Broome

Schools in Broome iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 36 is 4.0 years below the national figure, consistent with a workforce-aged population oriented around healthcare, tourism, and education roles. Overseas-born residents stand at 19.3%, which is 2.3 percentage points below national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic with English (928), Irish (269), and Scottish (236) as the top groups, while 48 residents speak an Australian Indigenous language. University qualifications reach 25.9%, sitting 4.2 points below the national average. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure exactly. Couples with children account for 870 families and couples without children 499, reflecting a mixed household structure rather than a single dominant profile.

Tenure is dominated by renting at 60.2%, more than double the outright-ownership share of 15.4%, with mortgaged households at 24.3%. This imbalance reflects the transient employment base rather than unaffordable purchase prices. The stock is mostly separate houses at 67.2%, with semi-detached at 23.6% and apartments at 5.2%. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 42.6% and two-bedroom at 23.5%, with smaller one-bedroom units at 15.2%. The median house price of $431,000 is well below the WA state median for comparable coastal locations. Turnover is high at 30.8%, meaning nearly one-in-three residents moved in the previous year, which keeps the rental market active even as vacancy remains elevated at 19.9%.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare dominates local employment at 23.1% (245 workers), followed by Hospitality at 13.7% (146), Education at 13.1% (139), Public Admin at 6.9% (73), and Construction at 6.7% (71). By occupation, Professionals lead at 340, followed by Community and Personal Service workers at 230, Managers at 212, Clerical and Admin at 206, and Labourers at 175. The unemployment rate of 7.1% is elevated compared to the national average, and the participation rate of 53.2% is below typical metro figures, both reflecting a seasonal hospitality and tourism workforce. Household income sits at the 64.1st percentile nationally with a weekly household income of $1,802. SEIFA IER decile of 4 indicates below-average economic resources, though the IRSAD decile of 6 suggests moderate advantage overall.

Transport to Work

Broome records an unusually high active transport share: 18.6% of residents walk or cycle to work, well above most regional WA towns, reflecting the compact 5.82 km2 area and flat terrain. Public transport use is minimal at 2.1%, and 71.7% drive, typical for a regional town with limited transit infrastructure. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset. The IRSAD decile of 6 places Broome in the moderate advantage tier nationally, and the IRSD decile of 5 sits right at the national midpoint. Volunteering is active at 20.0% of residents. Rent-to-income at 16.6% and mortgage-to-income at 25% both sit below stress thresholds, and 5.0% of residents (156 people) require daily assistance.

Population Forecast

Annual population growth is tracking at 1.31%, adding around 216 persons per year. Over the past decade the population grew by 14.8%. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 188 net arrivals per year, while net internal outflow of 146 per year partially offsets that gain. Medium forecasts project the broader Broome area population reaching 17,830 by 2031, up from 16,506 in 2025. Rent grew 32% and real income grew 9.9% over the decade, but the gentrification score of 8 classifies the suburb as not gentrifying, consistent with a resource-and-service economy where price appreciation is moderate rather than driven by demographic upgrading. The affordability trend is stable, shifting marginally from 29.0% to 28.4% between 2011 and 2021.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Broome compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions