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%

Languages at home

7%non-English

Most common: French, Tagalog, Afrikaans

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

41.8/100
Average

Top 47% of Western Australia's suburbs

Verified 74% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Coastal
  • Excellent transport
  • Education hub
  • Green suburb
  • High desirability
What Tarcoola Beach is known for: Coastal, Excellent transport, Education hub, Green suburb, High desirability

Suburb profile

Tarcoola Beach is a coastal smaller community a long way from Perth, where beach life and a quieter rhythm set the tone. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with family life visible on every street. Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town.

Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area. Buyers typically pay more than the metro middle for a home here.

Reported crime has been falling recently. An emerging neighbourhood feel is building here, with new households gradually reshaping local life.

Desirability lands below average here: softer schools and education weighing on the result versus similar coastal suburbs, even with community and employment, plus housing affordability holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Tarcoola Beach snapshot

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

#7

among Coastal & beach · Emerging

Safety

25th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

40th

percentile in WA

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
41.8/100 — Average
State standing
Top 47% of Western Australia's suburbs
National rank
3449th in Australia
State rank
328th in WA
Peer rank
#7 among Coastal & beach · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#50 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
74%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb 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 (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

  • WA rental bond lodgementsDepartment 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
Employment rate
66.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
376 / 136 / 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)
7,497
Against the person
2,625
Against property
3,363
Rate per 1,000 residents
5,228
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 1 residents
State safety percentile
25th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-23.8%

Most common offence types

  • Assault (Family)1259
  • Breach Of Violence Restraint Order548
  • Drug Offences961
  • Property Damage903
  • Stealing1430

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

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 (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

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 (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

9 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 playgrounds · 2 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life3 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access13 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
Sport & outdoors(4)
  • Playground
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool (2)
Other(4)
  • Bicycle Parking (2)
  • Parking
  • Puma TarcoolaPetrol station

    156 Brand Highway, Tarcoola Beach

  • 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.

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

Parks & reserves

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Glendinning ParkPark
  • Hakea Street ParkPark
  • Willcock Drive LookoutPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
3

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
St John of God Geraldton Hospital (2.9 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)
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 (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
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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

This suburb ranks highly for

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.

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