Urban Centre · Area profile
Beagle Bay
11 km²
A vast majority of residents in Beagle Bay identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, making up 93.5% of the population. This is a young community where the typical resident is just 30, and over 31% of people are children. The area has seen a significant shift in its makeup since 2011, with the population shrinking by 32% and a sharp increase in the number of young families. It is a place characterized by modest incomes and large households in a rural setting.
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The community is far younger than the national figure, with children under 15 making up 31.6% of residents. In contrast, seniors aged 65 and over are far less common here at 5.2% compared to 17.2% across Australia.
Almost everyone here was born in Australia, with only 1.3% of the population born overseas. This is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
About 14.7% of people use a language other than English at home, which is a rise of 11 points since 2011, though this remains well below the national average.
Christianity is the main faith for 79.2% of residents. This is reflected in the fact that those with no religion are far fewer here than in the rest of the country.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 26.6% of residents completing Year 12. Only 4.7% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the Western Australian figure of 23.8%.
Incomes are far below the national figure, with the typical weekly personal income being just $381. Only 3.1% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, a significant drop since 2011.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions than the rest of the state, with only 15.6% having a long-term condition. Similarly, only 1.3% of people have a mental health condition.
Unpaid work is common, as 44.9% of people do 15 or more hours of housework a week. Many also provide childcare, with 36.4% of the community caring for children unpaid.
Homes are larger than usual, with 3.1 people per home. This is consistent with a high rate of one-parent families, who make up 34.5% of households, far above the national figure of 14.1%.
Renting is the primary way people live, with 77.1% of households renting. This is far above the national figure, while only 6.3% of homes are owned outright.
Car dependency is high, yet 34.5% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is far above the state average. Many people still walk to work, accounting for 38.0% of commutes.
The population is very stable, with only 15.0% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.
Unemployment is a significant challenge at 18.5%, which is far above the national rate of 5.1%. Many of those who are working are employed in education and training.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 2.2. While many homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries and schools, there is no public transport or health services within that distance.