suburb.guide

WA · Karratha Council

Bulgarra, 6714

Est. population · Jun 2025

3,451

Growth (1 yr)

+2.5%

Growth (5 yr)

+10.9%

Median age

33

Median income

$2,812/wk

Employment rate

69.4%

University qualified

9.9%

Work from home

1.9%

Languages at home

14.9%non-English

Most common: Tagalog, Australian Indigenous languages, Afrikaans

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

24.8/100
Below average

656th in WA

Verified 88% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • Golf
  • Port & industry
What Bulgarra is known for: Beach, Golf, Port & industry

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Bulgarra, WA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Bulgarra, WA Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/wa/bulgarra

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Suburb profile

Bulgarra is an industrial and port town in Western Australia, in Karratha Council. It has an industrial and port economy.

Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked industrial and port towns. Household incomes sit well above the peer median, with household incomes 104% above the peer median, and green cover is stronger than in comparable places, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Median rents are a relative weakness, with median rents 12% above the peer median.

Bulgarra is a better fit for people who value school quality more than lower rents.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Industrial or port town · compared with industrial and port towns in Western Australia (58)

Strengths

  • Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group
  • Household incomes sit well above the peer median
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Population has been growing faster than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Median rents are a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Bulgarra Beach
  • Industrial and port economy
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Bulgarra compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$950/wk

Population (ERP)

3,451

+2.5% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

22.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#13

among Country & regional · Growth area

Pop. growth

81st

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

49%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

7/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

35th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
24.8/100 — Below average
National rank
6765th in Australia
State rank
656th in WA
Peer rank
#13 among Country & regional · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#291 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
88%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
$950
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
2,957

Median weekly rent from WA rental bond lodgements. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

  • WA rental bond lodgements — Department of Communities (WA) · wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv · Updated · Monthly bond summaries

Population

Estimated resident population

3,451(June 2025)

+2.5% annual · +10.9% over 5 years · 81th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.5%
5-year growth
+10.9%
Change in 1 year
+85
Change in 5 years
+339
Growth rank in WA
81th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~3,650), extrapolated at +1.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
2,990
Median age
33
Median household income / week
$2,812
Dwelling vacancy
22.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
262 of 1,187
Median monthly mortgage
$1,810
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$388
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
11.8% / 38.8% / 49.4%
Employment rate
69.4%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
1.9% / 1.1% / 79.9%
Walked or cycled to work
4.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
709 / 163 / 57

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

9.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 27% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified9.9% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified6.8% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational27% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below56.3% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Engineering and related technologies34.5%
  • Management and commerce17.7%
  • Society and culture10.3%
  • Architecture and building9.1%
  • Health7.4%
  • Education6.5%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$97,802

98th percentile in WA · +67% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$88,938

98th percentile in WA · +37% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
23.0%

98th percentile in WA · +67% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$71,260

63rd percentile in WA · +13% vs Australia

Residents with business income
5.0%

9th percentile in WA · -52% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6714 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
11,098
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,520
Median net rent
-$1,536
Taxpayers reporting business income
535
Taxable income vs state median
+61%
Salary / wages vs state median
+42%
Rental investment vs state median
+92%
Super vs state median
+12%
Business income vs state median
-37%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in WA, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

14.9% speak a language other than English at home; 23.2% born overseas

Language at home
2,122 English only · 371 other
Non-English at home
14.9%
Born overseas
577 (23.2%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
246 (8.2%)
Australian citizens
2,168
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
17

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Tagalog19 · 15.2%
  • Australian Indigenous languages13 · 10.4%
  • Afrikaans10 · 8%
  • Filipino10 · 8%
  • Mandarin10 · 8%
  • Spanish8 · 6.4%
  • Thai7 · 5.6%
  • Vietnamese7 · 5.6%

Religion

50%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 50%, while Christianity accounts for 27.6%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion50%42.5%
Christianity27.6%41.1%
Other / not stated22.4%16.4%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic14.5%18.7%
Anglican6%10.1%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Figures are for the Pilbara Police District, not this suburb alone.

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
5,762
Against the person
2,048
Against property
2,421
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
108.7
State crime-rate percentile
73.8th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-22.1%

Most common offence types

  • Assault (Family)
  • Breach Of Violence Restraint Order
  • Drug Offences
  • Property Damage
  • Stealing

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • WA Police district crime statistics — Western Australia Police Force · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Quarterly timeseries XLSX; district-level aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
965.5
Median ICSEA percentile
35th
School list
  • Karratha Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 912 · 13th percentile · LBOTE 31% · 268 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
  • St Paul's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1019 · 56th percentile · LBOTE 17% · 339 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

1 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Access Rd Frank Butler Center

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

18 mapped amenities

2 beaches

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
2/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.67
Community(2)
  • Karratha Primary SchoolSchool

    40 Turner Way

  • Saint Paul's Primary SchoolSchool

    Wellard Way

Sport & outdoors(7)
  • Beach (2)
  • Karratha LoopCycling route
  • Karratha Country ClubGolf course
  • Park
  • Shakespeare ParkPark
  • Sports field
Places to stay(1)
  • Searipple VillageMotel
Entertainment(1)
  • Viewpoint
Other(1)
  • Parking (7)

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Shakespeare ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
1%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
2
Typical summer maximum
39°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Karratha Health Campus (1.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
69
Participants per 1,000 residents
20.0

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
39° / 26°
Rainfall
159 mm · ~20 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
35° / 22°
Rainfall
111 mm · ~14 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
27° / 14°
Rainfall
47 mm · ~6 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
35° / 19°
Rainfall
2 mm · ~1 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via WA bush fire prone area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain mapping against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Durack
Member of Parliament
Melissa PRICE (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
119,942
Turnout (2025)
78.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-5.5 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 60.1%Labor 39.9%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 186.1 km away).

Coalition 52.1%Labor 47.9%

8.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -7.7 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • KarrathaLabor 47.9% · Coalition 52.1% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
  • Millars WellLabor 46.4% · Coalition 53.6% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
  • NickolLabor 48.3% · Coalition 51.7% TPP (2025)6.3 km away
  • WickhamLabor 44.6% · Coalition 55.4% TPP (2025)29.8 km away
  • RoebourneLabor 60.1% · Coalition 39.9% TPP (2025)30.1 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Karratha Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Western Australia.