Mount Barker
A 17.2% vacancy rate in a town of just 2,855 people signals something unusual: Mount Barker carries surplus housing stock even as its surrounding statistical area recorded 48.2% population growth over the decade. Median house prices sit at $296,000, well below the national median, and household incomes rank at the 17.7th percentile nationally, anchoring this as one of WA's more affordable regional centres. The demographic profile skews older, with a median age of 48 that is 8 years above the national figure, and 43% of homes are owned outright, pointing to a long-established resident base rather than a churn of new arrivals.
Population
2,855
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,104/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$296K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $296,000 for a median house, Mount Barker sits far below the national median, making it accessible to buyers priced out of metro markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,226, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, so housing costs remain manageable relative to local incomes. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 95.7% separate houses and just 0.3% apartments, meaning buyers get space by default. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 44.1% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes making up 33.7%. Outright ownership at 43.0% is high, indicating a settled community where homes are held long-term rather than traded frequently.
For Buyers
At $296,000 for a median house, Mount Barker sits far below the national median, making it accessible to buyers priced out of metro markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,226, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, so housing costs remain manageable relative to local incomes. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 95.7% separate houses and just 0.3% apartments, meaning buyers get space by default. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 44.1% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes making up 33.7%. Outright ownership at 43.0% is high, indicating a settled community where homes are held long-term rather than traded frequently.
For Investors
The 17.2% vacancy rate is the central risk for investors: one in six properties sits empty, well above healthy market levels, and weekly rents of $225 against a $296,000 median imply a gross yield near 3.9%, reasonable but undermined by that vacancy exposure. Renting households account for only 25.5% of the market, which limits tenant pool depth. On the growth side, the surrounding statistical area grew 48.2% over 10 years, and the forecast shows net internal migration averaging 780 residents per year with overseas migration adding 163. The gentrification score is Active at 40, with signals pointing from 16% to 53% acceleration, suggesting underlying demand is building even if current supply-demand balance is loose.
Schools in Mount Barker iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mount Barker Community College
K-12 · 632 students
Demographics
Mount Barker's median age of 48 sits 8 years above the national figure, and the aging trajectory is confirmed by a senior share that rose 4.8 points while the working-age share fell 1.9 points over the decade. Ancestry is heavily Anglo-Celtic: English (1,295 residents) leads, followed by Scottish (308) and Irish (245), and no significant non-English languages appear in the data. Overseas-born residents account for 21.8% of the population, 0.2 points above the national figure, a negligible difference. University qualifications reach only 17.0%, which is 13.1 points below the national average, consistent with a rural service town workforce oriented toward trades and agriculture. Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.7%
Houses
2.5%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Mount Barker tilts toward ownership: 43.0% own outright, 31.5% hold a mortgage, and 25.5% rent. The high outright-ownership share relative to national norms reflects the older demographic base and the lower price point that makes full repayment achievable. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 95.7%, with semi-detached at 2.5% and apartments at just 0.3%. Bedroom composition skews toward larger homes: 44.1% are three-bedroom and 33.7% are four-plus bedroom, compared to a smaller 17.5% two-bedroom share. Rent-to-income sits at 20.4% and mortgage-to-income at 25.6%, both below stress thresholds, so neither owners nor renters face significant housing cost pressure relative to local incomes at the 17.7th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,226
Rent / wk
$225
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$602
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.2%
Unoccupied
216
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.2%
Couples, no children
2,003
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 15.6% of local workers (107 people), followed closely by Education at 14.0% (96) and Agriculture at 11.5% (79), a profile typical of a regional service and farming hub. The top occupation category is Labourers at 205 workers, above Managers at 168 and Professionals at 143, consistent with an economy that relies on manual and agricultural work rather than knowledge industries. Unemployment is 4.4% and the full-time employment rate is 59.8%. The participation rate of 46.3% is low, because 858 residents are not in the labour force, which aligns with the older median age of 48. SEIFA IRSD and IRSAD both score decile 6, placing Mount Barker in the middle band nationally for both disadvantage and advantage. Real income grew 14.7% over the decade.
Unemployment
4.0%
Labour Force
14,935
Unemployed
591
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.8%
Part-time
35.8%
Participation
46.3%
Employed
1,042
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.0%
Postgraduate
2.3%
Born Overseas
21.8%
Dwellings
1,037
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 86.9% of residents drive to work, and public transport use sits at only 0.5%, well below national norms, which is expected for a regional town without rail access. Walking and cycling account for 4.9% of commutes, above many rural towns. The IRSAD decile of 6 places Mount Barker in the middle band for relative advantage nationally, neither highly disadvantaged nor affluent. Community engagement is strong relative to the population: the volunteering rate is 28.2%, above typical national levels. Only 7.7% of residents need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, though the town serves a broad agricultural catchment area. The rent-to-income ratio of 20.4% keeps rental costs well below the 30% stress level.
Drive
86.9%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
4.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.88%/yr
(+775 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation in the surrounding statistical area grew 48.2% over 10 years, driven primarily by internal migration averaging 780 net arrivals per year, with overseas migration adding 163 annually. The forecast under a medium scenario projects the area reaching 30,532 by 2031 from around 26,939 in 2025, an annual growth rate of 2.88%. The gentrification stage is Active with a score of 40, and signals show accelerating internal migration. Rent grew 27.3% over the measured period, running well ahead of the 14.7% real income growth, which narrows affordability even as the absolute price remains low nationally. Affordability measured as a ratio improved from 47.0% in 2011 to 42.4% in 2021, a positive trend despite rent pressure.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+163
Net Internal / yr
+780
Gentrification Signal
Active
Net internal migration +780/yr, Accelerating: 16% → 53%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mount Barker compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Barker a good suburb to live in?
Mount Barker suits buyers and residents who value low housing costs and a community-focused lifestyle. The median house price is $296,000, well below the national median, and both rent-to-income at 20.4% and mortgage-to-income at 25.6% sit below stress thresholds. The volunteering rate of 28.2% reflects an engaged local community. The trade-off is low public transport, with 86.9% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Mount Barker?
The median house price is $296,000, making Mount Barker one of WA's more affordable regional towns. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,226, and weekly rent is $225. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6% is below the 30% stress threshold, so housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes at the 17.7th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Mount Barker?
No schools are recorded inside the Mount Barker suburb boundary in this dataset. The town serves a broad Great Southern agricultural region. University qualification rates locally are 17.0%, which is 13.1 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a workforce oriented toward trades and agriculture rather than tertiary-dependent professions.
Is Mount Barker safe?
Detailed crime statistics for Mount Barker are not available in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 6 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, placing it in the middle band nationally. The volunteering rate of 28.2% and the fact that only 7.7% of residents (196 people) need daily assistance both suggest a stable, engaged community.
Is Mount Barker good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. Weekly rent of $225 against a $296,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.9%, acceptable for a regional market. However, the 17.2% vacancy rate signals real oversupply risk. The surrounding area grew 48.2% over 10 years, and the medium population forecast projects the area reaching 30,532 by 2031, so longer-term demand is building, but near-term vacancy is the key risk to manage.
How is Mount Barker's population changing?
The surrounding statistical area grew 48.2% over the past decade, driven by net internal migration of 780 residents per year and overseas migration of 163 annually. The medium forecast projects growth to 30,532 by 2031 from 26,939 in 2025, at a 2.88% annual rate. The local suburb population is 2,855 with a median age of 48, which is 8 years above the national figure, showing an aging resident base within the broader growth trend.
What industries drive employment in Mount Barker?
Healthcare employs 15.6% of local workers (107 people), followed by Education at 14.0% (96) and Agriculture at 11.5% (79). The top occupation is Labourers at 205, above Managers at 168 and Professionals at 143. This mix reflects Mount Barker's role as a regional service centre for the Great Southern agricultural zone, with a full-time employment rate of 59.8%.
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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