Geraldton
With a median age of 47, Geraldton sits 7 years above the national figure, and the suburb's aging trajectory is reinforced by a senior share that climbed 4 points over the decade. The household income sits at the 21.3rd percentile nationally, placing this as a low-income market by WA standards. A 45.3% renter share combined with a 16.0% vacancy rate signals soft rental demand, though affordability has steadily improved: rent-to-income at 19.3% keeps tenants well below the 30% stress threshold. Population grew 31.6% over 10 years and the suburb's gentrification score of 48 now reads as Active, driven by 133 net internal arrivals per year.
Population
3,246
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,142/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$312K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $312,000 is well below Australian capital city medians, making Geraldton accessible for buyers priced out of Perth. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 28.3%, just under the conventional 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 64.5% of the stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 30.5% and apartments at only 4.3%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 43.9% of all dwellings, followed by two-bedrooms at 27.5%. Outright owners account for 32.2% of households compared to 22.5% on mortgages, pointing to a significant pool of established, debt-free residents who bought in at lower price points.
For Buyers
The median house price of $312,000 is well below Australian capital city medians, making Geraldton accessible for buyers priced out of Perth. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 28.3%, just under the conventional 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 64.5% of the stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 30.5% and apartments at only 4.3%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 43.9% of all dwellings, followed by two-bedrooms at 27.5%. Outright owners account for 32.2% of households compared to 22.5% on mortgages, pointing to a significant pool of established, debt-free residents who bought in at lower price points.
For Investors
A 45.3% renter share and weekly rent of $220 give landlords a broad tenant pool, but the 16.0% vacancy rate is a notable risk signal, well above the 3% threshold considered healthy in most markets. Against the $312,000 median, $220 weekly rent implies a gross yield around 3.7%, higher than most capital city markets yet tempered by that vacancy. Population growth of 2.18% annually and net internal migration of 133 residents per year are positive demand signals. Real income grew 8.3% over the decade and rent growth ran at 3.3%, suggesting incremental rental gains rather than sharp jumps. Development activity recorded 0 applications in the past 12 months, so new supply pressure is minimal.
Schools in Geraldton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Geraldton Grammar School
PP-12 · 693 students
Nagle Catholic College
7-12 · 1209 students
St Francis Xavier Primary School
PP-6 · 394 students
Geraldton Primary School
K-6 · 397 students
St Lawrence's Primary School
PP-6 · 563 students
Demographics
The median age of 47 is 7 years above the national figure, and the aging trajectory is clear: the senior share rose 4 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 2.1 points. Overseas-born residents make up 20.9%, which is 0.7 points below the national average. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,115 residents), Irish (361) and Scottish (277). University qualifications reach 20.9%, which is 9.2 points below the national average, consistent with the suburb's blue-collar and service-sector employment base. Average household size is 2.0, which is 0.5 below national, reflecting the prevalence of older couples and single-person households. Couples without children account for 37.4% of families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
64.5%
Houses
30.5%
Townhouse
4.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split with 45.3% renting, 32.2% owning outright and 22.5% carrying a mortgage. The high renter share relative to the national average reflects both affordability pressures and the transient nature of some residents in a regional hub. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 43.9%, followed by two-bedrooms at 27.5% and four-plus bedroom homes at 21.6%. Separate houses account for 64.5% of the stock, above the state average for regional WA centres, with semi-detached at 30.5%. Weekly rent of $220 keeps rent-to-income at 19.3%, below the national stress level, while the $1,400 monthly mortgage sits at 28.3% of median household income. The 16.0% vacancy rate is high compared to most suburban markets and points to above-average churn.
Mortgage / mo
$1,400
Rent / wk
$220
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$645
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
16.0%
Unoccupied
244
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.4%
Couples, no children
1,851
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates employment at 25.2% of workers (213 people), well above its national share, which reflects Geraldton's role as a regional medical hub for the Mid West. Education follows at 13.0% (110 workers) and Construction at 7.8% (66). Professionals are the largest occupation group at 305 workers, followed by Community/Personal service (159) and Labourers (159). The unemployment rate of 8.0% is above the national average, and the participation rate of 48.1% is low, partly because the median age of 47 pushes many residents toward the non-labour-force category, with 1,083 recorded as not in the labour force. IRSAD decile is 4 and IRSD decile is 4, placing the suburb in the lower-advantage half nationally for both advantage and disadvantage indexes.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
5,942
Unemployed
344
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.5%
Part-time
29.5%
Participation
48.1%
Employed
1,235
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.9%
Postgraduate
4.3%
Born Overseas
20.9%
Dwellings
1,283
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 77.3% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average, while only 1.8% use public transport. Walking and cycling account for 11.8%, which is reasonable for a regional centre. The IRSAD decile of 4 places Geraldton in the lower-advantage bracket nationally, meaning residents face above-average socioeconomic pressures. About 12.3% of residents (358 people) need daily assistance, above typical suburban levels, which is consistent with the older demographic profile. No schools are recorded in the suburb boundary data, so families rely on institutions in the broader Geraldton area. The volunteering rate of 16.4% and housing stress below 30% for both renters and mortgage holders suggest reasonable community cohesion despite the lower income base.
Drive
77.3%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
11.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.18%/yr
(+216 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 31.6% over the decade, reaching 9,890 by 2025, and medium forecasts project continued gains to 11,125 by 2031, an annual rate of 2.18% (around 216 additional residents per year). Internal migration is the primary driver at an average net inflow of 133 per year, with overseas migration adding 31 more. The gentrification score sits at 48 and the stage reads Active, with signals including population up 48% since 2011 and the working-age population share edging up from 17% to 26%. Affordability improved from 45.9% in 2011 to 35.6% in 2021, meaning the cost of housing relative to incomes declined, making entry more accessible over time and supporting ongoing migration.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+31
Net Internal / yr
+133
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +48% since 2011, Net internal migration +133/yr, Accelerating: 17% → 26%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Geraldton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Geraldton a good suburb to live in?
Geraldton suits buyers seeking affordable housing in a regional hub. The median house price is $312,000 and rent-to-income sits at 19.3%, below the 30% stress level. The IRSAD decile of 4 places it in the lower-advantage half nationally, and the unemployment rate of 8.0% is above average, so job market conditions are a key consideration.
What is the median house price in Geraldton?
The median house price is $312,000, well below the Perth metropolitan median. Weekly rent averages $220 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,400, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3%. That is below the 30% stress threshold relative to the median household income of $1,142 per week.
What schools are in Geraldton?
No schools are recorded inside the Geraldton suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools across the broader Geraldton area. The local university qualification rate is 20.9%, which is 9.2 points below the national average, reflecting the suburb's predominantly blue-collar and service-sector workforce.
Is Geraldton safe?
Crime data is not available for Geraldton in this dataset. As indirect indicators, the IRSD decile of 4 places it in the lower-advantage half nationally, and 12.3% of residents (358 people) need daily assistance. These figures suggest higher-than-average socioeconomic pressures, which can correlate with elevated crime rates in regional centres.
Is Geraldton good for property investment?
Geraldton offers a gross yield of around 3.7% based on $220 weekly rent against a $312,000 median, higher than most capital city markets. However, the 16.0% vacancy rate is well above the healthy 3% threshold and is the key risk. Annual population growth of 2.18% and net internal migration of 133 per year support long-term demand.
How is Geraldton's population changing?
Population grew 31.6% over the decade to 9,890 in 2025 and is forecast to reach 11,125 by 2031 at 2.18% per year. Internal migration adds 133 residents annually and overseas migration adds 31 more. The gentrification score of 48 reads as Active, signalling ongoing demographic renewal driven by affordability and the suburb's role as a regional hub.
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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