suburb.guide

WA · Northam Council

Northam, 6401

Est. population · Jun 2025

7,494

Growth (1 yr)

+2.5%

Growth (5 yr)

+10.0%

Median age

42

Median income

$1,246/wk

Employment rate

49.3%

University qualified

9.8%

Work from home

3.9%

Languages at home

7.8%non-English

Most common: Tagalog, Filipino, Australian Indigenous languages

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

41.5/100
Average

Top 48% of Western Australia's suburbs

Verified 90% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • Green suburb
  • Heritage area
  • Holiday parks
  • Regional centre
What Northam is known for: Excellent transport, Green suburb, Heritage area, Holiday parks, Regional centre

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

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Suburb profile

Northam is a major regional centre in Western Australia, in Northam Council, characterised by heritage streetscapes alongside mixed commercial and residential development. Notable landmarks include Northam Police Station, Shamrock Hotel, Northam and Railway Institute, Northam.

Local amenities are a relative strength, with local amenities 70% above the peer median. Rents are relatively affordable, with median rents 24% below the peer median. The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres, and green cover is an exceptional strength. Trade-offs centre on lower school ICSEA scores and limited health access, with health access 67% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising heritage character and lower rents over school quality.

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

  • The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
  • Rents are relatively affordable
  • Local amenities are a relative strength
  • Green cover is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of comparable places
  • Health-facility access is relatively limited

What stands out

  • Heritage streetscapes
  • Northam Police Station
  • Shamrock Hotel, Northam
  • Railway Institute, Northam

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Northam compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$420/wk

Population (ERP)

7,494

+2.5% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

15.2%

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

#13

among Country & regional · Established

Pop. growth

80th

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

31%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

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
41.5/100 — Average
State standing
Top 48% of Western Australia's suburbs
National rank
4029th in Australia
State rank
329th in WA
Peer rank
#13 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#81 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
90%

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)
$420
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
497

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

7,494(June 2025)

+2.5% annual · +10.0% over 5 years · 80th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.5%
5-year growth
+10.0%
Change in 1 year
+180
Change in 5 years
+684
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 (~7,950), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
6,679
Median age
42
Median household income / week
$1,246
Dwelling vacancy
15.2%
Unoccupied private dwellings
444 of 2,929
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$250
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
36.1% / 32.9% / 31.1%
Employment rate
49.3%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
3.9% / 0.6% / 77.3%
Walked or cycled to work
5.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
2,297 / 136 / 12 (+ 30 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

9.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 17.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified9.8% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified5.9% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational17.8% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below66.5% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies20.6%
  • Management and commerce19.2%
  • Society and culture12.9%
  • Health12%
  • Education10.7%
  • Architecture and building7.4%
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)
$57,876

39th percentile in WA · -1% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$62,204

49th percentile in WA · -4% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
10.0%

26th percentile in WA · -27% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$54,341

34th percentile in WA · -14% vs Australia

Residents with business income
6.0%

17th percentile in WA · -42% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6401 — 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
4,512
Taxpayers reporting net rent
457
Median net rent
$330
Taxpayers reporting business income
293
Taxable income vs state median
-5%
Salary / wages vs state median
-1%
Rental investment vs state median
-17%
Super vs state median
-15%
Business income vs state median
-25%

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

7.8% speak a language other than English at home; 16.5% born overseas

Language at home
5,496 English only · 465 other
Non-English at home
7.8%
Born overseas
986 (16.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
557 (8.3%)
Australian citizens
5,629
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
23

Top languages other than English

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

  • Tagalog33 · 19.5%
  • Filipino18 · 10.7%
  • Australian Indigenous languages12 · 7.1%
  • Malayalam10 · 5.9%
  • Afrikaans9 · 5.3%
  • Urdu9 · 5.3%
  • Indonesian8 · 4.7%
  • Polish8 · 4.7%

Religion

45%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 45%, while 39.9% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion39.9%42.5%
Christianity45%41.1%
Other / not stated15.1%16.4%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic19%18.7%
Anglican11.5%10.1%
Christian (not further defined)3%3.4%
Uniting Church2.3%1.6%
Brethren2.1%0.1%

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 Wheatbelt 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)
2,407
Against the person
687
Against property
977
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
52
State crime-rate percentile
54.2th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-37.6%

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
6
Median school ICSEA (6 schools)
915
Median ICSEA percentile
15th
School list
  • Northam Senior High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 898 · 10th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 669 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
  • Avonvale Education Support CentreSpecial · Government · ICSEA 932 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 100% · 40 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Avonvale Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 745 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 50% · 117 students · Top SEA quarter 0% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Northam Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 937 · 20th percentile · LBOTE 18% · 325 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
  • St Joseph's SchoolCombined · Catholic · ICSEA 1013 · 53th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 721 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
  • West Northam Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 803 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 59% · 130 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 1.5 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

3 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Northam Stn Transwa Northam
  • Northam Stn Transwa Northam
  • Transwa Bay Transwa Northam

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

74 mapped amenities

2 cafes · 1 pubs · 5 supermarkets · 2 fast food · 1 libraries · 1 places of worship · 1 playgrounds · 4 sports centres

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Decent local green space — 6 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
40/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.3
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.75
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.9
Food & drink(5)
  • Dome CafeCafe
  • Rivers Edge CafeCafe
  • McDonald'sFast food
  • Red RoosterFast food
  • Riverside HotelPub

    322 Fitzgerald Street, Northam

Shopping(6)
  • Liquor BaronsBottle shop
  • AldiSupermarket

    10 Beamish Avenue

  • Boulevard Shopping CentreSupermarket
  • ColesSupermarket

    10 Beamish Avenue

  • Spud ShedSupermarket
  • WoolworthsSupermarket
Everyday services(4)
  • Coles ExpressPetrol station
  • Petrol station
  • Station Service E. LeclercPetrol station
  • Northam Post OfficePost office
Community(7)
  • Bilya Koort BoodjaCommunity centre
  • Northam Public LibraryLibrary
  • Avonvale Primary SchoolSchool

    Hutt Street, Northam

  • Northam Primary SchoolSchool

    Duke Street East, Northam

  • Northam Senior High SchoolSchool

    Kennedy Street, Northam

  • Saint Joseph’s School (Primary Campus)School

    1 Lance Street, Northam

  • Saint Joseph’s School (Secondary Campus)School

    Wellington Street, Northam

Health & services(1)
  • Northam HospitalHospital

    Robinson Street, Northam

Sport & outdoors(17)
  • Park Lane Shared PathCycling route
  • Drinking water (2)
  • Fitness station
  • Apex ParkPark
  • Bernard ParkPark
  • Enright ParkPark
  • Morrell ParkPark
  • Park
  • Perina ParkPark
  • Playground
  • Burt Hawke Recreation CentreSports centre
  • Northam Recreation CentreSports centre
  • Shire of Northam Recreation CentreSports centre
  • Sports centre
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Northam RV 48hr StayCampground

    55 Mitchell Avenue

  • Northam Holiday ParkCaravan park

    150 Yilgarn Avenue, Northam

Places to stay(1)
  • Farmers' Home HotelHotel
Entertainment(3)
  • Theatre
  • Avon Descent Start LineViewpoint
  • Viewpoint
Transport(2)

2 train stations

Other(16)
  • Antiques
  • Aerial PlaygroundArtwork
  • Artwork (2)
  • Bicycle Parking
  • Kindred SpiritClothes
  • Central Regional TAFE Northam CampusCollege

    Lot 1 Hutt Street

  • Fountain
  • Parking (7)
  • St Joseph'sPlace of worship
  • Northam Police StationPolice

    7 Gairdner Street, Northam

  • Post Box (2)
  • Shelter (2)
  • Telephone
  • Track (2)
  • Waste Basket
  • Water Park

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

  • Northam Golf Club

    Golf · +61 8 9622 1050

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

5 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Apex ParkPark
  • Bernard ParkPark
  • Enright ParkPark
  • Morrell ParkPark
  • Perina ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
7.2%
Woodland / forest cover
7%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
10
Parks (OSM)
6
Typical summer maximum
33°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

Places of worship

1 places of worship within ~1.5 km

  • St Joseph's

From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Northam Hospital (0.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
On site
GP clinics in suburb
0
Aged-care services
8
Residential aged-care places
78

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

  • Northam HospitalRobinson StreetHospital
Aged-care services
  • Avivo: Live Life Wheatbelt Level 1 and 2NORTHAMHome Care
  • Avivo: Live Life Wheatbelt Level 3 and 4NORTHAMHome Care
  • Juniper BethavonNORTHAMResidential
  • Juniper Community - CACP NorthamNORTHAMHome Care
  • Juniper Community - Level 4 NorthamNORTHAMHome Care
  • Juniper The ResidencyNORTHAMResidential
  • Share And Care Community Services Group Inc - Home Support ServicesNORTHAMHome Care
  • Silver Chain Wheatbelt HCP Level 2NORTHAMHome Care

Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
208
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.8

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
33° / 15°
Rainfall
39 mm · ~5 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
85 mm · ~11 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 6°
Rainfall
190 mm · ~24 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
23° / 8°
Rainfall
73 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

Heritage

32 heritage places

  • Curdnatta22 Newcastle Rd, Northam10881
  • National Australia Bank, Northam141 Fitzgerald St, Northam14788
  • Northam CemeteryKatrine Rd, Northam3976
  • Northam Courthouse114 Wellington St, Northam25062
  • Police Station (Fmr)128 Wellington St, Northam24983
  • Poole Street FootbridgePoole St, Northam3549
  • Town Council Offices (fmr) & Library, Northam298 Fitzgerald St East, Northam10907
  • Uniting Church & Hall, Northam103 Duke St East, Northam16300
  • ANZ Bank, Northam133 Fitzgerald St, Northam1861
  • Bank of New South Wales (NSW) (fmr), Northam161 Fitzgerald St, Northam1872

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

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
Bullwinkel
Member of Parliament
Trish COOK (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
121,364
Turnout (2025)
89.4%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.8 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 49.5%Labor 50.5%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 41.1 km away).

Coalition 61.6%Labor 38.4%

12.1 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -14.0 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • NorthamLabor 41.6% · Coalition 58.4% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
  • Northam EastLabor 31.4% · Coalition 68.6% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
  • ToodyayLabor 35.9% · Coalition 64.1% TPP (2025)21.5 km away
  • Bakers HillLabor 43.0% · Coalition 57.0% TPP (2025)21.8 km away
  • YorkLabor 32.4% · Coalition 67.6% TPP (2025)28.2 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)
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 (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 Northam Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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