Boulder
Mining employs 30.8% of Boulder's workers, more than three times its next industry, and that single fact shapes almost everything else in this Kalgoorlie twin town. The $357,000 median house price sits far below most metropolitan markets, yet the vacancy rate runs at 15.3%, a combination that points to a thin owner-occupier pool relative to transient mining labour. Household income reaches the 73.9th percentile nationally, decent for a regional centre, but university qualifications are just 9.9%, which is 20.2 points below the national figure. SEIFA scores tell the structural story: decile 1 on education and occupation (IEO) and decile 2 on both disadvantage indexes, well below the national midpoint. The median age of 35 runs 5 years younger than national.
Population
4,872
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,968/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$357K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $357,000 the Boulder median is among the more affordable in Australia, and the entry barrier is low because monthly mortgage repayments average just $1,302 against household incomes in the 73.9th percentile. That produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.3%, half the 30% stress threshold, so buyers carry far less debt burden than in capital cities. Stock is overwhelmingly detached: 81.9% are separate houses and 15.8% semi-detached, with three-bedroom homes the dominant format at 51.9% and four-plus-bedroom dwellings at 30.1%. Two-bedroom and smaller dwellings make up only 18%, so families buying space find it cheaper here than almost anywhere. Mortgage holders (42.8%) outnumber outright owners (21.5%), a younger buying profile consistent with the median age of 35, 5 years below national.
For Buyers
At $357,000 the Boulder median is among the more affordable in Australia, and the entry barrier is low because monthly mortgage repayments average just $1,302 against household incomes in the 73.9th percentile. That produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.3%, half the 30% stress threshold, so buyers carry far less debt burden than in capital cities. Stock is overwhelmingly detached: 81.9% are separate houses and 15.8% semi-detached, with three-bedroom homes the dominant format at 51.9% and four-plus-bedroom dwellings at 30.1%. Two-bedroom and smaller dwellings make up only 18%, so families buying space find it cheaper here than almost anywhere. Mortgage holders (42.8%) outnumber outright owners (21.5%), a younger buying profile consistent with the median age of 35, 5 years below national.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $300 against the $357,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.4%, far higher than the sub-2% yields common in capital cities, which is the headline attraction for income-focused investors. The catch is a 15.3% vacancy rate, very high and a direct reflection of mining-cycle volatility, since 30.8% of local jobs sit in one sector. Renters make up 35.7% of households, a deep tenant pool, but demand is fragile: net internal migration runs at minus 3 a year and net overseas migration at just plus 1, leaving population essentially flat. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, so there is no new-supply pressure, yet rent grew 13.6% over the decade. The case rests on yield rather than capital growth, with commodity prices the swing factor behind both occupancy and resale.
Schools in Boulder iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kalgoorlie School Of The Air
K-6 · 68 students
St Joseph's School
PP-6 · 193 students
Boulder Primary School
K-6 · 263 students
Demographics
The median age of 35 is 5.0 years below national, a young profile driven by working-age mining labour rather than families settling permanently. Overseas-born residents sit at 21.8%, almost exactly the national figure at 0.2 points above. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,631), Scottish (411) and Irish (410), with Afrikaans (15) the largest non-English language, a small footprint reflecting South African mining migration. University qualifications reach only 9.9%, which is 20.2 points below national, the clearest marker that this is a trades and operations economy rather than a knowledge one. Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national. Couples with children (1,454 families) outnumber couples without (768, or 24.3%), so despite the transient worker reputation, family households still dominate the 3,167 total families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.9%
Houses
15.8%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgaged ownership: 42.8% carry a mortgage, 21.5% own outright and 35.7% rent. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners two to one signals a younger, still-paying buyer base rather than long-held wealth, consistent with the median age of 35. The stock is 81.9% separate houses and 15.8% semi-detached, with apartments effectively absent, so buyers choose between detached formats almost exclusively. Three-bedroom homes lead at 51.9% and four-plus-bedroom at 30.1%, meaning larger family housing is the norm. The $357,000 median is affordable enough that mortgage-to-income sits at just 15.3% and rent-to-income at 15.2%, both far below the 30% stress line and well under what capital-city households face. That low cost base is the suburb's defining housing advantage relative to metropolitan markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,302
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,019
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.3%
Unoccupied
295
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
3,167
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining dominates at 30.8% of workers (356 jobs), more than triple Healthcare at 9.3% (107) and Construction at 8.0% (92), with Other Services at 6.8% and Education at 6.5% rounding out the top five. By occupation, Machinery Operators and Drivers lead at 478, followed by Labourers (253) and Clerical and Admin (237), a blue-collar concentration that explains the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is 5.0% and the full-time employment rate is high at 74.3%, reflecting steady mine rosters. The SEIFA spread is revealing: IER (economic resources) reads decile 4 against decile 2 on disadvantage and decile 1 on education, because solid mining wages lift household resources even where formal qualifications stay low. Real incomes fell 5.3% over the decade, a warning that nominal mining pay has not kept pace with cost of living.
Unemployment
2.2%
Labour Force
1,043
Unemployed
23
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
74.3%
Part-time
20.7%
Participation
58.5%
Employed
2,092
Occupations
Top Industries
University
9.9%
Postgraduate
1.6%
Born Overseas
21.8%
Dwellings
1,636
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 84.0% of residents drive to work while only 2.9% use public transport and 2.8% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars and typical for a remote regional town with limited transit. The suburb scores decile 2 on IRSAD and decile 2 on IRSD, both low on the national advantage and disadvantage scales, so a meaningful share of residents face relative deprivation. Volunteering runs at 10.7% and 4.0% of residents (164 people) need daily assistance, broadly in line with national norms despite the younger median age of 35. The clearest livability cost is affordability of housing being a non-issue: rent-to-income at 15.2% is roughly half the capital-city burden, which keeps day-to-day living costs manageable for the mining workforce that anchors the town.
Drive
84.0%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.05%/yr
(+1 people/yr)
EstablishedBoulder is a flat market: annual population growth is just 0.05%, roughly 1 person a year, and the 10-year change is only 3.6%, classifying it as established and slow-growth. Migration is balanced but weak, with net internal flow at minus 3 a year offset by net overseas at plus 1, so there is no structural driver pushing the population higher. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 5.9 points and the working-age share down 2.9 points over the decade, a shift that runs counter to the young median age and hints at workers leaving as they reach retirement. Gentrification scores zero and reads not gentrifying, fitting a decile 2 disadvantage suburb with no upgrading pressure. Affordability held steady, easing slightly from 39.8% in 2011 to 38.8% in 2021, so the cost base stayed stable rather than deteriorating.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+1
Net Internal / yr
-3
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Boulder compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boulder a good suburb to live in?
Boulder suits buyers prioritising affordability, with a $357,000 median house price and rent-to-income of just 15.2%, roughly half the capital-city burden. The trade-offs are real: it scores decile 2 on the IRSAD advantage index and university qualifications are only 9.9%, 20.2 points below national, reflecting a mining-driven economy.
What is the median house price in Boulder?
The median house price is $357,000, well below most metropolitan markets. Weekly rent averages $300, giving a gross yield near 4.4%, and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,302, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 15.3%, far below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Boulder?
No schools are recorded inside the Boulder boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Kalgoorlie. The resident workforce skews toward trades and operations, with university qualifications at 9.9%, which is 20.2 points below the national figure.
Is Boulder safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Boulder in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a low tier nationally, while only 4.0% of its 4,872 residents need daily assistance, a figure in line with national norms.
Is Boulder good for property investment?
Rent of $300 a week against the $357,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.4%, far above the sub-2% common in capital cities. The risk is a 15.3% vacancy rate tied to mining cycles, with 30.8% of jobs in one sector, so returns depend on yield rather than capital growth.
How is Boulder's population changing?
Population growth is just 0.05% annually, about 1 person a year, with a 3.6% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.9 points and the working-age share down 2.9 points over the decade, despite a young median age of 35.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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