Kalbarri
A median age of 53 and a 31.0% vacancy rate together define Kalbarri more than any single price point does. The two facts are connected: this 139 km2 coastal town 590 km north of Perth runs on tourism and retirement, not commuter demand, so a large share of dwellings sit empty between short-stay bookings. Household income lands at the 18.2nd percentile nationally, well below average, yet 47% of residents own their homes outright, higher than most WA suburbs, because the owner base skews older and debt-free. At 1,478 people across a wide area, Kalbarri is small enough that any single economic shift, whether in hospitality, which employs 19.6% of workers, or in seasonal tourism, registers clearly across the whole community.
Population
1,478
Median Age
53.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,122/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$362K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $362,000, the median house price sits far below state and national medians, reflecting the remote coastal location and low local incomes. Weekly rent is $258, producing a rent-to-income ratio of 23.0%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold, but the monthly mortgage of $1,600 pushes the mortgage-to-income ratio to 32.9%, above the stress line even at this modest price point because household incomes are in the 18.2nd percentile nationally. Separate houses dominate at 80.8% of dwellings and 47.0% of residents own outright, a share well above the national average, driven by the older median age of 53. Three-bedroom homes account for 47.0% of stock and 4-plus bedroom homes 26.5%, so the typical purchase is a family-sized detached house rather than a compact unit.
For Buyers
At $362,000, the median house price sits far below state and national medians, reflecting the remote coastal location and low local incomes. Weekly rent is $258, producing a rent-to-income ratio of 23.0%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold, but the monthly mortgage of $1,600 pushes the mortgage-to-income ratio to 32.9%, above the stress line even at this modest price point because household incomes are in the 18.2nd percentile nationally. Separate houses dominate at 80.8% of dwellings and 47.0% of residents own outright, a share well above the national average, driven by the older median age of 53. Three-bedroom homes account for 47.0% of stock and 4-plus bedroom homes 26.5%, so the typical purchase is a family-sized detached house rather than a compact unit.
For Investors
The 31.0% vacancy rate is the central risk for Kalbarri investment. At more than triple the level seen in most regional WA towns, it indicates a large proportion of dwellings are short-stay holiday stock rather than long-term rentals, which inflates the headline vacancy figure but also caps reliable yield. Weekly long-term rent averages $258, giving a gross yield of roughly 3.7% against the $362,000 median, modest compared to other remote WA towns with tighter vacancy. The renter share is 28.7% and the development pipeline recorded zero applications in the past 12 months, so no new stock is entering the market. Population stability looks reasonable, with 74.5% of residents having stayed in Kalbarri over the prior five years, suggesting a settled owner base even if the investment case for new landlords is constrained by occupancy risk.
Schools in Kalbarri iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kalbarri District High School
K-12 · 208 students
Demographics
The median age of 53 is 13 years above the national figure, placing Kalbarri among Australia's older communities. The age profile reflects retirement-driven in-migration from elsewhere in WA rather than a young working population. University qualifications reach only 13.7%, which is 16.4 points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades and hospitality rather than professional services. Overseas-born residents make up 19.4%, marginally below the national average. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (663 people), Scottish (163) and Irish (109). Average household size is 2.1, which is 0.4 below the national figure, and couples without children account for 49.2% of families, both expected outcomes in a community with an aging, post-family resident base.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.8%
Houses
13.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership structure skews strongly toward outright ownership: 47.0% of dwellings are owned without a mortgage, compared to well above the national average, while 24.3% carry a mortgage and 28.7% rent. The detached house is the default housing type at 80.8% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 13.2% and apartments not registering in the data. Three-bedroom homes account for 47.0% of the stock and 4-plus bedroom homes 26.5%, indicating the market is sized around family homes rather than investor units. The $362,000 median is estimated from 2025 rent data rather than transaction records, which should be noted when comparing across suburbs. The 31.0% vacancy rate suggests a large holiday-letting segment that makes conventional occupancy comparisons to lower-vacancy WA markets misleading without adjusting for short-stay use.
Mortgage / mo
$1,600
Rent / wk
$258
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$640
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
31.0%
Unoccupied
250
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.9% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.2%
Couples, no children
923
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hospitality leads employment at 19.6% of workers (64 people), directly tied to Kalbarri National Park and the coastal tourism trade. Construction follows at 13.8% (45 workers) and Education at 12.2% (40 workers), with Mining at 8.9% and Agriculture at 7.6% rounding out the top five. Mining's presence at 8.9% is notable given the town's modest size, likely reflecting FIFO workers. The participation rate is 44.4%, well below the national norm, because the older median age of 53 leaves 466 residents outside the labour force entirely. Of those employed, 54.8% work full-time and unemployment sits at 4.0%. Household income at the 18.2nd percentile nationally reflects the dominance of hospitality and labourer roles, which are the leading occupation category at 137 workers, ahead of managers at 97 and professionals at 77.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.8%
Part-time
41.2%
Participation
44.4%
Employed
551
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.7%
Postgraduate
2.7%
Born Overseas
19.4%
Dwellings
546
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 71.0% of residents driving to work, as expected for a town 590 km from Perth with no rail link and minimal public transport at 2.7%. Walking and cycling to work reaches 16.3%, above average for a town of this size, reflecting the compact core near the seafront where many hospitality workers can reach work on foot. No schools are recorded within the Kalbarri suburb boundary in this dataset. SEIFA socioeconomic scores are unavailable, but the 18.2nd percentile household income and 13.7% university education rate indicate below-average advantage relative to national benchmarks. Volunteering reaches 23.4% of residents, which is above the national average and consistent with a small, stable community where civic participation runs high. About 5.2% of residents (66 people) need daily assistance, reflecting the older age profile.
Drive
71.0%
Public Transport
2.7%
Walk / Cycle
16.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kalbarri compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kalbarri a good suburb to live in?
Kalbarri suits retirees and those seeking a quiet coastal lifestyle, with 47% owning their homes outright and a volunteering rate of 23.4%. The median age of 53 is 13 years above the national figure, so the community skews older. Household income sits at only the 18.2nd percentile nationally, and there are no schools recorded in the suburb, which limits its appeal for families with school-aged children.
What is the median house price in Kalbarri?
The median house price is approximately $362,000, estimated from 2025 rental data rather than transaction records. Weekly rent averages $258 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,600. Despite the low price, the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 32.9% because household incomes are in the 18.2nd percentile nationally.
What schools are in Kalbarri?
No schools are recorded within the Kalbarri suburb boundary in this dataset. Families with school-aged children would rely on facilities in surrounding areas. University education in the suburb reaches only 13.7% of residents, which is 16.4 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Kalbarri safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Kalbarri in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, 74.5% of residents have remained in the suburb over the past five years, suggesting a settled community. The volunteering rate of 23.4% and small population of 1,478 are consistent with a socially cohesive town, though no direct crime rate comparison is possible.
Is Kalbarri good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. A gross yield of approximately 3.7% from $258 weekly rent against a $362,000 median is modest, and the 31.0% vacancy rate is far above levels seen in comparable regional WA towns, reflecting holiday-letting stock rather than long-term rental demand. Zero development applications in the past 12 months limits dilution risk, but also signals limited growth expectations.
How is Kalbarri's population changing?
No population forecast data is available for Kalbarri. The current population is 1,478 spread across 139 km2 at a low density of 10.6 people per km2. Resident stability is relatively high, with 74.5% having stayed over the prior five years, and zero development applications suggest the population is holding steady rather than growing.
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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