Dampier
Household income in the 99.2nd percentile nationally tells the Dampier story plainly: this small Pilbara town of 1,282 people runs on mining wages. With 40.4% of its workforce in mining, incomes are among the highest you will find anywhere in Australia, yet the median house price sits at $605,000 and rent-to-income is just 13.1%. The vacancy rate of 24.9% is unusually high, reflecting a transient workforce and a 28% annual turnover rate. Median age is 35, five years below the national figure, pointing to a workforce-age population rather than a settled residential base.
Population
1,282
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,664/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$605K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $605,000, the median house price is accessible relative to local incomes, with mortgage-to-income at just 15.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Monthly repayments average $2,383 against household income of $3,664 per week, making ownership financially comfortable compared to most Australian markets. The stock is 88.4% separate houses, with 65.3% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms and 26.5% having 4 or more, suiting families. However, the 24.9% vacancy rate and 28% annual resident turnover signal this is a working-town market rather than a stable residential one. Buyers should weigh income strength against the risk that price levels are tied to mining-sector activity.
For Buyers
At $605,000, the median house price is accessible relative to local incomes, with mortgage-to-income at just 15.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Monthly repayments average $2,383 against household income of $3,664 per week, making ownership financially comfortable compared to most Australian markets. The stock is 88.4% separate houses, with 65.3% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms and 26.5% having 4 or more, suiting families. However, the 24.9% vacancy rate and 28% annual resident turnover signal this is a working-town market rather than a stable residential one. Buyers should weigh income strength against the risk that price levels are tied to mining-sector activity.
For Investors
The 38.4% renter share and $480 weekly rent provide a broad tenant pool, and against a $605,000 median that implies a gross yield around 4.1%, higher than most metro markets. The concern is the 24.9% vacancy rate, among the highest anywhere, which reflects a fly-in-fly-out workforce pattern that can leave properties empty between tenancies. With 28% of residents turning over annually and no development activity recorded in the past 12 months, new supply pressure is low. Investment returns depend heavily on mining-sector employment levels in the Pilbara, so demand can shift quickly with commodity cycles.
Schools in Dampier iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Dampier Primary School
K-6 · 193 students
Demographics
Dampier skews younger than average nationally, with a median age of 35 compared to the national 40. The university qualification rate of 18.6% is 11.5 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trade and operational mining roles rather than professional occupations. Overseas-born residents make up 15.2%, which is 6.4 points below the national average. English-speaking ancestry dominates, led by English (480 residents), Irish (128) and Scottish (101). Average household size of 2.9 is 0.4 above the national figure, driven by a high share of couples with children, at 648 of 1,007 families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.4%
Houses
4.0%
Townhouse
6.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 88.4% of Dampier's housing stock, well above the national average, and 91.8% of dwellings have 3 or more bedrooms. Of current residents, 43.3% hold a mortgage, 38.4% rent and 18.3% own outright. The low outright-ownership rate compared to many suburbs reflects the workforce-age demographic and shorter average tenure. Rent at $480 per week represents just 13.1% of household income, the lowest housing stress ratio typical of high-income resource towns. At the $605,000 median, Dampier is priced below major capitals despite income levels in the national top 1%.
Mortgage / mo
$2,383
Rent / wk
$480
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,698
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
24.9%
Unoccupied
126
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.8%
Couples, no children
1,007
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining employs 40.4% of Dampier's workforce, making it the dominant industry by a large margin, followed by Transport at 10.3% and Education at 8.7%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 117 workers, followed by Clerical/Admin (89), Managers (82), Machinery/Drivers (70) and Labourers (66). The unemployment rate of 2.5% is low and the full-time employment rate of 75.6% is high nationally. Weekly household income of $3,664 places Dampier in the 99.2nd percentile nationally, an almost singular data point. Volunteering at 29.7% is also notably high, suggesting strong community engagement alongside the mining economy.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
75.6%
Part-time
21.9%
Participation
69.0%
Employed
624
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.6%
Postgraduate
2.7%
Born Overseas
15.2%
Dwellings
371
Transport to Work
Car travel is the dominant mode with 85.7% of residents driving, higher than national averages, reflecting the remote Pilbara location with minimal public transport at 0.6%. Walking and cycling accounts for 5.5% of commutes, above what many comparable remote towns record. Housing costs are low relative to income, with rent at 13.1% and mortgage at 15.0% of household income, both well below stress thresholds. The 1.4% of residents needing daily assistance is low, consistent with a young workforce-age population. No schools are recorded in the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby facilities. Crime data is not available in this dataset.
Drive
85.7%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
5.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Dampier compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dampier a good suburb to live in?
Dampier suits workers in the Pilbara mining industry well. Household income sits in the 99.2nd percentile nationally, housing costs are low relative to incomes with rent-to-income at just 13.1%, and the unemployment rate is 2.5%. The trade-offs are remoteness, a 24.9% vacancy rate, and high resident turnover of 28% annually, which limits community stability compared to metro suburbs.
What is the median house price in Dampier?
The median house price is $605,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,383, and mortgage-to-income sits at just 15.0% given household income of $3,664 per week. Weekly rent is $480, implying a gross yield around 4.1% for investors.
What schools are in Dampier?
No schools are recorded inside the Dampier suburb boundary in this dataset. The suburb's university qualification rate is 18.6%, which is 11.5 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce population concentrated in mining and trade occupations rather than professional roles.
Is Dampier safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Dampier in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is low, with rent-to-income at 13.1% and mortgage-to-income at 15.0%, both well below typical stress thresholds. Only 1.4% of residents (about 16 people) need daily assistance, consistent with a young, employed population.
Is Dampier good for property investment?
The 38.4% renter share and $480 weekly rent against a $605,000 median imply a gross yield near 4.1%, which is above most metro markets. However, the 24.9% vacancy rate and 28% annual turnover reflect fly-in-fly-out demand cycles tied to Pilbara mining. Returns can be strong when projects are active but can soften quickly with commodity downturns.
How is Dampier's population changing?
Dampier's population of 1,282 is small and linked to resource-sector activity rather than organic growth. The 28% annual turnover rate means roughly 1 in 4 residents moves each year, which is high compared to settled suburbs. No new development activity was recorded in the past 12 months, suggesting the town is in a stable rather than growth phase.
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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