Bulgarra
Household income in the 96.2nd percentile nationally sits alongside a 22.1% vacancy rate, and those two facts tell the same story: Bulgarra is a mining-anchored suburb in the Pilbara where wages are high but population churn is constant. With a median age of 33, seven years below the national figure, and 54.7% of residents male, the suburb skews toward working-age fly-in workers rather than settled families. Mining accounts for 23.7% of employment and construction adds another 15.0%, which together explain both the income premium and the impermanence.
Population
2,990
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,812/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$476K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a median house price of $476,000, Bulgarra sits well below many Perth metro suburbs yet carries Pilbara wages behind it, so mortgage stress is minimal. Monthly repayments average $1,810, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 14.9% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, comparing favourably to most Australian markets. Separate houses dominate at 76.3% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes accounting for 59.1% of stock and 4-plus bedroom homes at 24.4%. Only 11.8% own their home outright, which is low relative to national norms, because the workforce is transient rather than long-settled. Semi-detached stock at 17.5% and apartments at just 6.1% reflect the low-density, family-oriented built form of the area.
For Buyers
At a median house price of $476,000, Bulgarra sits well below many Perth metro suburbs yet carries Pilbara wages behind it, so mortgage stress is minimal. Monthly repayments average $1,810, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 14.9% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, comparing favourably to most Australian markets. Separate houses dominate at 76.3% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes accounting for 59.1% of stock and 4-plus bedroom homes at 24.4%. Only 11.8% own their home outright, which is low relative to national norms, because the workforce is transient rather than long-settled. Semi-detached stock at 17.5% and apartments at just 6.1% reflect the low-density, family-oriented built form of the area.
For Investors
A 49.4% renter share and weekly rent of $388 are the core investor numbers, but the 22.1% vacancy rate is a significant counterweight. That vacancy is higher than the national average and signals that rental demand is tied directly to mining project cycles rather than organic population growth. The rent-to-income ratio of 13.8% keeps existing tenants comfortable, but turnover runs at 31.1%, meaning roughly 1 in 3 residents changed address in the five-year period. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, indicating limited new supply pressure. The investment case depends heavily on commodity cycles sustaining employment at the nearby operations that drive 23.7% of local jobs in mining alone.
Demographics
The median age of 33 is 7 years below the national figure, the direct consequence of a workforce dominated by labourers, machinery operators and construction workers rather than established families. The male-to-female split sits at 54.7% male, unusual compared to most Australian suburbs, which reflects the occupational mix. English ancestry leads at 1,032 residents, followed by Irish (218) and Scottish (187), giving the suburb an Anglo-Celtic character. Overseas-born residents reach 23.2%, which is 1.6 percentage points above the national rate. University qualifications at 12.5% are 17.6 points below national, consistent with trades and operational roles dominating rather than professional or managerial work.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.3%
Houses
17.5%
Townhouse
6.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tells the transience story clearly: only 11.8% own their home outright compared to the national norm, while 38.8% carry a mortgage and 49.4% rent, making renters the plurality. The 3-bedroom house is the dominant dwelling type at 59.1%, and 76.3% of all dwellings are separate houses, a ratio higher than most capital city suburbs. Mortgage-to-income at 14.9% and rent-to-income at 13.8% both sit well below stress thresholds, meaning housing affordability relative to local incomes is not an issue, unlike many Australian markets. The 22.1% vacancy rate is the key risk figure for the housing market, as it reflects the direct link between resource project activity and occupancy levels.
Mortgage / mo
$1,810
Rent / wk
$388
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,409
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
22.1%
Unoccupied
262
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
14.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
1,920
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining employs 23.7% of local workers, the single largest industry, followed by Construction at 15.0%, Healthcare at 6.5%, Education at 6.4% and Hospitality at 6.1%. This concentration is sharply different from most Australian suburbs, where no single sector typically reaches 15%. By occupation, Labourers (224) and Machinery and Drivers (220) are the top two groups, consistent with the resource extraction context. The unemployment rate of 3.0% is low and full-time employment reaches 78.8% of employed residents, a higher full-time rate than nationally. Household income in the 96.2nd percentile nationally reflects the wage premium that mining and resources jobs carry in the Pilbara, rather than a highly educated or professional workforce.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
78.8%
Part-time
18.2%
Participation
66.4%
Employed
1,511
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.5%
Postgraduate
1.9%
Born Overseas
23.2%
Dwellings
929
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 86.4% of residents drive to work, well above the national average, and only 1.3% use public transport, while 5.6% walk or cycle. This reflects both the regional location and the dispersed nature of employment sites. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, meaning families rely on schooling in neighbouring suburbs. Crime data is not available for Bulgarra in this dataset. Need for assistance is very low at 1.4% of residents (36 people), consistent with the young, working-age population profile. Volunteering reaches 15.3%, a reasonable rate for a transient workforce community. The 1.4% assistance rate and 3.0% unemployment together indicate a functionally capable resident base, even without SEIFA data to quantify relative advantage.
Drive
86.4%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
5.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bulgarra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bulgarra a good suburb to live in?
Bulgarra suits people working in Pilbara mining and construction, where household income sits in the 96.2nd percentile nationally and housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at 14.9% and rent-to-income at 13.8%. Trade-offs include a 22.1% vacancy rate, no schools recorded within the suburb, and 86.4% car dependence with minimal public transport at 1.3%.
What is the median house price in Bulgarra?
The median house price is estimated at $476,000 based on 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $388 and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,810. With local household income in the 96.2nd percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income sits at just 14.9%, well below the 30% stress benchmark.
What schools are in Bulgarra?
No schools are recorded within the Bulgarra suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs within the Karratha area. University qualifications among residents reach only 12.5%, which is 17.6 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the trades and operational workforce composition.
Is Bulgarra safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bulgarra in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the unemployment rate is low at 3.0%, only 1.4% of residents (36 people) need daily assistance, and the full-time employment rate of 78.8% is above national norms, all consistent with a functional, employed community.
Is Bulgarra good for property investment?
The 49.4% renter share provides a large tenant pool, and rent of $388 per week against a $476,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, above most Perth metro suburbs. However, the 22.1% vacancy rate is high and reflects mining-cycle dependency. The 31.1% turnover rate means tenants change frequently, raising holding costs.
How is Bulgarra's population changing?
Formal population forecasts are not available for Bulgarra, but the 31.1% turnover rate shows that roughly 1 in 3 residents moved in the five-year census period. With a population of 2,990 and median age of 33, the suburb is 7 years younger than the national median, driven by working-age fly-in workers tied to mining and construction employment cycles.
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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