Kununurra
Spread across 2,175 km2 in the East Kimberley, Kununurra holds just 5,494 residents at a density of 2.5 people per km2, one of the most sparsely settled postcodes you will find. The profile is young, with a median age of 33, a full 7.0 years below the national figure, and renter-dominated, as 65.3% of dwellings are rented against a national norm closer to a third. Household income still sits in the 79.1st percentile nationally on the back of agriculture, healthcare and public-sector wages, yet the suburb scores decile 1 on both the IRSD and IER SEIFA indexes, the most disadvantaged tier, a split driven by the large renting and Aboriginal population the income averages mask. An estimated $415,000 median house price keeps it affordable relative to most capital markets.
Population
5,494
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,091/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$415K
Estimated from rent (2025)
An estimated $415,000 median house price sits well below capital-city levels, and monthly mortgage repayments of $2,019 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold despite remote-town building costs. The stock favours families: 66.5% are separate houses and only 7.5% apartments, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 43.1% and four-plus-bedroom dwellings another 27.9%. Buyers face a thin owner market, though, because only 15.4% of residents own outright and 19.3% carry a mortgage, leaving 65.3% renting. That heavy rental tilt means listings for purchase are scarce relative to the population, so the affordable headline price reflects a small, slow-turning sale market rather than abundant choice.
For Buyers
An estimated $415,000 median house price sits well below capital-city levels, and monthly mortgage repayments of $2,019 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold despite remote-town building costs. The stock favours families: 66.5% are separate houses and only 7.5% apartments, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 43.1% and four-plus-bedroom dwellings another 27.9%. Buyers face a thin owner market, though, because only 15.4% of residents own outright and 19.3% carry a mortgage, leaving 65.3% renting. That heavy rental tilt means listings for purchase are scarce relative to the population, so the affordable headline price reflects a small, slow-turning sale market rather than abundant choice.
For Investors
The case for landlords is unusual. A 65.3% renter share is roughly double the national norm and gives an exceptionally deep tenant pool, and weekly rent of $266 against the estimated $415,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.3%, stronger than most metropolitan markets. Rent has climbed 64.3% over the period, a steep escalation. The counterweight is an 18.2% vacancy rate, far above a balanced market, which signals that supply and seasonal or fly-in-fly-out demand swings can leave properties empty for stretches. Net overseas migration of 74 residents a year is the only positive demand driver, partly offset by net internal outflow of 51. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, new competing supply is minimal, so returns hinge on holding through the vacancy risk rather than on volume.
Schools in Kununurra iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
East Kimberley College
K-12 · 1010 students
St Joseph's School
PP-6 · 115 students
Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School
PP-9 · 35 students
Ngalangangpum School
PP-8 · 37 students
Demographics
The median age of 33 runs 7.0 years below the national figure, marking a notably young population, though the trajectory is shifting as the senior share rose 3.0 points while the young share slipped 1.4 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents are 18.0%, which is 3.6 points below national, so this is not a migrant-heavy town. Ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (1,528), Irish (421) and Scottish (348), but the standout language signal is Australian Indigenous languages with 105 speakers, ahead of German (18) and French (13), reflecting the strong Aboriginal presence of the East Kimberley. Average household size is 2.7, which is 0.2 above national, consistent with the family profile where couples with children (1,574) outnumber couples without (904). University qualifications reach 24.8%, 5.3 points below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
66.5%
Houses
14.5%
Townhouse
7.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily skewed to renting: 65.3% rent, while just 15.4% own outright and 19.3% hold a mortgage, the inverse of most Australian suburbs and a direct reflection of the public-sector, agricultural and transient workforce that rents rather than buys in a remote town. The stock is house-dominated, with 66.5% separate houses, 14.5% semi-detached and only 7.5% apartments, and three-bedroom dwellings lead at 43.1% with four-plus bedrooms at 27.9%. The estimated $415,000 median is affordable by national standards, and both stress measures stay low, with rent-to-income at 12.7% and mortgage-to-income at 22.3%, well under the 30% threshold. Rent has risen 64.3% over the period, the sharpest housing-cost signal here, pushing the affordability ratio from 17.6% in 2011 to 22.6% in 2021.
Mortgage / mo
$2,019
Rent / wk
$266
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,153
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.2%
Unoccupied
357
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
12.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.9%
Couples, no children
3,491
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by the public economy rather than private enterprise: Healthcare leads at 20.7% (356 workers), Education follows at 14.0% (240) and Public Administration at 12.4% (213), with Agriculture at 9.0% (154) and Construction at 7.2% (123), a structure typical of a regional service hub. By occupation, Professionals (543) and Managers (400) top the list, ahead of Community and Personal Service (362). Unemployment is low at 3.3% and the full-time rate is high at 77.0%, but participation reads only 58.9% with 803 residents not in the labour force. The clearest anomaly is SEIFA: the IER economic-resources index sits at decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier, even though household income reaches the 79.1st percentile, because the 65.3% renter base and low outright ownership depress the wealth measures the index weights.
Unemployment
9.2%
Labour Force
4,379
Unemployed
404
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
77.0%
Part-time
19.7%
Participation
58.9%
Employed
2,409
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.8%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
18.0%
Dwellings
1,551
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-dependent, as 75.6% drive to work and only 1.1% use public transport, expected in a remote town where 14.0% still walk or cycle, above the rate in many sprawling outer suburbs. The honest livability caveat is SEIFA: Kununurra scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the most disadvantaged 10% nationally, and decile 1 on economic resources, so material deprivation is more common here than in most of Australia. Offsetting that, volunteering runs at a strong 22.6% and only 3.2% of residents (145 people) need daily assistance, both pointing to active community support. No schools are recorded inside the vast 2,175 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on town facilities not captured here, and the young median age of 33 underlines the need for them.
Drive
75.6%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
14.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.57%/yr
(+48 people/yr)
EstablishedKununurra is classed as established and broadly flat, with forecast annual growth of just 0.57%, about 48 people a year, and a 10-year population change of -4.2%, meaning it shrank over the prior decade before stabilising. Recent counts edged up from 8,253 in 2023 to 8,441 in 2025 across the wider catchment, and the medium forecast extends that slow creep to 8,584 by 2031. Overseas migration of 74 a year is the primary driver, working against a net internal outflow of 51, so growth depends entirely on arrivals from abroad outpacing departures to other parts of Australia. The gentrification score reads 15, classed as not gentrifying, though a separate shift signal flags early signs at score 30 alongside worsening affordability, a mixed trajectory rather than clear uplift.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+74
Net Internal / yr
-51
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Accelerating: -9% → 13%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kununurra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kununurra a good suburb to live in?
Kununurra suits buyers wanting affordability, with an estimated $415,000 median house price and low housing stress at a 22.3% mortgage-to-income ratio. The trade-offs are real: it scores decile 1 on the IRSD disadvantage index, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and sits remotely at 2.5 people per km2 in the East Kimberley.
What is the median house price in Kununurra?
The median house price is estimated at $415,000, well below most capital-city markets. Weekly rent averages $266 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,019, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Kununurra?
No schools are recorded inside the 2,175 km2 Kununurra boundary in this dataset, so families rely on town facilities not captured here. The population skews young, with a median age of 33, which is 7.0 years below the national figure, so demand for schooling is high.
Is Kununurra safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Kununurra in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the most disadvantaged 10% nationally, though only 3.2% of its residents, about 145 people, need daily assistance.
Is Kununurra good for property investment?
Rent of $266 a week against the estimated $415,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.3%, stronger than most metro markets, and 65.3% of dwellings are rented. The catch is an 18.2% vacancy rate, well above balanced, so returns depend on managing empty stretches rather than easy occupancy.
How is Kununurra's population changing?
Growth is slow, forecast at 0.57% a year, roughly 48 people, after the population fell 4.2% over the prior decade. Net overseas migration of 74 a year is the main driver, partly offset by a net internal outflow of 51 residents moving to other parts of Australia.
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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