suburb.guide

WA · Shark Bay Council

Denham, 6537

Est. population · Jun 2025

988

Growth (1 yr)

+2.2%

Growth (5 yr)

+13.7%

Median age

48

Median income

$1,021/wk

Employment rate

52.5%

University qualified

15.7%

Work from home

6.7%

Languages at home

11.1%non-English

Most common: Spanish, French

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

28.2/100
Below average

621st in WA

Verified 88% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • National parks
  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
  • Green suburb
What Denham is known for: Beach, National parks, Agricultural, Holiday parks, Green suburb

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Denham, WA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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

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Suburb profile

Denham is a major regional centre in Western Australia, in Shark Bay Council. It is close to the Shark Bay and the Peron Peninsula.

Open-space access is better than in most comparable places, well above typical levels for major regional centres. University qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 43% above the peer median, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Trade-offs centre on thinner local amenities and limited school access, with local amenities 52% below the peer median.

Denham is a better fit for people who value open space and university qualifications more than local amenities.

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

  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
  • Population has been growing faster than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Everyday shops and services are sparse
  • School access is relatively limited

What stands out

  • Denham Beach
  • Shell Beach
  • Shark Bay
  • Peron Peninsula
  • Cape York Peninsula
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Denham compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$220/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

988

+2.2% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

31.5%

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

#144

among Country & regional · Mature

Pop. growth

76th

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

42%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

11th

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
28.2/100 — Below average
National rank
6575th in Australia
State rank
621st in WA
Peer rank
#144 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#270 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
88%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

988(June 2025)

+2.2% annual · +13.7% over 5 years · 76th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.2%
5-year growth
+13.7%
Change in 1 year
+21
Change in 5 years
+119
Growth rank in WA
76th 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 (~1,100), extrapolated at +2.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
849
Median age
48
Median household income / week
$1,021
Dwelling vacancy
31.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
144 of 457
Median monthly mortgage
$1,387
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$220
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
42.1% / 16.1% / 41.8%
Employment rate
52.5%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
6.7% / 0.8% / 49.2%
Walked or cycled to work
28.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
226 / 20 / 9 (+ 65 other)

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

15.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 18.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified15.7% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified9.6% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational18.5% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below56.2% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies22.5%
  • Management and commerce15.7%
  • Society and culture11.7%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services10.5%
  • Education8.3%
  • Natural and physical sciences7.4%
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)
$49,629

13th percentile in WA · -15% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$51,566

18th percentile in WA · -21% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
13.0%

58th percentile in WA · -6% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$33,070

10th percentile in WA · -48% vs Australia

Residents with business income
7.0%

34th percentile in WA · -33% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6537 — 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
641
Taxpayers reporting net rent
82
Median net rent
$2,682
Taxpayers reporting business income
48
Taxable income vs state median
-18%
Salary / wages vs state median
-18%
Rental investment vs state median
+8%
Super vs state median
-48%
Business income vs state median
-12%

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

4.4% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 1.9× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.3% across Western Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
4.4%

44th percentile in WA · +91% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
17
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 6537

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 6537 (Northern and 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: 386 · AFF share +91% 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

11.1% speak a language other than English at home; 26.7% born overseas

Language at home
625 English only · 78 other
Non-English at home
11.1%
Born overseas
191 (26.7%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
76 (9%)
Australian citizens
616
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
2

Top languages other than English

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

  • Spanish15 · 83.3%
  • French3 · 16.7%

Religion

45%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 45%, while Christianity accounts for 34.6%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion45%42.5%
Christianity34.6%41.1%
Other / not stated20.4%16.4%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican14.6%10.1%
Catholic13.2%18.7%

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 Mid West-Gascoyne 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)
7,497
Against the person
2,625
Against property
3,363
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
136.8
State crime-rate percentile
80.4th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-36.5%

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
1
Median school ICSEA
901
Median ICSEA percentile
11th
School list
  • Shark Bay SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 901 · 11th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 85 students · Top SEA quarter 9%View on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • kindergartenkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Childcare centres per 1,000 residents

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Amenities

21 mapped amenities

3 beaches · 4 caravan parks · 9 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 5 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
5.89
Sport & outdoors(8)
  • Beach (2)
  • Shell BeachBeach
  • Stella Rowley Drive Lookout Shared PathCycling route
  • Francois Peron National ParkNature reserve
  • Monkey Mia Reserve 5(1)(h) ReserveNature reserve
  • Shark Bay Marine ParkNature reserve
  • Shell Beach Conservation ParkNature reserve
Camping & holiday parks(13)
  • Big LagoonCampground
  • Bottle BayCampground
  • Eagle Bluff Lagoon CampgroundCampground
  • Fowlers CampCampground
  • Goulet BluffCampground
  • GregorysCampground
  • Herald BightCampground
  • South GregorysCampground
  • Whalebone BayCampground
  • Blue Dolphin Caravan Park and Holiday VillageCaravan park

    9 Denham Road

  • Monkey Mia Caravan ParkCaravan park
  • Shark Bay Caravan ParkCaravan park

    6 Spaven Way, Denham

  • Tasman Holiday Parks - Denham SeasideCaravan park

    1 Stella Rowley Drive, Denham

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

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Bassett ParkPark
  • Charlie Sappie ParkPark
  • Pioneer ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
5
Parks (OSM)
5
Typical summer maximum
34°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

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
2
Nearest hospital
Carnarvon Hospital (108.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
1
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 1

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

  • Shark Bay Health CentreHughes StreetClinic
  • Shark Bay PharmacyPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
9
Participants per 1,000 residents
9.1

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
34° / 21°
Rainfall
23 mm · ~3 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
30° / 18°
Rainfall
67 mm · ~8 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
22° / 12°
Rainfall
109 mm · ~14 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
28° / 15°
Rainfall
22 mm · ~3 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 331.4 km away).

Coalition 58.6%Labor 41.4%

1.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -3.8 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • DenhamLabor 41.2% · Coalition 58.8% TPP (2025)11.7 km away
  • Special Hospital Team 5Labor 66.7% · Coalition 33.3% TPP (2025)109.7 km away
  • CarnarvonLabor 35.3% · Coalition 64.7% TPP (2025)112.1 km away
  • KalbarriLabor 37.0% · Coalition 63.0% TPP (2025)211.1 km away
  • NorthamptonLabor 26.1% · Coalition 73.8% TPP (2025)292.2 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)
3/10
IRSD decile (2021)
3/10

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

More in Shark Bay Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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