Katanning
A $253,000 median house price and decile 1 education rank nationally tell the core story of Katanning: this is one of WA's most affordable regional towns, sitting in the bottom 10% of the country for educational and occupational advantage. With 25.9% of residents born overseas, 4.3 percentage points above the national figure, the town has a more internationally diverse makeup than most rural WA centres of similar size. The population has declined around 2% over the past decade and the age profile is shifting older, yet rent grew 33.3% over the same period, a sign that even slow-growing markets can deliver income gains to landlords.
Population
3,637
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,308/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$253K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a median house price of $253,000, Katanning sits far below the national average, making it one of the more accessible entry points to property ownership in WA. Monthly mortgage repayments average around $1,005, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.7% is well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses account for 89.6% of dwellings, which is higher than most comparable regional towns, with 3-bedroom homes the most common at 48.6% and 4-plus bedroom homes accounting for 30.5%. Outright ownership (33.4%) and mortgaged buyers (32.6%) are nearly evenly split, pointing to a stable, established homeowner base rather than a market dominated by new borrowers.
For Buyers
At a median house price of $253,000, Katanning sits far below the national average, making it one of the more accessible entry points to property ownership in WA. Monthly mortgage repayments average around $1,005, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.7% is well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses account for 89.6% of dwellings, which is higher than most comparable regional towns, with 3-bedroom homes the most common at 48.6% and 4-plus bedroom homes accounting for 30.5%. Outright ownership (33.4%) and mortgaged buyers (32.6%) are nearly evenly split, pointing to a stable, established homeowner base rather than a market dominated by new borrowers.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $200 against a $253,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.1%, above most metropolitan markets. The 13.5% vacancy rate is elevated, however, signalling supply currently exceeds demand and requiring patience to find tenants. Rent grew 33.3% over the past decade, outpacing real income growth of 10.1%, so tenants are paying a growing share of earnings. Net overseas migration of +36 annually partially offsets net internal outflow of 26, leaving thin but positive demand support. The 34.1% renter share provides a reasonable tenant pool, but high vacancy tempers the income outlook.
Schools in Katanning iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Patrick's School
PP-6 · 116 students
Braeside Primary School
K-6 · 126 students
Katanning Senior High School
7-12 · 355 students
Katanning Primary School
K-6 · 234 students
Demographics
Katanning's median age of 38 sits 2 years below the national figure, though the senior share rose 5.1 percentage points over the decade while the working-age share fell 1 point. Overseas-born residents at 25.9% exceed the national rate by 4.3 percentage points, unusually high for inland WA. Christianity (1,498) and Islam (338) are the two largest religious groups. University qualifications at 15.2% run 14.9 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a regional workforce concentrated in labourer and trades occupations. Average household size is 2.4, close to the national figure, and couples with children (1,038 families) outnumber couples without children (813).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.6%
Houses
9.6%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Katanning's housing stock is dominated by separate houses at 89.6%, with semi-detached at 9.6% and apartments at just 0.4%. Tenure splits almost evenly: 33.4% own outright, 32.6% carry a mortgage, and 34.1% rent. The three-way split reflects a market where affordability has attracted both buyers and renters without either group dominating. Rent-to-income at 15.3% is comfortably below the 30% stress level, and mortgage-to-income at 17.7% sits similarly low relative to national benchmarks. Price data is estimated from rent for 2025, placing the median at $253,000, a figure that compares favourably to WA's metropolitan medians by a factor of 3 or more.
Mortgage / mo
$1,005
Rent / wk
$200
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$698
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.5%
Unoccupied
206
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.4%
Couples, no children
2,586
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads at 17.2% of workers, followed by Education at 15.4%, Manufacturing at 11.9%, Agriculture at 8.3% and Retail at 7.3%. Labourers (421) outnumber Professionals (181) by a wide margin, consistent with the SEIFA IEO decile 1 rating, the lowest decile nationally for education and occupation advantage. Unemployment at 6.0% exceeds the national average, and the participation rate of 53.2% is low because 949 residents are not in the labour force. The IRSAD decile 2 score confirms broad disadvantage relative to national benchmarks, while real household income grew 10.1% over the decade.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
2,513
Unemployed
107
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.6%
Part-time
28.4%
Participation
53.2%
Employed
1,467
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.2%
Postgraduate
1.8%
Born Overseas
25.9%
Dwellings
1,314
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 80.4% drive to work, above the national average, while public transport use sits at just 4.8%, reflecting the limited services of a regional WA town. The IRSAD decile 2 score places Katanning in the bottom fifth nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and the IEO decile 1 rating signals the lowest tier for educational and occupational resources. Rent-to-income at 15.3% and mortgage-to-income at 17.7% both fall below the 30% stress threshold, keeping housing financially manageable despite low incomes. Volunteering at 20.2% exceeds many metropolitan areas, and 6.1% of residents need daily assistance. No schools are recorded in the dataset for this suburb.
Drive
80.4%
Public Transport
4.8%
Walk / Cycle
4.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.08%/yr
(+4 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation in the Katanning SA2 area grew slowly from 4,791 in 2023 to 4,840 in 2025, below the national average growth pace, and medium-scenario forecasts hold it near 4,781 by 2031, an annual rate of just 0.08%. The suburb-level population of 3,637 reflects a 2% decline over the past decade. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, consistent with a decile 2 IRSAD score that leaves little room for prestige-driven uplift. Overseas migration (net +36 annually) is the primary positive driver, partially offset by net internal outflow of 26 residents per year. The aging trajectory, with the senior share up 5.1 points and the young share down 5.1 points over 10 years, means the dependency ratio is rising.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+36
Net Internal / yr
-26
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Katanning compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Katanning a good suburb to live in?
Katanning suits buyers and renters who prioritise affordability and space over urban amenity. The median house price is $253,000, far below most WA regional centres, and mortgage-to-income sits at a comfortable 17.7%. The SEIFA IRSAD decile 2 rating places it in the bottom fifth nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and the IEO decile 1 score reflects limited educational and occupational resources. Volunteering at 20.2% signals an engaged community despite the constraints.
What is the median house price in Katanning?
The median house price is estimated at $253,000 as of 2025, based on rent-derived data. Weekly rent averages $200 and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,005. Mortgage-to-income is 17.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Prices are significantly lower than WA's metropolitan medians.
What schools are in Katanning?
No schools are recorded inside Katanning in this dataset. University qualification rates in the suburb stand at 15.2%, which is 14.9 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the regional and trade-oriented character of the local workforce and economy.
Is Katanning safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Katanning in this dataset. As a proxy measure, the suburb scores SEIFA IRSAD decile 2, placing it in the bottom fifth nationally for socioeconomic advantage. Higher disadvantage areas tend to correlate with elevated crime rates nationally, though local conditions vary. The 6.0% unemployment rate exceeds the national average, which is a relevant contextual indicator.
Is Katanning good for property investment?
Katanning offers an estimated gross yield of around 4.1%, based on $200 weekly rent against a $253,000 median. Rent grew 33.3% over the past decade, ahead of the 10.1% real income growth figure. The 13.5% vacancy rate is elevated, however, and the population trend of minus 2% over 10 years limits capital growth expectations. Overseas migration of net 36 residents annually provides thin but steady demand support.
How is Katanning's population changing?
The suburb population is approximately 3,637, down roughly 2% over the past decade. The broader SA2 area sits around 4,840 in 2025 and forecasts show near-flat growth to about 4,781 by 2031. Net overseas migration of 36 residents per year is the primary positive driver, partially offset by net internal outflow of 26. The age profile is shifting older, with the senior share up 5.1 percentage points over 10 years.
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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