Urban Centre · Area profile
Tom Price
4 km²
A strikingly young population defines Tom Price, where the typical resident is just 31 years old. This community is shaped by a strong presence of families and children, who make up nearly 32% of the population. It is a high-earning area where many residents work in mining, which helps explain the very high typical incomes compared to the rest of Australia. While the total population shrank by 32% since 2011, the town remains a hub for working professionals and their young families.
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The community is noticeably younger than the state and national average, with children under 15 making up 31.6% of residents. There is a significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence at 10.4%, a figure that has risen by 9.0 percentage points since 2011.
Australian and English ancestries are the most common, though the proportion of people born overseas has fallen sharply by 19 percentage points since 2011 to 18.4%.
English is the primary language for 75.7% of residents, but the share of people using another language at home has risen to 10.3%.
A majority of residents—50.7%—report having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%.
Education levels are higher than in many similar areas, with 48.3% of residents completing Year 12. Qualifications are heavily concentrated in engineering and related fields at 24.4%.
Incomes are among the highest in the country; the typical family earns $3,426 a week, which is far above the national figure of $2,120. Nearly half of all households earn $3,000 or more each week.
Residents are in very good health, with only 1.1% needing help with daily activities and a long-term health rate of 16.5%, which is far below the national average.
Community spirit is high, with 23.5% of people volunteering. Around 39% of residents provide unpaid childcare, which is far above the national figure of 26.3%.
Homes tend to be larger than usual, with 2.9 people per household, and 76.9% of families consist of couples with children.
The area is dominated by renters, with 84.4% of households renting, often in large detached houses with three or more bedrooms. Interestingly, typical weekly rent is very low at just $48.
Cars are essential for most, though 17.7% of people commute by public transport, which is far above the national figure. Very few homes—only 1.5%—are without a motor vehicle.
The population is highly mobile, with 60.3% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 13.2% of the community.
Employment is very strong, with 76.1% of adults working or looking for work and a very low unemployment rate of 1.7%. Nearly half of the workforce is employed in the mining industry.
The town is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 3.3. While many homes are near a school, none are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.