16 points since 2016.

Religion

No religion 49%
Christianity 37%
Not stated 12%
Buddhism 1%
Other religions 0%
Islam 0%
Hinduism 0%
Judaism 0%

49.5% No religion — Here 49.5% WA 42.9% Aus 38.9%

Education & Qualifications

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Educational qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 11.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen by 4.4 points since 2016 to 42.3%.

11.8% Bachelor+ — Here 11.8% WA 23.8% Aus 26.3%

42.3% Year 12 — Here 42.3% WA 58.0% Aus 58.8%

17 Schools

5.46 Schools/1k kids

Income

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Typical weekly household income is $1,538, which is a little below the state figure. While 16.5% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, this is lower than most other areas.

$1,538 Household income — Here $1,538 WA $1,815 Aus $1,746

$817 Personal income — Here $817 WA $848 Aus $805

$2,014 Family income — Here $2,014 WA $2,214 Aus $2,120

12.7% High earners Here 12.7% WA 14.7% Aus 12.5%

16.5% High-income homes Here 16.5% WA 23.2% Aus 22.6%

Health & Disability

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The community is healthier than most, with only 4.3% of people needing help with daily activities. This is slightly lower than the state average.

27.2% Health condition Here 27.2% WA 26.1% Aus 27.7%

7.5% Mental health Here 7.5% WA 8.3% Aus 8.8%

4.3% Needs assistance — Here 4.3% WA 4.6% Aus 5.8%

Community Participation

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Volunteering is very common here, with 24.5% of people pitching in—a figure far above the national average. This suggests a high level of local engagement despite a small decline since 2016.

24.5% Volunteering — Here 24.5% WA 15.9% Aus 14.1%

10.2% Unpaid carers — Here 10.2% WA 10.7% Aus 11.9%

25.8% Unpaid child care — Here 25.8% WA 28.5% Aus 26.3%

2.5% Defence service Here 2.5% WA 2.9% Aus 2.8%

21.7% Housework 15h+ — Here 21.7% WA 20.1% Aus 20.7%

First Nations

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First Nations residents make up 4.3% of the population. The community is relatively young, with a typical age of 22, and 7.6% speak a First Nations language.

684 First Nations people

22 yrs Median age Here 22 yrs WA 24 yrs Aus 24 yrs

31.0% Year 12 Here 31.0% WA 32.5% Aus 37.0%

10.0% Unemployment Here 10.0% WA 15.9% Aus 12.3%

$503 Median income Here $503 WA $481 Aus $540

$1,380 Household income Here $1,380 WA $1,480 Aus $1,507

Family & Households

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A high number of people live alone (29.8%), which is well above the national figure. However, couples with children still make up the largest group at 53.7%.

Family types

Couples with children 54%
Couples without children 32%
One-parent families 13%
Other families 1%

2.4 Household size —

13.1% One-parent — Here 13.1% WA 13.5% Aus 14.1%

29.8% Living alone — Here 29.8% WA 25.4% Aus 25.6%

Housing & Dwellings

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Housing is dominated by separate houses (88.0%) and a high rate of outright ownership at 35.4%. Weekly rents are much lower than the national figure, typically costing $260.

Tenure

Owned outright 35%
Owned with a mortgage 28%
Rented 28%
Other tenure 7%
Not stated 2%

$260 Rent — Here $260 WA $340 Aus $375

$1,517 Mortgage — Here $1,517 WA $1,842 Aus $1,863

0.70 People / bedroom — Here 0.70 WA 0.80 Aus 0.80

28.1% Renting — Here 28.1% WA 27.3% Aus 30.6%

35.4% Owned outright — Here 35.4% WA 29.2% Aus 31.0%

Transport & Vehicles

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Most people rely on cars, with 64.2% driving to work. Very few residents use public transport for commuting (1.8%), and only 9.0% work from home.

4.4% No car — Here 4.4% WA 5.0% Aus 7.4%

9.0% Work from home — Here 9.0% WA 7.5% Aus 21.0%

1.8% PT commute — Here 1.8% WA 4.7% Aus 3.1%

146 PT stops

9.14 Stops/1k Here 9.14 WA 5.48

Migration & Movement

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The population is relatively stable, as 35.9% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national average.

35.9% Recent movers — Here 35.9% WA 39.0% Aus 40.7%

12.5% Recent arrivals — Here 12.5% WA 10.6% Aus 14.5%

Jobs & Industry

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Job security is strong with an unemployment rate of 2.7%, which is among the lowest for similar areas. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the most common industries, employing 18.5% of workers.

Industry

Agriculture, forestry & fishing 18.5%

Health care & social assistance 8.8%

Education & training 8.5%

Retail trade 8.1%

Transport & warehousing 7.9%

2.7% Unemployment — Here 2.7% WA 5.1% Aus 5.1%

60.0% Participation — Here 60.0% WA 63.9% Aus 61.1%

61.5% Full-time — Here 61.5% WA 60.2% Aus 58.9%

Economy & Advantage

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Population growth since 2021 has been 2.5%, which is well below the state average of 10.7%.

16,976 ERP

2.5% Growth Here 2.5% WA 10.7%

Environment & Climate

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The area experiences lower average temperatures than the state average, with a typical minimum of 10.2 degrees. Rainfall is however well above the state figure at 289mm.

289 Rainfall

23.9 Max temp

10.2 Min temp

Walkability

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The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.4. Access to essentials is limited, as only 40.0% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.

3.4 Walk score

3.4 Types ≤15 min