Millars Well
Located in Karratha, the suburb has a median age of just 31, nine years below the national figure, and a 19.4% vacancy rate that reflects the cyclical pull of mining work. Mining employs 25.3% of local workers, more than double the share of any other industry, making the suburb's economic health closely tied to the Pilbara resources sector.
Local council: Karratha
Population
2,104
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,188/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Mortgage stress is low: repayments represent just 12.6% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold, because incomes here sit in the 98.1st percentile nationally. Separate houses account for 71.2% of dwellings, with semi-detached stock making up the remaining 28.8%. The bedroom mix leans large, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 38.1% and 3-bedroom homes at 40.4%. The 7.4% outright ownership rate is low, reflecting a transient population that rents rather than settles, which can suppress long-term capital demand compared to owner-occupier suburbs.
For Buyers
Mortgage stress is low: repayments represent just 12.6% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold, because incomes here sit in the 98.1st percentile nationally. Separate houses account for 71.2% of dwellings, with semi-detached stock making up the remaining 28.8%. The bedroom mix leans large, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 38.1% and 3-bedroom homes at 40.4%. The 7.4% outright ownership rate is low, reflecting a transient population that rents rather than settles, which can suppress long-term capital demand compared to owner-occupier suburbs.
For Investors
Millars Well is a renter-majority suburb: 65.5% of residents rent, more than double the national average, and weekly rent sits at $383. The 19.4% vacancy rate is the key risk, a figure that rises sharply during mining downturns when fly-in-fly-out workers leave. The 31.1% annual population turnover reinforces that demand here is tied to resource sector activity rather than organic household formation. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, near-term supply pressure is low, but investors need to underwrite for cyclical vacancy rather than stable metropolitan demand.
Demographics
The median age of 31 is nine years below the national figure, driven by working-age migrants drawn to Pilbara mining and construction. Couples with children make up the dominant household type at 932 out of 1,532 families, accounting for 60.8% of all family units, higher than you would expect in a transient workforce suburb. Overseas-born residents at 25.2% are 3.6 percentage points above the national figure, with English (611) and Scottish (182) ancestries leading, suggesting a predominantly Anglo-Celtic migration pattern rather than culturally diverse source countries. The volunteering rate of 16.7% is notable for a high-turnover community. The average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national figure, consistent with a family-oriented rather than singles-dominant population.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.2%
Houses
28.8%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is skewed sharply toward renting at 65.5%, compared to national owner-occupier rates above 60%. Outright owners at just 7.4% reflect the transient character of the workforce: people come for work, rent, and leave rather than build equity. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 71.2%, with semi-detached making up 28.8% and no significant apartment supply. Bedroom sizes are larger than average, with 78.5% of homes having 3 or more bedrooms, reflecting families rather than solo workers. Rent-to-income sits at just 12.0%, meaning even renters face minimal housing stress relative to their earnings, because incomes are elevated far above state and national medians in this resource-dependent location.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$383
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,563
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
19.4%
Unoccupied
160
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
12.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
12.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
54.9%
Couples with children
35.5%
Couples, no children
10.6%
Single parent
510
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining accounts for 25.3% of local employment at 187 workers, positioning Millars Well within the Pilbara resource economy that generates incomes in the national 98.1st percentile. Construction follows at 13.8% and Healthcare at 11.4%, the latter reflecting a regional service hub role for Karratha. The full-time employment rate of 79.0% is well above national averages, consistent with a workforce dominated by structured rosters and full-time resource sector roles. Unemployment sits at just 2.9%, lower than most regional WA centres. By occupation, Professionals (174) lead ahead of Clerical/Admin (139) and Managers (129), suggesting the workforce has a white-collar management layer above the trade and labourer base. Participation at 69.2% is solid given the household composition.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
1,136
Unemployed
31
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
73.5%
Part-time
19.5%
Participation
74.2%
Employed
1,105
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.4%
Postgraduate
5.4%
Born Overseas
25.2%
Dwellings
659
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 87.9% of residents drive to work, and only 2.6% use public transport, compared to capital city averages above 15%. Walking and cycling account for just 2.3%, consistent with a regional town layout built around driving distances. No schools are recorded within the Millars Well boundary, so families access education in surrounding Karratha precincts. Crime statistics are not available for this suburb in the dataset. Residents requiring daily assistance number just 36, representing 2.0% of the population, lower than national rates and consistent with the young median age of 31. Housing stress indicators are positive: rent takes 12.0% of income and mortgage repayments 12.6%, both well below the thresholds that define financial pressure in most Australian markets.
Drive
86.3%
Public Transport
2.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
1.9%
Growth Outlook
Reliable forecast data is not available for Millars Well in this dataset, which is itself informative. Resource-region suburbs rarely follow smooth demographic trajectories, because population moves with mine construction and production cycles rather than organic household formation. The 31.1% annual population turnover rate, with 68.9% of residents staying year-to-year, captures this dynamic: above-average churn compared to metropolitan suburbs. The 19.4% vacancy rate is a leading indicator of where the cycle currently sits. Historically, Karratha saw major population influxes during the LNG construction boom in the early 2010s followed by contractions, and the suburb's fundamentals reflect a post-boom stabilisation phase at 2,104 residents.
Population trend: Karratha council area
Millars Well sits in the Karratha council area. These are the council area's residents, not Millars Well's.
Residents 2025
25,429
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+2.2%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Millars Well compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Millars Well a good suburb to live in?
Millars Well suits workers tied to the Pilbara resources sector. Household incomes sit in the 98.1st percentile nationally and housing costs are low relative to earnings, with rent at just 12% of income. The suburb has a young median age of 31 and low unemployment at 2.9%, but the 19.4% vacancy rate and 31.1% annual turnover signal a high-mobility rather than settled community.
What is the median house price in Millars Well?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, representing just 12.6% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $383, and with household incomes in the 98.1st percentile nationally, housing affordability is relatively strong.
What schools are in Millars Well?
No schools are recorded within the Millars Well suburb boundary in this dataset. Families access education in surrounding Karratha precincts. The suburb has 932 couples-with-children families, making school access an important practical consideration. University qualifications are held by 26.4% of residents, which is 3.7 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Millars Well safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Millars Well in this dataset. As context, the suburb has a 2.0% rate of residents requiring daily assistance, lower than national rates, and a low unemployment rate of 2.9%. The high-income, employment-driven population profile is generally associated with lower financial stress, which is a contributor to community safety.
Is Millars Well good for property investment?
The risk is the 19.4% vacancy rate, which rises during mining downturns. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, limiting near-term supply pressure. Returns depend heavily on Pilbara resource sector activity cycles.
How is Millars Well's population changing?
Forecast data is not available for Millars Well, reflecting the resource-region dynamic where population follows mining cycles rather than steady organic growth. The current population is 2,104 with a 31.1% annual turnover rate, meaning nearly a third of residents change year-to-year. The 19.4% vacancy rate suggests the suburb is in a post-construction-boom stabilisation phase.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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