WA · Greater Geraldton Council

Tarcoola Beach, 6530

Est. population · Jun 2025

1,434

Growth (1 yr)

+0.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.1%

Median age

43

Median income

$2,157/wk

Employment rate

66.2%

University qualified

21.3%

Work from home

4.8%

Languages at home

7%non-English

Most common: French, Tagalog, Afrikaans

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

39.3/100
Below average

393rd in WA

Verified 88% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Coastal
  • Agricultural
What Tarcoola Beach is known for: Coastal, Agricultural

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Tarcoola Beach, WA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Tarcoola Beach, WA Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/wa/tarcoola-beach

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Suburb profile

Tarcoola Beach is a coastal town in Western Australia, in Greater Geraldton Council. The Tarcoola Beach is part of the surrounding geography.

Rents are unusually low against comparable places, with median rents 13% below the peer median. Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median, well above typical levels for coastal towns, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 34% above the peer median. The clearer weaknesses are lower school ICSEA scores and weaker population growth, with population growth 56% below the peer median.

Overall, Tarcoola Beach suits people prioritising lower rents and socio-economic advantage 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

Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in Western Australia (61)

Strengths

  • Rents are unusually low against comparable places
  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness
  • Population has been growing more slowly than in comparable places, or declining

What stands out

  • Tarcoola Beach

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Tarcoola Beach compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$520/wk

Population (ERP)

1,434

+0.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

10.7%

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

#12

among Coastal & beach · Emerging

Pop. growth

40th

percentile in WA

Rented dwellings

26%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

21st

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
39.3/100 — Below average
National rank
4610th in Australia
State rank
393rd in WA
Peer rank
#12 among Coastal & beach · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#58 among Coastal & beach 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

1,434(June 2025)

+0.7% annual · +6.1% over 5 years · 40th percentile in WA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.7%
5-year growth
+6.1%
Change in 1 year
+10
Change in 5 years
+82
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 (~1,500), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,360
Median age
43
Median household income / week
$2,157
Dwelling vacancy
10.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
62 of 580
Median monthly mortgage
$1,647
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$300
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
37.6% / 36.6% / 25.7%
Employment rate
66.2%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
4.8% / 2% / 77.6%
Walked or cycled to work
2.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
376 / 136 / 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

21.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 23.8% across Western Australia. 19.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified21.3% · 23.8% WA
  • Diploma qualified10.7% · 9.3% WA
  • Trade / vocational19.5% · 17.8% WA
  • Year 12 or below48.5% · 49.1% WA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies19.9%
  • Management and commerce17.5%
  • Health15.9%
  • Education13.6%
  • Society and culture10.6%
  • Architecture and building8.7%
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

Seasonal & agricultural work

5.3% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2.3× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.3% across Western Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
5.3%

46th percentile in WA · +130% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
39
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 6530

Occupation mix in this industry

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

  • Labourers16
  • Managers12

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 6530 (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 - Outback (South) (SA4 511), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 12121,011
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214696
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211488
  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1213276
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415188
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412115
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841652
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841134
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 841925
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841310

Western Australia - Outback (South) 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: 732 · AFF share +130% 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

7% speak a language other than English at home; 17.4% born overseas

Language at home
1,194 English only · 90 other
Non-English at home
7%
Born overseas
225 (17.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
65 (4.8%)
Australian citizens
1,205
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
9

Top languages other than English

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

  • French6 · 15.4%
  • Tagalog6 · 15.4%
  • Afrikaans5 · 12.8%
  • Tamil5 · 12.8%
  • Cantonese4 · 10.3%
  • Thai4 · 10.3%
  • Filipino3 · 7.7%
  • German3 · 7.7%

Religion

47.2%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 47.2%, while 43.2% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion43.2%42.5%
Christianity47.2%41.1%
Other / not stated9.6%16.4%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic25.4%18.7%
Anglican13%10.1%
Uniting Church2.3%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
88.3th (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)
938
Median ICSEA percentile
21th
School list
  • Mount Tarcoola Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 938 · 21th percentile · LBOTE 36% · 390 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
  • Wandina Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 978 · 37th percentile · LBOTE 24% · 449 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
  • Champion Bay Senior High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 914 · 14th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 847 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 2.0 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

13 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Broadhead Av After Willcock Dr
  • Glendinning Rd After Mcgragh Ct
  • Lockyer Rd After Brand Hwy
  • Willcock Dr After Jarrah St
  • Willcock Dr After Olive St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

27 mapped amenities

1 playgrounds · 2 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 3 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access — 13 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
20/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.21
Everyday services(1)
  • Puma TarcoolaPetrol station

    156 Brand Highway, Tarcoola Beach

Sport & outdoors(8)
  • Indian Ocean PSPCycling route
  • Glendinning ParkPark
  • Hakea Street ParkPark
  • Willcock Drive LookoutPark
  • Playground
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool (2)
Places to stay(3)
  • ibis Styles GeraldtonHotel

    140 Brand Highway, Tarcoola Beach

  • Abrolhos Reef LodgeMotel

    126 Brand Highway

  • The African ReefMotel

    5 Broadhead Avenue, Tarcoola Beach

Other(4)
  • Bicycle Parking (2)
  • Parking (9)
  • Parking Space (3)
  • Shower

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

Parks & reserves

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Glendinning ParkPark
  • Hakea Street ParkPark
  • Willcock Drive LookoutPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
1.7%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
3
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

Nearest hospital
St John of God Geraldton Hospital (2.9 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
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).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
37
Participants per 1,000 residents
25.8

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
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 7.8 km away).

Coalition 57.1%Labor 42.9%

3.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -4.6 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Mount TarcoolaLabor 44.6% · Coalition 55.4% TPP (2025)1.3 km away
  • WandinaLabor 40.1% · Coalition 59.9% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
  • RangewayLabor 49.8% · Coalition 50.2% TPP (2025)3.5 km away
  • GeraldtonLabor 44.9% · Coalition 55.1% TPP (2025)3.8 km away
  • WonthellaLabor 41.9% · Coalition 58.1% TPP (2025)5.1 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)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

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.