Region (SA4) · Area profile
Western Australia - Wheat Belt
197,346 km²
Spreading across nearly 200,000 square kilometres of rural landscape, the Wheat Belt is a vast agricultural heartland of Western Australia. It is a region of an ageing population, where the typical resident is 46 and many more people are seniors compared to the state average. The community is largely traditional, with very few people born overseas and a strong preference for detached housing. This is a quiet, stable area where long-term residents live in large homes and a high proportion of the workforce is employed in farming.
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The area is far older than most of the state, with the typical resident aged 46 and 23.2% of people aged 65 or over. While the population grew by 6.0% since 2011, the proportion of children under 15 fell by 3.3 points over the same period.
English and Australian are the most common ancestries. Only 17.5% of residents were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the dominant language, with only 5.6% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national average of 22.3%.
A large number of residents report no religion, at 46.1%, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant rise of 19 points since 2011.
Qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 12.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average at 42.7%.
Typical incomes are well below the state and national figures, with the usual family earning $1,757 a week. Only 13.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, although this rose by 8.4 points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 31.0% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 10.9%.
Volunteering is very high, with 24.0% of people helping out, which is well above the national average. Many residents also perform unpaid housework, at a rate well above the state figure.
The First Nations community is older than the national average, with a typical age of 25. However, unemployment is well above the national rate at 16.8%, and Year 12 completion is far below at 26.0%.
Homes are smaller than usual, with 2.3 people per home, and a high 29.4% of people live alone. This is well above the national figure of 25.6%.
Housing is dominated by detached houses, making up 93.4% of dwellings. Home ownership is very strong, with 41.3% of homes owned outright, far above the state average.
The region is heavily reliant on cars, with 61.6% of people driving to work and only 1.3% using public transport. Very few homes lack a motor vehicle, at just 3.7%.
The population is quite stable; only 32.8% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest industry, employing 19.4% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is 4.1%, which is a little below the national figure.
The population grew by 5.6% since 2021, though this is well below the state growth rate of 10.7%.
The area is generally warmer than the state average for minimum temperatures, and its annual rainfall of 274mm is among the lowest for similar areas.
The region is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Only 35.1% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.