suburb.guide

WA · Greater Geraldton Council

Mount Tarcoola, 6530

Est. population · Jun 2025

3,616

Growth (1 yr)

+0.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.0%

Median age

39

Median income

$1,792/wk

Employment rate

63.9%

University qualified

14.1%

Work from home

3.8%

Languages at home

8.6%non-English

Most common: Tagalog, Afrikaans, Filipino

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

36.5/100
Below average

469th in WA

Verified 88% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Regional centre
What Mount Tarcoola is known for: Green suburb, Regional centre

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Mount Tarcoola, WA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Mount Tarcoola, WA Suburb Guide”, updated 29 September 2026, https://suburb.guide/wa/mount-tarcoola

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Suburb profile

Mount Tarcoola is a major regional centre in Western Australia, in Greater Geraldton Council.

Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places, with employment 21% above the peer median. Public transport is a strong feature of the suburb, with public transport 46% above the peer median. University qualifications are a relative strength, with university qualifications 29% above the peer median. Crime in the wider Mid West-Gascoyne Police District remains above typical levels but is improving. Reported offences have fallen 32% year on year. The main trade-offs are thinner dining and café options and limited health access.

Mount Tarcoola is a better fit for people who value employment and public transport more than health 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

  • Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places
  • Public transport is a relative strength
  • University qualifications are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Dining and café options are thinner than in comparable places
  • Health-facility access is relatively limited

What stands out

  • Crime in the wider Mid West-Gascoyne Police District remains above typical levels but is improving

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Mount Tarcoola compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$520/wk

Population (ERP)

3,616

+0.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

10.6%

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

#42

among Country & regional · Emerging

Pop. growth

40th

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

26%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

15th

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
36.5/100 — Below average
National rank
5318th in Australia
State rank
469th in WA
Peer rank
#42 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#164 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)
$520
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
3,306

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

3,616(June 2025)

+0.7% annual · +6.0% over 5 years · 40th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.7%
5-year growth
+6.0%
Change in 1 year
+25
Change in 5 years
+205
Growth rank in WA
40th 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 (~3,850), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
3,257
Median age
39
Median household income / week
$1,792
Dwelling vacancy
10.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
142 of 1,343
Median monthly mortgage
$1,517
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$300
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
31.8% / 42.5% / 25.7%
Employment rate
63.9%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
3.8% / 1.5% / 81.5%
Walked or cycled to work
1.6%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,143 / 57 / 0

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

14.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 23.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified14.1% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified8.8% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational23.5% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below53.6% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies22.7%
  • Management and commerce17.1%
  • Education12.9%
  • Health12.9%
  • Society and culture11.4%
  • Architecture and building6.5%
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)
$61,096

51st percentile in WA · +4% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$64,484

54th percentile in WA · -1% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

42nd percentile in WA · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$66,283

54th percentile in WA · +5% vs Australia

Residents with business income
7.0%

38th percentile in WA · -33% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6530 — 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
21,032
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,223
Median net rent
-$776
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,369
Taxable income vs state median
+1%
Salary / wages vs state median
+3%
Rental investment vs state median
-8%
Super vs state median
+4%
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

Community & culture

8.6% speak a language other than English at home; 15.7% born overseas

Language at home
2,771 English only · 262 other
Non-English at home
8.6%
Born overseas
478 (15.7%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
188 (5.8%)
Australian citizens
2,897
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
15

Top languages other than English

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

  • Tagalog17 · 20.2%
  • Afrikaans11 · 13.1%
  • Filipino7 · 8.3%
  • Italian7 · 8.3%
  • Australian Indigenous languages5 · 6%
  • Indonesian5 · 6%
  • Vietnamese5 · 6%
  • Hindi4 · 4.8%

Religion

47.2%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 47.2%, while 40.7% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion40.7%42.5%
Christianity47.2%41.1%
Islam2.2%2.5%
Other / not stated9.9%13.9%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic24.5%18.7%
Anglican12.6%10.1%
Christian (not further defined)2.5%3.4%
Uniting Church2.1%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 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
85.5th (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
3
Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
921
Median ICSEA percentile
15th
School list
  • Mount Tarcoola Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 938 · 21th percentile · LBOTE 36% · 390 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
  • Champion Bay Senior High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 914 · 14th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 847 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
  • St John's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 921 · 15th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 180 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.7 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

19 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Ackland Rd After Norman St
  • Glenview St After Rene St
  • Glenview St Before Acacia St
  • Newhaven St After Maidstone St
  • Sydney St Before Elva St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

39 mapped amenities

2 playgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 8 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 19 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
29/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.46
Shopping(2)
  • BottlemartBottle shop
  • Mount Tarcoola Shopping CentreShopping centre

    1 Irene Street, Mount Tarcoola

Community(1)
  • Mount Tarcoola Primary SchoolSchool

    57 Forden Street

Health & services(1)
  • Smileworx Othrodontics GeraldtonDentist

    131 Brand Highway, Mount Tarcoola

Sport & outdoors(11)
  • Indian Ocean PSPCycling route
  • Ackland ParkPark
  • Cooper Circuit ParkPark
  • Paringa ParkPark
  • Park
  • Sutherland Public Open SpacePark
  • Tarcoola ParkPark
  • Waverley Public Open SpacePark
  • Playground (2)
  • Sports field
Places to stay(1)
  • Geraldton Motor InnHotel

    113 Brand Highway, Mount Tarcoola

Other(3)
  • Bicycle Parking (2)
  • Parking (15)
  • Parking Space (6)

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

Sporting clubs

1 named sporting club in this suburb

  • Tarcoola Park Tennis Club

    Tennis · +61 8 9965 0925

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

7 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Ackland ParkPark
  • Cooper Circuit ParkPark
  • Paringa ParkPark
  • Sutherland Public Open SpacePark
  • Tarcoola ParkPark
  • Waverley Public Open SpacePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
7.1%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
8
Parks (OSM)
8
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
1
Nearest hospital
St John of God Geraldton Hospital (1.9 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
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).

  • Smileworx Othrodontics GeraldtonBrand HighwayDentist

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
93
Participants per 1,000 residents
25.7

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° / 18°
Rainfall
26 mm · ~3 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
29° / 15°
Rainfall
113 mm · ~14 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 8°
Rainfall
261 mm · ~33 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
26° / 11°
Rainfall
72 mm · ~9 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
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 7.2 km away).

Coalition 55.5%Labor 44.5%

4.7 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -1.6 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Mount TarcoolaLabor 44.6% · Coalition 55.4% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
  • RangewayLabor 49.8% · Coalition 50.2% TPP (2025)2.1 km away
  • WandinaLabor 40.1% · Coalition 59.9% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
  • GeraldtonLabor 44.9% · Coalition 55.1% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • WonthellaLabor 41.9% · Coalition 58.1% TPP (2025)3.8 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)
5/10
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 Greater Geraldton Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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