Urban Centre · Area profile
Zeehan
3 km²
A small hub on the West Coast, Zeehan is a highly walkable community where almost every home is within a short stroll of health services, groceries, and schools. It is an older town with a typical resident aged 48, and it stands out for its strong connection to the land, with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population well above the national figure. The town's identity is closely tied to the mining industry, which helps explain its specific workforce and a lower level of formal university qualifications.
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The typical resident is 48, making the community noticeably older than the state and national average. It is also more diverse in its heritage, with 7.7% of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia, though 12.7% were born overseas, which is higher than in most similar areas. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, followed by Irish and Scottish.
English is the primary language for the vast majority of the community. Only 4.6% of people use another language at home, a figure that is far below the national average.
Over half of the population (51.3%) report having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%.
Formal qualifications are much lower than in most areas, with only 6.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below both the state and national figures.
Incomes are much lower than the national average, with the typical weekly household earning $940 compared to $1,746 across Australia. Only 8.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are more common here, as 36.9% of people have a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are among the highest at this level, affecting 16.4% of residents.
Community support is strong, with 16.0% of people providing unpaid care, which is much higher than in most areas. Additionally, 25.6% of residents do 15 or more hours of unpaid housework weekly.
Living arrangements are distinctive, with 43.3% of people living alone, a figure far above the national average. One-parent families are also much more common here than in most similar areas.
Homes are predominantly separate houses, and 39.1% are owned outright. Costs are very low, with a typical weekly rent of $160 and typical monthly mortgage payments of $603, both far below the national figures.
Cars are essential, as 64.9% of people drive to work and no one uses public transport to commute. Working from home is very rare at 2.9%, far below the national average.
The community is relatively mobile, with 39.1% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 10.1% of the population.
Mining is the dominant industry, employing 32.6% of the workforce. However, the unemployment rate is 10.1%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%.
The town is very walkable, with a score of 6.1. Nearly all homes (99.5%) are within a 15-minute walk of a park, and 94.3% are close to health services, far exceeding state averages.