Urban Centre · Area profile
Kununurra
7 km²
Daily life in Kununurra is shaped by a remarkably young and mobile population, with a typical resident aged just 32. The community has grown to 4,515 people and is distinctive for its high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents, who now make up 28.9% of the population. This is a transient and working town where full-time employment is common and nearly half the residents have moved here in the last five years. It is a place of young families and professional renters, with a strong presence of health and education workers.
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The area is much younger than the national figure, with children under 15 making up 23.4% of the population. This youthfulness is reflected in the family structure, where de facto relationships are far more common than in the rest of the state.
While 66.7% of residents were born in Australia, those born overseas make up 14.9% of the community. Australian and English ancestries are the most frequent, with English making up 25.4% of the population.
About 13.1% of people use a language other than English at home, a figure that has risen significantly since 2011. Despite this, very few residents—just 1.0%—speak little or no English.
A large number of residents report no religion at 44.1%, which is well above the national figure. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 32.4%.
The community is well-qualified, with 18.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is a significant increase from 2011, and the workforce is led by professionals in engineering and management.
Personal incomes are well above the national figure, with a typical weekly pay of $1,127. Weekly household incomes have also risen sharply since 2011 to a typical $1,987.
Residents enjoy better health than the national average, with only 16.3% reporting a long-term health condition. This is far below the Australian figure of 27.7%.
Volunteering is common at 16.3%, though people spend much less time on unpaid housework and care than people in most other areas.
Homes are generally larger than usual, with 2.6 people per household. One-parent families are much more common here than in the state, making up 24.0% of households.
Renting is the dominant tenure for 64.9% of households, which is far above the national figure. Outright home ownership is very low at 11.4%, and the typical weekly rent is $256.
Most people rely on cars, as 11.3% of homes have no motor vehicle and public transport use is very low at 0.6%. Working from home is also far less common than across Australia.
Kununurra is a highly mobile community where 48.2% of people moved house in the last five years. This is consistent with a high number of recent overseas arrivals, who make up 24.7% of the population.
Full-time employment is very high at 72.3%, far above the national figure. The local economy is driven by health care, public administration, and education.
The town is somewhat walkable, with nearly every home within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, there is no public transport within a 10-minute walk of any home.