suburb.guide

WA · Esperance Council

Castletown, 6450

Est. population · Jun 2025

4,202

Growth (1 yr)

+0.2%

Growth (5 yr)

+1.4%

Median age

38

Median income

$1,612/wk

Employment rate

59.8%

University qualified

10.1%

Work from home

3.8%

Languages at home

4.9%non-English

Most common: Afrikaans, German, Vietnamese

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

42.2/100
Average

Top 45% of Western Australia's suburbs

Verified 88% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • Green suburb
  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
  • Regional centre
What Castletown is known for: Beach, Green suburb, Agricultural, Holiday parks, Regional centre

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Castletown, WA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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

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Suburb profile

Castletown is a major regional centre in Western Australia, in Esperance Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.

Employment is stronger than in comparable places, with employment 13% above the peer median. Public transport is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for major regional centres. Rents sit a little below those in comparable places, with median rents 9% below the peer median. Crime in the wider Goldfields-Esperance Police District remains above typical levels but is improving. Reported offences have fallen 23% year on year. The main trade-offs are limited school access and weaker population growth, with school access 67% below the peer median.

Castletown is a better fit for people who value public transport and lower rents more than school access.

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

Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Western Australia (122)

Strengths

  • Public transport is a relative strength
  • Rents sit a little below those in comparable places
  • Employment is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • School access is relatively limited
  • Population has been growing more slowly than in comparable places, or declining

What stands out

  • Castletown Beach
  • Crime in the wider Goldfields-Esperance Police District remains above typical levels but is improving

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Castletown compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$500/wk

Population (ERP)

4,202

+0.2% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

16.5%

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

#11

among Country & regional · Established

Pop. growth

34th

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

32%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

28th

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
42.2/100 — Average
State standing
Top 45% of Western Australia's suburbs
National rank
3850th in Australia
State rank
312th in WA
Peer rank
#11 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#72 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)
$500
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
836

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

4,202(June 2025)

+0.2% annual · +1.4% over 5 years · 34th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.2%
5-year growth
+1.4%
Change in 1 year
+7
Change in 5 years
+59
Growth rank in WA
34th 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 (~4,300), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
3,968
Median age
38
Median household income / week
$1,612
Dwelling vacancy
16.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
280 of 1,701
Median monthly mortgage
$1,717
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$300
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
32.5% / 36% / 31.5%
Employment rate
59.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
3.8% / 1.1% / 79%
Walked or cycled to work
2.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,327 / 80 / 10

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

10.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 22.7% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified10.1% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified6.6% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational22.7% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below60.6% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies25.3%
  • Management and commerce16.6%
  • Education12.7%
  • Society and culture11.2%
  • Health9.3%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services7.6%
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)
$58,905

42nd percentile in WA · 0% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$60,243

42nd percentile in WA · -7% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
14.0%

63rd percentile in WA · +1% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$60,725

46th percentile in WA · -4% vs Australia

Residents with business income
8.0%

40th percentile in WA · -23% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6450 — 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
8,811
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,263
Median net rent
$1,592
Taxpayers reporting business income
699
Taxable income vs state median
-3%
Salary / wages vs state median
-4%
Rental investment vs state median
+17%
Super vs state median
-5%
Business income vs state median
0%

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

Seasonal & agricultural work

8.9% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 3.9× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.3% across Western Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
8.9%

52nd percentile in WA · +287% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
167
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 6450

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers54
  • Labourers28
  • Machinery operators and drivers24
  • Technicians and trades workers20
  • Professionals14
  • Clerical and administrative workers12

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 6450 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Western Australia - Outback (South) (SA4 511), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 12121,011
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214696
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211488
  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1213276
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415188
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412115
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841652
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841134
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 841925
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841310

Western Australia - Outback (South) is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 1,878 · AFF share +287% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

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

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

4.9% speak a language other than English at home; 12.9% born overseas

Language at home
3,412 English only · 175 other
Non-English at home
4.9%
Born overseas
457 (12.9%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
172 (4.3%)
Australian citizens
3,392
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
9

Top languages other than English

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

  • Afrikaans19 · 30.2%
  • German10 · 15.9%
  • Vietnamese9 · 14.3%
  • Filipino8 · 12.7%
  • Sinhalese5 · 7.9%
  • Australian Indigenous languages3 · 4.8%
  • French3 · 4.8%
  • Greek3 · 4.8%

Religion

50.1%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 50.1%, while Christianity accounts for 37.5%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion50.1%42.5%
Christianity37.5%41.1%
Other / not stated12.4%16.4%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic12%18.7%
Anglican9.2%10.1%
Christian (not further defined)5.2%3.4%
Uniting Church3.2%1.6%

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 Goldfields-Esperance 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)
6,479
Against the person
2,215
Against property
2,879
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
142.8
State crime-rate percentile
91.9th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-27.8%

Most common offence types

  • Assault (Family)
  • Assault (Non-Family)
  • 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
1
Median school ICSEA
957
Median ICSEA percentile
28th
School list
  • Castletown Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 957 · 28th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 488 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 0.1 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

32 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Chantilly Cct After Cannes Pde
  • Easton Rd After St Germain Av
  • Easton Rd Before St Germain
  • Ormonde St After Alexander Dr
  • Ormonde St After Goldfields Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

41 mapped amenities

2 restaurants · 1 pubs · 1 supermarkets · 4 playgrounds · 1 beaches · 2 caravan parks · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
  • Great for outdoor family life — 10 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 32 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
61/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.76
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.52
Food & drink(3)
  • Travellers InnPub

    Goldfields Road

  • CastletownRestaurant
  • Restaurant
Shopping(3)
  • Castletown ChemistConvenience store
  • Bunnings WarehouseHardware store
  • IGASupermarket
Everyday services(1)
  • BPPetrol station
Community(1)
  • Castletown Primary SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(18)
  • Beach
  • Bandy Creek Road Shared PathCycling route
  • Great Ocean TrailCycling route
  • Catherine ParkPark

    Catherine Street

  • Chantilly ParkPark
  • Dauphin ParkPark
  • Kalinda ParkPark
  • Lalor ParkPark

    Easton Road

  • Lion's ParkPark

    Mitchell Street

  • Park (2)
  • St Germain ParkPark
  • Playground (4)
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Bathers ParadiseCaravan park

    45 Westmacott Street

  • RAC Esperance Holiday ParkCaravan park
Places to stay(4)
  • Blue Waters LodgeHotel
  • Motel (3)
Other(7)
  • AFGRI EquipmentAgrarian
  • Hoeys Exhaust CentreCar repair
  • Hair PicassoHairdresser
  • Squily's MotoMotorcycle Repair

    2 Arthur Street, Castletown

  • Parking (3)
  • Water Point
  • Anything and Everything Print FactoryYes

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

7 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Catherine ParkPark
  • Chantilly ParkPark
  • Dauphin ParkPark
  • Kalinda ParkPark
  • Lalor ParkPark
  • Lion's ParkPark
  • St Germain ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
2.9%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
10
Parks (OSM)
10
Typical summer maximum
24°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
Esperance Hospital (2.9 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)
107
Participants per 1,000 residents
25.5

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
24° / 15°
Rainfall
71 mm · ~9 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
22° / 13°
Rainfall
170 mm · ~21 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
18° / 9°
Rainfall
342 mm · ~43 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
20° / 11°
Rainfall
167 mm · ~21 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
No overlay at centroid
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
O'Connor
Member of Parliament
Rick WILSON (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,006
Turnout (2025)
86.7%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-6.6 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 63.3%Labor 36.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 182.3 km away).

Coalition 75.9%Labor 24.1%

12.6 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -11.6 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • CastletownLabor 23.9% · Coalition 76.1% TPP (2025)0.2 km away
  • Special Hospital Team 6Labor 44.9% · Coalition 55.1% TPP (2025)2.8 km away
  • EsperanceLabor 28.9% · Coalition 71.1% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
  • NulsenLabor 40.5% · Coalition 59.5% TPP (2025)4.2 km away
  • GibsonLabor 11.4% · Coalition 88.6% TPP (2025)22.7 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)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
5/10

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 Esperance Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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