Pilbara, WA
iron-ore · pilbara-city · rock-art · archipelago
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Drive to the coast
7 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
5 min
By road
Airport access
21 min
By road
Schools access
Good
Average daytime temp
32.5°C
Rainfall
Very dry
Karratha is one of the youngest and hottest regional centres we cover. Around 17,000 people live here, the median age is only 32 and population has grown strongly, up roughly 20% since 2016. That gives the city a much more working-age profile than the older south-west towns.
Perth is almost 16 hours away by road, so flying is the realistic connection to the capital; the airport is about 20 minutes away and a major hospital only five minutes. The climate is a defining part of life, with average daytime temperatures above 32°C, extremely hot summers and very low rainfall. Winters are warm rather than cold.
Digital access is supported by fixed-line internet, providing reliable everyday connectivity. Karratha’s scale means it can support more services and employment than a tiny remote settlement, but the distance from Perth still changes how people organise travel, family visits and specialist needs.
Recent growth suggests ongoing demand rather than decline. Anyone moving here needs to be comfortable with heat and remoteness as structural features of the lifestyle, not occasional inconveniences. In return, Karratha offers a substantial regional base with a young population and local healthcare, rather than the minimal infrastructure of a much smaller north-west community.
11 photos
Karratha is primarily a working regional city for people in resources, construction, engineering, trades, health and education. It suits younger families and professionals who want high-value employment and serious outdoor access without living in a tiny Pilbara settlement. Boaters and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts will get more from the location than people seeking café culture, mild weather or easy capital-city access.
The heat is extreme and Perth is almost 16 hours away by road, so flights become routine for many households. The economy is closely tied to resources and major projects, which can influence housing and employment conditions. If your priority is low bustle or a diversified local economy, Karratha is a weaker fit.
Walk the Yaburara Heritage Trail
Explore Murujuga rock engravings
Boat through the Dampier Archipelago
Visit Millstream Chichester National Park
No median price is published for Karratha — too few sales are recorded here for one to be released.
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Good
4–9 shopping centres within 20km
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 1 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Trades — 14.8%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Broome, Kununurra and Dampier.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Karratha (UCL 513003) · 2021 Census
Younger than the national profile, with 2.8% aged 65 or over against 17.2%. Among households, families with children make up 56.3% of families, above the national 43.7%, and renting is well above the national rate, at 60% of dwellings against 30.6%.
Population
17,013
Population growth
+20.1%
Karratha (SA2 510031272)
Median age
32 years
Labour force participation
72.9%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$1,570
Per week · ≈ $81,640/year
Median family income
$3,497
Per week
Median household income
$3,194
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
31.6%
Rented
60%
Born in Australia
64.9%
Born overseas
20.2%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.