Kimberley, WA
ord-river · lake-argyle · kimberley · tropical-outback
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Drive to the coast
1h 12m
By road
Nearest major hospital
2 min
By road
Airport access
7 min
By road
Schools access
Moderate
Average daytime temp
35.0°C
Rainfall
Moderate rainfall
Kununurra is a remote country centre with a younger population than most regional towns we cover. About 5,500 people live here, the median age is 33 and population has grown by roughly 13% since 2016. The listed major-city connection is Adelaide, more than 30 hours away by road, which underlines how little sense it makes to think of Kununurra as connected to a capital by car.
Instead, the local airport is only about seven minutes away and a major hospital around two minutes, making those facilities central to everyday practicality. Average daytime temperatures are extremely high at roughly 35°C, with very hot summers and warm winters. Rainfall is moderate compared with the arid inland locations, but heat is the defining climate factor.
The fixed-line connection supports solid connectivity. Living here means accepting that the local region has to provide nearly all of the ordinary working and social framework, with air travel carrying the burden for long-distance movement. Recent population growth and the young median age suggest a community with active working-age demand rather than a retirement profile.
Kununurra suits people comfortable with genuine remoteness and heat, especially when local work and community matter more than frequent metropolitan access.
19 photos
Kununurra suits adventurous families, teachers, health workers, tradespeople, agricultural workers, tourism staff and remote professionals who actively want northern Australia rather than simply cheaper regional living. It is a strong match for people drawn to rivers, wetlands, four-wheel driving and Kimberley landscapes, and who can handle intense heat and very long distances from southern cities.
Road distance to a major capital is enormous, so air travel is fundamental. The climate is very hot and seasonal, and specialist services can still require travel despite local hospital and airport access. Work opportunities are strongest in particular sectors, so households with two unrelated careers should investigate both job markets before moving.
Cruise Lake Argyle
Boat along the Ord River
Hike Mirima National Park
Drive part of the Gibb River Road
Median house price
$510,000
No WA-wide median published
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$730
≈ $3,163/month
Sourced from REIWA (Real Estate Institute of Western Australia) · REIWA, 12 months ending August 2026
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Moderate
Supermarket within 10km, limited other retail
Internet connection
Fixed line
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, Karratha 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.
Kununurra (SAL 50799) · 2021 Census
Younger than the national profile, with 7.4% aged 65 or over against 17.2%. Among households, renting is well above the national rate, at 59.3% of dwellings against 30.6%.
Population
5,494
Population growth
+12.8%
Kununurra (SA2 510011265)
Median age
33 years
Labour force participation
63.3%
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
$1,153
Per week · ≈ $59,956/year
Median family income
$2,364
Per week
Median household income
$2,091
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
31.5%
Rented
59.3%
Born in Australia
67.1%
Born overseas
14.7%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.