Urban Centre · Area profile
Carnarvon
16 km²
Walking to shops and parks is easy for most people in Carnarvon, where nearly 80% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed. The town has grown rapidly, with the population increasing by 210% since 2011 to reach 4,162 people. It is a diverse community where nearly 20% of residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. While the town is generally affordable, it is marked by a high number of renters and a significant portion of the population living alone.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 19.7% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%. The typical resident is 40, and since 2011, the proportion of seniors has risen by 14 points to reach 16.8%.
People born overseas make up 15% of the community, which is much higher than most similar areas, though far below the state average of 32.2%. The most common ancestries are Australian, English, Irish, and Scottish.
About 8.6% of residents use a language other than English at home, a figure that has risen by 4.4 points since 2011. Despite this, very few people—just 1.1%—speak little or no English.
Religious affiliation is lower than in other areas, with 36.4% of people reporting no religion. This is well below the Western Australian figure of 42.9%.
Education levels are lower than the state and national averages, with only 32.2% of residents having completed Year 12. Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 10.5% of the population.
Typical weekly household income is $1,375, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Incomes have fallen sharply since 2011; for example, the typical personal weekly income dropped by $859.
Long-term health conditions are much less common here than in most areas, affecting 23.5% of residents. Mental health conditions are also reported at a much lower rate than the national figure.
Volunteering is around the middle for similar areas at 16.6%. However, the number of people providing unpaid care is much lower than most areas, though it has risen by 5.8 points since 2011.
Living arrangements are distinctive, with 34.1% of people living alone and 20.3% of families being one-parent households—both figures are well above the national average.
Renters make up 44.4% of the community, which is far above the national figure of 30.6%. Rents are also lower than usual, with a typical weekly rent of $220.
Most people drive to work, but 10.1% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the state average of 5%. Very few people work from home at 3.2%.
Recent arrivals from overseas make up 12.6% of the population, which is a little above the state average. About 34.3% of residents have moved in the last five years.
Full-time employment is well above the national average at 64.2%. However, the unemployment rate is 6.0%, which has risen by 5.1 points since 2011.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 87.8% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 93.5% near a park. Most homes are also within 15 minutes of a school or health service.