WA · Dowerin Council

Dowerin, 6461

Est. population · Jun 2025

455

Growth (1 yr)

+0.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+0.9%

Median age

46

Median income

$1,103/wk

Employment rate

50.1%

Languages at home

1%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

25.9/100
Below average

565th in WA

Verified 73% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Education hub
  • High desirability
What Dowerin is known for: Education hub, High desirability

Suburb profile

Dowerin offers a slower smaller community life in Dowerin Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.

Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk. Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower.

Reported crime has been falling recently. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

Desirability sits below average overall, with local dining and lifestyle amenities the main drag compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Dowerin snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

455

+0.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

25.8%

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

#111

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

25th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

39th

percentile in WA

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

30th

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
25.9/100 — Below average
National rank
6168th in Australia
State rank
565th in WA
Peer rank
#111 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#226 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
73%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

455(June 2025)

+0.7% annual · +0.9% over 5 years · 39th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.7%
5-year growth
+0.9%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+4
Growth rank in WA
39th 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 (~450), extrapolated at -0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
436
Median age
46
Median household income / week
$1,103
Dwelling vacancy
25.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
64 of 248
Median monthly mortgage
$672
Employment rate
50.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
174 / 4 / 0 (+ 3 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Crime & safety

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

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
2,407
Against the person
687
Against property
977
Rate per 1,000 residents
5,290.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 1 residents
State safety percentile
25.1th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-25.1%

Most common offence types

  • Assault (Family)331
  • Breach Of Violence Restraint Order154
  • Drug Offences589
  • Property Damage269
  • Stealing349

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • WA Police district crime statisticsWestern Australia Police Force · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Quarterly timeseries XLSX; district-level aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
963
Median ICSEA percentile
30th
School list
  • Dowerin District High SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 963 · 30th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 132 students · Top SEA quarter 8%View on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • REED Dowerinchildcare

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

Childcare centre count

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare servicesOpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Amenities

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • RSL Centenary ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
1
Parks (OSM)
1

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
Wyalkatchem District Hospital (30.6 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
8
Participants per 1,000 residents
17.6

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
33° / 17°
Rainfall
42 mm · ~5 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
26° / 13°
Rainfall
86 mm · ~11 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 7°
Rainfall
147 mm · ~18 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
24° / 10°
Rainfall
59 mm · ~7 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via WA bush fire prone area mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState 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 63.9 km away).

Coalition 84.1%Labor 15.9%

23.9 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -10.7 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • DowerinLabor 15.8% · Coalition 84.2% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
  • GoomallingLabor 19.3% · Coalition 80.7% TPP (2025)23.4 km away
  • WyalkatchemLabor 21.7% · Coalition 78.3% TPP (2025)31.9 km away
  • Wongan HillsLabor 18.1% · Coalition 81.9% TPP (2025)46.7 km away
  • CunderdinLabor 26.9% · Coalition 73.1% TPP (2025)52.8 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)
2/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Dowerin Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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