Halls Creek
With 91.5% of residents renting, Halls Creek sits at the extreme end of the national renting spectrum, and a 19.0% vacancy rate signals that housing supply significantly exceeds demand. Population is 1,572, the median age is 30 years, which is 10 years below the national figure, and all four SEIFA indexes place the suburb in decile 1, the lowest advantage tier nationally. Weekly household income averages $1,228, in the 26.9th income percentile. The dominant industries are Education at 25.4% and Healthcare at 24.6%, reflecting that most paid employment here is government-funded services rather than private sector activity.
Population
1,572
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,228/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$290K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price is $290,000, well below the national median, driven by low demand in a remote WA location. Only 2.0% of residents hold a mortgage and 6.5% own outright, which means just 8.5% of the suburb is in traditional owner-occupier tenure. The overwhelming majority, 91.5%, rent. Monthly mortgage repayments are estimated at $1,780, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 33.5%, above the 30% stress threshold even at this lower price point. Separate houses make up 77.6% of stock, which is higher than many metropolitan suburbs, while apartments are just 3.5%. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 46.1% of homes, with 4-plus bedroom at 18.4%, reflecting larger average household sizes of 2.9 compared to the national average.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price is $290,000, well below the national median, driven by low demand in a remote WA location. Only 2.0% of residents hold a mortgage and 6.5% own outright, which means just 8.5% of the suburb is in traditional owner-occupier tenure. The overwhelming majority, 91.5%, rent. Monthly mortgage repayments are estimated at $1,780, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 33.5%, above the 30% stress threshold even at this lower price point. Separate houses make up 77.6% of stock, which is higher than many metropolitan suburbs, while apartments are just 3.5%. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 46.1% of homes, with 4-plus bedroom at 18.4%, reflecting larger average household sizes of 2.9 compared to the national average.
For Investors
A 91.5% renter share is among the highest in WA, but that figure reflects necessity rather than a liquid rental market. Weekly rent of $125 against a $290,000 estimated median produces a gross yield around 2.2%, low given the risk profile of a remote town with 19.0% vacancy. The vacancy rate, nearly 5 times the national benchmark, indicates chronic oversupply. Net overseas migration averages 17 per year, which is the primary positive demographic driver, though net internal migration runs at negative 3 annually. Development activity shows zero applications in the past 12 months, confirming no new supply pressure but also no organic demand signal. At a gentrification score of 15, the suburb is classified as not gentrifying.
Schools in Halls Creek iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Luurnpa Catholic School
PP-10 · 63 students
Warlawurru Catholic School
PP-6 · 33 students
Halls Creek District High School
K-12 · 306 students
Yiyili Aboriginal Community School
PP-10 · 51 students
Birlirr Ngawiyiwu Catholic School
PP-6 · 27 students
Demographics
The median age of 30 is 10 years below the national figure, making Halls Creek one of the younger resident bases in WA. However, the young share declined 5.2 percentage points over the decade, suggesting the youthful population is not self-sustaining. Only 8.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 13.1 points below the national average. University qualifications reach 18.6%, sitting 11.5 points below the national figure. Average household size is 2.9, which is 0.4 above national. Australian Indigenous language speakers number 137, which is notable given the total population of 1,572. Christianity has 853 adherents. English and Irish ancestry are the leading European ancestries, each with around 175 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
77.6%
Houses
13.1%
Townhouse
3.5%
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure profile here is unlike almost any suburban Australian comparison: 91.5% rent, 6.5% own outright, and just 2.0% hold a mortgage. Renting is not a lifestyle choice in this context but reflects the economics of a remote town where purchasing is uncommon. Separate houses dominate at 77.6% of dwellings, above the national share, with semi-detached at 13.1% and apartments at just 3.5%. Three-bedroom homes are the most common type at 46.1%, followed by 2-bedroom at 22.8% and 4-plus bedroom at 18.4%. The estimated median house price is $290,000, significantly lower than WA state and national medians. Rent-to-income sits at 10.2%, which appears comfortable, though the low absolute rent of $125 per week reflects a thin private rental market rather than strong affordability conditions.
Mortgage / mo
$1,780
Rent / wk
$125
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$452
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
19.0%
Unoccupied
106
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
10.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
14.1%
Couples, no children
1,141
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education is the single largest industry employer at 25.4% of workers, followed closely by Healthcare at 24.6% and Public Administration at 17.1%. Together these three government-funded sectors account for 67.1% of local employment, meaning the economy is heavily dependent on public sector spending. Hospitality accounts for 7.5% and Construction for 4.8%. The unemployment rate is 14.9%, well above the national average, and the labour force participation rate is just 31.0%, indicating that most of the 1,572 residents are either students, dependants, or not actively seeking work. The SEIFA IRSD, IRSAD, IEO and IER scores all sit in decile 1, the lowest nationally, reflecting concentrated disadvantage across income, education and employment dimensions. Real income declined 5.1% over the decade.
Unemployment
27.8%
Labour Force
1,383
Unemployed
384
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
84.1%
Part-time
1.0%
Participation
31.0%
Employed
309
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.6%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
8.5%
Dwellings
434
Transport to Work
Transport patterns are unusual compared to the national average: 39.0% of residents walk or cycle, far above typical suburban rates, while only 50.7% drive and just 2.1% use public transport. This reflects the compact, walkable scale of a small remote town rather than strong transit infrastructure. Crime data for the suburb is not available in this dataset. All four SEIFA indexes place Halls Creek in decile 1 nationally, the lowest advantage tier, which correlates with the 14.9% unemployment rate and household incomes in the 26.9th income percentile. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset. The need-for-assistance rate is 4.4%, representing 59 residents, and volunteering runs at 7.7%.
Drive
50.7%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
39.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.77%/yr
(+33 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth averages 0.77% per year, or approximately 33 additional persons annually, modest but positive. Over 10 years the suburb grew 1.1%. Historical data shows the broader SA2 area reached 4,265 in 2025, up from 4,167 in 2023. The medium forecast projects continued gradual growth to approximately 4,388 by 2031. The young resident share declined 5.2 percentage points over the decade while the working-age share rose 2.6 points, indicating a slow demographic maturation. Affordability worsened from 16.1% in 2011 to 24.9% in 2021, and rent grew 80.0% over the period against a real income decline of 5.1%. The gentrification stage is rated not gentrifying at a score of 15, consistent with all SEIFA indexes remaining in decile 1.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+17
Net Internal / yr
-3
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Accelerating: -8% → 19%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Halls Creek compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Halls Creek a good suburb to live in?
Halls Creek is a small remote WA town with a population of 1,572 and a median age of 30, which is 10 years below the national figure. All four SEIFA indexes place it in decile 1, the lowest advantage tier nationally, reflecting concentrated disadvantage. Household income sits in the 26.9th percentile. It suits people employed in local government services, education or healthcare rather than those seeking private sector opportunity.
What is the median house price in Halls Creek?
The estimated median house price is $290,000, significantly below WA and national medians. Weekly rent averages $125 and monthly mortgage repayments are estimated at $1,780. Only 2.0% of residents hold a mortgage, reflecting that purchasing is uncommon in this remote location.
What schools are in Halls Creek?
No schools are recorded inside the Halls Creek suburb boundary in this dataset. The local university qualification rate is 18.6%, which is 11.5 percentage points below the national figure, suggesting limited higher education attainment among residents.
Is Halls Creek safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Halls Creek in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, all four SEIFA indexes sit in decile 1, the lowest advantage tier nationally, and unemployment is 14.9%, well above the national average. These socioeconomic conditions are generally associated with higher crime rates than national averages.
Is Halls Creek good for property investment?
The investment case is weak for most buyers. Weekly rent of $125 against a $290,000 estimated median implies a gross yield around 2.2%, and the 19.0% vacancy rate is roughly 5 times the national benchmark, signalling persistent oversupply. Net internal migration runs at negative 3 per year and no development applications were lodged in the past 12 months. The suburb does not meet standard investment criteria.
How is Halls Creek's population changing?
Population grows at 0.77% per year, adding around 33 residents annually. The 10-year change is 1.1%. The broader SA2 area reached 4,265 in 2025 and medium forecasts project approximately 4,388 by 2031. The young resident share declined 5.2 percentage points over the decade, indicating gradual demographic aging despite the still-young median age of 30.
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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