West Pilbara

Demographics & education

People tables are based on a person's place of usual residence on Census night

In the 2016 Census, there were 34,497 people in West Pilbara. Of these 61.9% were male and 38.1% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 11.1% of the population.

The median age of people in West Pilbara was 33 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 20.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 2.2% of the population.

Of people in West Pilbara aged 15 years and over, 47.3% were married and 10.7% were either divorced or separated.

In West Pilbara, of people aged 15 years and over, 45.8% of people were in a registered marriage and 21.4% were in a de facto marriage.

In West Pilbara 32.9% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 26.0% were in primary school, 13.2% in secondary school and 9.1% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in West Pilbara, 12.2% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 27.4% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 7.4% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in West Pilbara were Australian 28.5%, English 23.3%, Irish 6.3%, Scottish 6.1% and German 2.3%.

Respondents had the option of reporting up to two ancestries on their Census form, and this is captured by the Ancestry Multi Response (ANCP) variable used in this table. Therefore, the total responses count will not equal the persons count for this area. Calculated percentages represent a proportion of all responses from people in West Pilbara (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In West Pilbara, 62.7% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were New Zealand 6.3%, England 3.2%, Philippines 2.4%, South Africa 1.3% and India 1.1%.

In West Pilbara, 47.5% of people had both parents born in Australia and 27.1% of people had both parents born overseas.

In West Pilbara, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 53.1%, New Zealand 6.9%, England 5.9%, Philippines 2.5% and India 1.4%.

In West Pilbara, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 53.3%, New Zealand 7.1%, England 5.8%, Philippines 2.9% and South Africa 1.5%.

The most common responses for religion in West Pilbara were No Religion, so described 34.6%, Catholic 20.9%, Not stated 17.1%, Anglican 11.7% and Christian, nfd 2.6%. In West Pilbara, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (52.7%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In West Pilbara 73.7% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Tagalog 1.3%, Yindjibarndi 1.0%, Filipino 0.9%, Mandarin 0.8% and Afrikaans 0.5%.

Employment

There were 19,854 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in West Pilbara. Of these 74.2% were employed full time, 14.1% were employed part-time and 4.3% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Of employed people in West Pilbara, 5.3% worked 1 to 15 hours, 4.3% worked 16 to 24 hours and 69.8% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in West Pilbara included Technicians and Trades Workers 28.7%, Machinery Operators and Drivers 16.5%, Labourers 12.7%, Professionals 12.5%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 9.1%, Managers 8.4%, Community and Personal Service Workers 6.3% and Sales Workers 3.9%.

Of the employed people in West Pilbara, the most common responses for industry of employment included Iron Ore Mining 20.7%, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 6.8%, Oil and Gas Extraction 4.0%, Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting Services 4.0% and Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 2.8%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in West Pilbara was $1,763.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

In West Pilbara, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 43.0%, Bus 25.2%, Car, as passenger 6.7%, Walked only 5.4% and Other 3.1%. On the day, 26.0% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 50.6% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In West Pilbara, of people aged 15 years and over, 54.4% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 29.0% provided care for children and 5.2% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 18.3% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in West Pilbara, 20.9% worked 5 to 14 hours, 7.6% worked 15 to 29 hours and 7.4% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in West Pilbara, 55.1% were couple families with children, 32.8% were couple families without children and 10.7% were one parent families.

In West Pilbara, 25.6% of single parents were male and 74.4% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In West Pilbara, of couple families with children, 29.7% had both partners employed full-time, 2.0% had both employed part-time and 22.7% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In West Pilbara, 73.3% of private dwellings were occupied and 26.7% were unoccupied.

View the data quality statements for: Dwelling type (DWTD) Dwelling Structure (STRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in West Pilbara, 83.3% were separate houses, 10.6% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 3.2% were flats or apartments and 2.3% were other dwellings.

In West Pilbara, of occupied private dwellings 4.3% had 1 bedroom, 11.0% had 2 bedrooms and 45.3% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3.2. The average household size was 2.8 people.

View the data quality statements for: Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD) Number of persons usually resident in dwelling (NPRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in West Pilbara, 6.4% were owned outright, 11.6% were owned with a mortgage and 78.8% were rented.

Household composition

In West Pilbara, of all households, 75.6% were family households, 21.2% were single person households and 3.2% were group households.

In West Pilbara, 6.4% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 42.0% of households had a weekly income of more than $3000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

The number of households where rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were not renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

The number of households where mortgage repayments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

Number of motor vehicles

In West Pilbara, 27.3% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 40.6% had two registered motor vehicles and 23.9% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In West Pilbara, 86.2% of households had at least one person access the internet from the dwelling. This could have been through a desktop/laptop computer, mobile or smart phone, tablet, music or video player, gaming console, smart TV or any other device.

People characteristics

In West Pilbara, 53.4% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 46.6% were female. The median age was 25 years.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Indigenous status (INGP)

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

In West Pilbara, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 3.3 persons, with 1.1 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,772.

View the data quality statements for: Number of Bedrooms in Private Dwelling (BEDD) Household composition (HHCD) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)

In West Pilbara, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $130 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,223.

View the data quality statements for: Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)