Urban Centre · Area profile
Port Hedland
109 km²
Daily life in Port Hedland revolves around a hardworking, young population where high incomes are the norm. It is a community of 15,298 people, many of whom are drawn to the region for the mining and transport industries. The area is noticeably younger than the rest of Australia, with many families raising children and a very small number of seniors. This creates a high-energy environment where people are often moving into the area for work.
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The community is noticeably younger than the national figure, with a typical resident aged 32 and 24.7% of the population being children. It is also a diverse place, with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 18.0%, which is far above the state and national averages.
While 64.2% were born in Australia, 20.9% of residents were born overseas, a figure that has risen since 2011. The most common overseas birthplaces are New Zealand, the Philippines, and England.
English is the main language, but 14.5% of people use another language at home, which is much higher than in most similar areas. This has risen by 4.4 percentage points since 2011.
A large proportion of the community reported no religion at 44.0%, a figure that has risen by 19 percentage points since 2011. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 33.0%.
Many residents hold practical qualifications, with 36.3% having a Certificate III or IV. While more people have completed Year 12 than in most similar areas, the 12.9% with a bachelor degree or higher is far below the national figure.
Incomes here are among the highest in the country, with typical weekly family earnings of $3,278. About 42.8% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is far above the national average.
Residents are generally healthier than most Australians, with only 16.4% reporting a long-term health condition. This contributes to a very low rate of people needing help with daily activities, at just 2.1%.
Caring for children is common, with 29.3% of people providing unpaid childcare. However, other forms of community participation are lower than usual, with only 12.3% of people volunteering.
Families tend to be larger here, with an average of 2.7 people per home. Couples with children make up the majority of households at 64.1%.
Renting is the norm for 67.3% of households, which is far above the state average. This helps explain why only 7.3% of homes are owned outright, one of the lowest rates for any similar area.
Cars are essential, with 72.2% of people driving to work and 42.3% of homes having two vehicles. Very few people work from home, at only 2.4%.
The population is highly mobile, with 57.6% of people having moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas also make up a significant 17.4% of the community.
Jobs are dominated by mining and transport, and 72.8% of the workforce is employed full-time. This high employment rate is reflected in the low unemployment rate of 3.5%.
While most homes are within a short walk of public transport or a park, the area is generally less walkable than the state average. Many residents live far from groceries and health services.