Meekatharra

Demographics & education

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

In the 2016 Census, there were 3,069 people in Meekatharra. Of these 61.1% were male and 38.9% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 26.8% of the population.

The median age of people in Meekatharra was 38 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 14.7% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 9.9% of the population.

Of people in Meekatharra aged 15 years and over, 32.6% were married and 15.0% were either divorced or separated.

In Meekatharra, of people aged 15 years and over, 26.6% of people were in a registered marriage and 20.8% were in a de facto marriage.

In Meekatharra 33.5% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 15.5% were in primary school, 7.0% in secondary school and 4.6% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Meekatharra, 10.4% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 15.6% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 5.0% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in Meekatharra were Australian 26.2%, English 21.0%, Australian Aboriginal 8.6%, Irish 6.0% and Scottish 5.3%.

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 Meekatharra (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Meekatharra, 62.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were New Zealand 4.3%, England 3.5%, South Africa 0.8%, Philippines 0.6% and Fiji 0.6%.

In Meekatharra, 52.0% of people had both parents born in Australia and 17.8% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Meekatharra, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 55.8%, England 4.7%, New Zealand 4.3%, Scotland 1.1% and South Africa 0.9%.

In Meekatharra, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 56.8%, England 5.5%, New Zealand 4.4%, Scotland 1.0% and South Africa 0.8%.

The most common responses for religion in Meekatharra were No Religion, so described 30.1%, Not stated 25.5%, Catholic 15.8%, Seventh-day Adventist 9.5% and Anglican 8.8%. In Meekatharra, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (56.9%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Meekatharra 66.7% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Martu Wangka 5.6%, Wajarri 0.6%, Afrikaans 0.5%, Fijian 0.4% and Sinhalese 0.3%.

Employment

There were 1,421 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Meekatharra. Of these 70.5% were employed full time, 14.1% were employed part-time and 6.2% 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 Meekatharra, 6.1% worked 1 to 15 hours, 3.5% worked 16 to 24 hours and 67.4% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Meekatharra included Machinery Operators and Drivers 21.0%, Technicians and Trades Workers 18.0%, Professionals 15.0%, Managers 14.2%, Labourers 13.2%, Community and Personal Service Workers 7.3%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 6.5% and Sales Workers 2.1%.

Of the employed people in Meekatharra, the most common responses for industry of employment included Gold Ore Mining 17.9%, Local Government Administration 6.8%, Other Mining Support Services 6.3%, Beef Cattle Farming (Specialised) 5.4% and Other Basic Non-Ferrous Metal Manufacturing 4.5%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Meekatharra was $949.

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

In Meekatharra, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 30.8%, Walked only 17.9%, Bus 12.6%, Other 9.8% and Car, as passenger 7.4%. On the day, 13.0% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 39.7% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Meekatharra, of people aged 15 years and over, 46.2% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 19.2% provided care for children and 8.3% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 16.9% 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 Meekatharra, 18.4% worked 5 to 14 hours, 6.8% worked 15 to 29 hours and 5.8% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Meekatharra, 28.5% were couple families with children, 45.6% were couple families without children and 23.2% were one parent families.

In Meekatharra, 8.5% of single parents were male and 91.5% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Meekatharra, of couple families with children, 24.2% had both partners employed full-time, 2.4% had both employed part-time and 13.1% 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 Meekatharra, 63.7% of private dwellings were occupied and 36.3% were unoccupied.

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

Of occupied private dwellings in Meekatharra, 85.3% were separate houses, 0.8% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 3.4% were flats or apartments and 4.8% were other dwellings.

In Meekatharra, of occupied private dwellings 6.9% had 1 bedroom, 19.5% had 2 bedrooms and 43.6% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3. The average household size was 2.4 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 Meekatharra, 27.1% were owned outright, 9.6% were owned with a mortgage and 55.2% were rented.

Household composition

In Meekatharra, of all households, 58.3% were family households, 37.0% were single person households and 4.7% were group households.

In Meekatharra, 27.6% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 9.7% 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 Meekatharra, 35.1% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 25.5% had two registered motor vehicles and 18.7% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Meekatharra, 59.2% 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 Meekatharra, 48.5% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 51.5% were female. The median age was 27 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 Meekatharra, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 3.4 persons, with 1.1 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $922.

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

In Meekatharra, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $100 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $450.

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