suburb.guide

WA · Yilgarn Council

Southern Cross, 6426

Est. population · Jun 2025

587

Growth (1 yr)

-0.5%

Growth (5 yr)

-0.8%

Median age

50

Median income

$1,244/wk

Employment rate

56.1%

University qualified

8.4%

Work from home

1.5%

Languages at home

8.5%non-English

Most common: Italian, Filipino, Malayalam

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

33.2/100
Below average

543rd in WA

Verified 90% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Agricultural
  • Heritage area
  • Remote
What Southern Cross is known for: Agricultural, Heritage area, Remote

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Suburb Guide, “Southern Cross, WA Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/wa/southern-cross-wa

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Suburb profile

Southern Cross is a remote locality in Western Australia, in Yilgarn Council. Notable landmarks include Palace Hotel, Southern Cross, Masonic Hall (fmr), Southern Cross and Court House & Registrar's Office (fmr).

The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked remote localities. Health access is an exceptional strength. School access is strong, with school access 100% above the peer median. The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings. Trade-offs centre on weaker population growth and lower socio-economic advantage.

Southern Cross is a better fit for people who value walkability and health access more than population growth.

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

Remote locality · compared with remote localities in Western Australia (453)

Strengths

  • The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places
  • Health access is a relative strength
  • The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
  • School access is strong

Weaknesses

  • Population growth is a relative weakness
  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median

What stands out

  • Palace Hotel, Southern Cross
  • Masonic Hall (fmr), Southern Cross
  • Court House & Registrar's Office (fmr)

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Southern Cross compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$150/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

587

-0.5% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

33.1%

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

#116

among Country & regional · Mature

Pop. growth

5th

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

38%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

29th

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
33.2/100 — Below average
National rank
5958th in Australia
State rank
543rd in WA
Peer rank
#116 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#212 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
90%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

587(June 2025)

-0.5% annual · -0.8% over 5 years · 5th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-0.5%
5-year growth
-0.8%
Change in 1 year
-3
Change in 5 years
-5
Growth rank in WA
5th 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 (~550), extrapolated at -1.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
572
Median age
50
Median household income / week
$1,244
Dwelling vacancy
33.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
123 of 372
Median monthly mortgage
$769
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$150
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
38.4% / 24.1% / 37.5%
Employment rate
56.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
1.5% / 1.1% / 68.7%
Walked or cycled to work
12%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
229 / 19 / 0 (+ 5 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

8.4% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 15.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified8.4% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified5.7% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational15.4% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below70.5% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies22.8%
  • Management and commerce20.4%
  • Education12.3%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services10.5%
  • Health9.9%
  • Society and culture8.6%
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)
$65,284

69th percentile in WA · +11% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$69,374

69th percentile in WA · +7% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

37th percentile in WA · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$51,211

29th percentile in WA · -19% vs Australia

Residents with business income
5.0%

11th percentile in WA · -52% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 6426 — 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
446
Taxpayers reporting net rent
47
Median net rent
-$2,247
Taxpayers reporting business income
22
Taxable income vs state median
+7%
Salary / wages vs state median
+11%
Rental investment vs state median
-8%
Super vs state median
-20%
Business income vs state median
-37%

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

7.6% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 3.3× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.3% across Western Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
7.6%

50th percentile in WA · +230% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
21
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 6426

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers21

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 6426 (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 - Wheat Belt (SA4 509), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12144,875
  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,810
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 12121,106
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211804
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415550
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412493
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8416305
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 841979
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841341
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841129

Western Australia - Wheat Belt 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: 275 · AFF share +230% 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

8.5% speak a language other than English at home; 19.9% born overseas

Language at home
473 English only · 44 other
Non-English at home
8.5%
Born overseas
104 (19.9%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
16 (2.8%)
Australian citizens
464
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
3

Top languages other than English

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

  • Italian6 · 46.2%
  • Filipino4 · 30.8%
  • Malayalam3 · 23.1%

Religion

48.4%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 48.4%, while 38.1% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion38.1%42.5%
Christianity48.4%41.1%
Other / not stated13.5%16.4%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic25.2%18.7%
Anglican14.3%10.1%
Uniting Church4.2%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 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
56.2th (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
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
940
Median ICSEA percentile
29th
School list
  • Southern Cross District High SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 874 · 7th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 54 students · Top SEA quarter 2%View on My School →
  • St Joseph's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1006 · 50th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 30 students · Top SEA quarter 21%View on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Southern Cross Stn Transwa Southern Cross
  • Southern Cross Stn Transwa Southern Cross

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

1 mapped amenities

1 caravan parks

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 2 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
3/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
3.5
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Southern Cross Caravan ParkCaravan 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

2 named sporting clubs in this suburb

  • Southern Cross Golf Club

    Golf

  • Yilgarn Bowls and Tennis Club Inc.

    Tennis · Lawn Bowls

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

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Constellation ParkPark
  • Southern Cross Rotary ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
2
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

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
4
Nearest hospital
Hospital (2.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
On site
GP clinics in suburb
1
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 1
Aged-care services
1
Residential aged-care places
12

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

  • Southern Cross General PracticeGP
  • Southern Cross Multi-Purpose ServiceSOUTHERN CROSSMulti-Purpose Service
  • HospitalHospital
  • Southern Cross Health ServiceGreat Eastern HighwayHospital
  • Southern Cross PharmacyPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
10
Participants per 1,000 residents
17.0

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
57 mm · ~7 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
26° / 12°
Rainfall
97 mm · ~12 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 5°
Rainfall
123 mm · ~15 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 10°
Rainfall
56 mm · ~7 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

8 heritage places

  • Old Primary School, Southern Cross28 Antares St, Southern Cross10022
  • Railway Rock Catchment Dam Group, YilgarnStephens Rd, Bodallin25378
  • Court House & Registrar's Office (fmr)26 Antares St, Southern Cross2804
  • Masonic Hall (fmr), Southern Cross14 Spica St, Southern Cross2815
  • Our Lady of Montserrat, Southern Cross50 Altair St, Southern Cross2801
  • Palace Hotel, Southern Cross6 Orion St, Southern Cross2812
  • Police Lock-up (fmr)Antares St, Southern Cross2806
  • Southern Cross Post Office24 Antares St, Southern Cross2808

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
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 193.0 km away).

Coalition 79.0%Labor 20.9%

15.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -15.6 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Southern CrossLabor 20.9% · Coalition 79.0% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
  • NarembeenLabor 14.0% · Coalition 86.0% TPP (2025)126.8 km away
  • Bruce RockLabor 21.3% · Coalition 78.7% TPP (2025)132.1 km away
  • HydenLabor 5.5% · Coalition 94.5% TPP (2025)140.4 km away
  • KondininLabor 21.9% · Coalition 78.2% TPP (2025)171.2 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

More in Yilgarn Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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