WA · Gnowangerup Council

Mills Lake, 6336

Est. population · Jun 2025

42

Growth (1 yr)

+2.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+5.0%

Median age

45

Median income

$1,624/wk

Employment rate

67.7%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

    What Mills Lake is known for:

    Suburb profile

    Mills Lake offers a slower smaller community life in Gnowangerup Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. The area suits established families and long-term locals, with a strong presence of young families throughout. With limited local amenities, residents regularly travel to a neighbouring town for shops, appointments and a wider choice.

    Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk. Housing sits in the middle of the local market: neither cheap nor premium.

    Crime trends have improved of late compared with the previous period. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

    At a glance

    Mills Lake snapshot

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

    Median house price

    No data available

    Median rent

    No data available

    Population (ERP)

    42

    +2.4% annual growth

    Dwelling vacancy

    39.1%

    Census unoccupied dwellings

    How it compares

    Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

    Safety

    70th

    percentile in state (higher = safer)

    Pop. growth

    80th

    percentile in WA

    Advantage (IRSAD)

    4/10

    national SEIFA decile

    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

    Population

    Estimated resident population

    42(June 2025)

    +2.4% annual · +5.0% over 5 years · 80th percentile in WA

    Growth figures & methodology
    Annual growth
    +2.4%
    5-year growth
    +5.0%
    Change in 1 year
    +1
    Change in 5 years
    +2
    Growth rank in WA
    80th 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 (~50), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

    2021 Census figures

    2021 Census

    Population
    39
    Median age
    45
    Median household income / week
    $1,624
    Dwelling vacancy
    39.1%
    Unoccupied private dwellings
    9 of 23
    Median monthly mortgage
    $8,500
    Employment rate
    67.7%
    Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
    13 / 0 / 0

    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)
    3,627
    Against the person
    983
    Against property
    1,654
    Rate per 1,000 residents
    86,357.1
    Person-crime prevalence
    About 1 in 1 residents
    State safety percentile
    69.6th (lower crime is better)
    Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
    -21.5%

    Most common offence types

    • Assault (Family)435
    • Breach Of Violence Restraint Order369
    • Drug Offences621
    • Property Damage421
    • Stealing645

    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

    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

    Health access

    Nearest hospital
    Gnowangerup District Hospital (54.4 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)
    1
    Participants per 1,000 residents
    23.8

    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
    28° / 13°
    Rainfall
    48 mm · ~6 rainy days

    Autumn (Mar–May)

    Usual max / min
    23° / 11°
    Rainfall
    82 mm · ~10 rainy days

    Winter (Jun–Aug)

    Usual max / min
    16° / 6°
    Rainfall
    137 mm · ~17 rainy days

    Spring (Sep–Nov)

    Usual max / min
    21° / 8°
    Rainfall
    91 mm · ~11 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
    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 90.1 km away).

    Coalition 85.2%Labor 14.8%

    22.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

    Estimated swing since 2022: -5.3 pp toward Coalition

    Nearest polling places

    • OngerupLabor 16.7% · Coalition 83.3% TPP (2025)15.0 km away
    • JerramungupLabor 12.4% · Coalition 87.6% TPP (2025)31.4 km away
    • PingrupLabor 7.7% · Coalition 92.3% TPP (2025)37.2 km away
    • NyabingLabor 4.8% · Coalition 95.2% TPP (2025)54.4 km away
    • GnowangerupLabor 24.2% · Coalition 75.8% TPP (2025)54.7 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)
    4/10

    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 Gnowangerup Council

    Other suburbs in the same local government area.