Nullagine
Mining shapes almost everything about Nullagine: 78.8% of employed residents work in the sector, making it one of Australia's most industry-concentrated communities. The population of 1,159 occupies a vast 21,883 sq km area in the Pilbara, producing a density of just 0.1 persons per sq km. The gender ratio is striking at 81.4% male, far above the national average, because the workforce is predominantly fly-in, fly-out. With 70.4% of dwellings rented and a 32.1% vacancy rate, the housing market moves in step with mining activity rather than typical residential demand cycles.
Population
1,159
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,321/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Separate houses dominate the stock at 89.7%, and 3-bedroom dwellings account for 68.8% of all occupied homes, reflecting the functional housing built to service a mining workforce. No median house price data is available for Nullagine, consistent with a thinly traded market where most properties are employer-owned or government-managed. Weekly rent sits at $40, extremely low compared to state and national medians, partly because accommodation is often subsidised through work arrangements. With 29.6% of residents owning their home outright and no recorded mortgage stress, those who do buy tend to hold their properties debt-free rather than relying on finance.
For Buyers
Separate houses dominate the stock at 89.7%, and 3-bedroom dwellings account for 68.8% of all occupied homes, reflecting the functional housing built to service a mining workforce. No median house price data is available for Nullagine, consistent with a thinly traded market where most properties are employer-owned or government-managed. Weekly rent sits at $40, extremely low compared to state and national medians, partly because accommodation is often subsidised through work arrangements. With 29.6% of residents owning their home outright and no recorded mortgage stress, those who do buy tend to hold their properties debt-free rather than relying on finance.
For Investors
The rental market in Nullagine carries significant risk relative to other WA markets. Vacancy sits at 32.1%, well above the 3-4% considered healthy nationally, because occupancy tracks mining rosters rather than organic population growth. The 70.4% renter share creates a large tenant pool in theory, but at $40 weekly rent the income potential is very limited. Zero development applications in the past 12 months signal no speculative building activity. The community has 36.3% annual turnover of residents, meaning a high proportion move in and out each year, which compounds vacancy exposure and makes long-term tenancy stability harder to achieve than in metropolitan markets.
Schools in Nullagine iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Nullagine Primary School
K-12 · 35 students
Demographics
Nullagine's demographics are defined by its mining workforce profile. The median age is 38, which is 2 years below the national figure, consistent with a working-age population drawn to the resources sector. Males comprise 81.4% of residents, dramatically higher than the national near-50/50 split, because the dominant employment category is Machinery and Drivers (182 workers). Overseas-born residents make up 31.1%, which is 9.5 percentage points above the national rate, reflecting recruitment from international labour markets. University qualifications reach only 9.6%, which is 20.5 percentage points below national, because the primary trades are operational rather than professional. Indigenous language speakers number 49, indicating a resident First Nations community alongside the transient workforce.
Age Distribution
Dwelling Structure
89.7%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock in Nullagine is almost entirely separate houses at 89.7%, with 3-bedroom homes the clear majority at 68.8% and smaller 0-1 bedroom dwellings at 21.9%. Tenure is heavily skewed toward renting at 70.4%, with outright ownership at 29.6% and no significant mortgage-holder cohort. This pattern reflects a community where employer-provided or government housing is the norm rather than private ownership. The vacancy rate of 32.1% is high compared to the national average, driven by FIFO work cycles rather than permanent population decline. At $40 per week, recorded rent is far below state and national medians, suggesting much housing is subsidised or employer-provided rather than market-priced.
Mortgage / mo
$0
Rent / wk
$40
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$2,500
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
32.1%
Unoccupied
18
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
3.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.6%
Couples, no children
110
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining accounts for 78.8% of Nullagine's employment, making it one of the most economically concentrated towns in WA. Hospitality (4.4%), Construction (3.0%), Admin (2.8%) and Professional/Tech (2.5%) fill supporting roles. By occupation, Machinery and Drivers lead with 182 workers, followed by Professionals (57) and Labourers (52). The unemployment rate is just 1.7%, well below the national average, because the town essentially functions as a labour camp where workers who are not employed leave rather than remain jobless. Full-time employment runs at 92.1% of those in work. Personal weekly income averages $2,500, which is high in absolute terms, yet household income sits only at the 32.9th percentile nationally because household sizes are small and many residents are single-income workers.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
92.1%
Part-time
6.2%
Participation
46.8%
Employed
520
Occupations
Top Industries
University
9.6%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
31.1%
Dwellings
39
Transport to Work
Nullagine's livability profile is shaped by its remote Pilbara location rather than conventional urban amenity metrics. Public transport or active travel accounts for 50.4% of work trips, higher than national averages, likely reflecting shared transport within the work site rather than urban bus or rail. Car driver trips at 28.0% are well below national norms. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families with children depend on boarding or alternative arrangements. No crime rate data is available. Rent-to-income sits at just 3.0%, below any stress threshold, and only 2.3% of residents (16 people) need daily assistance. The volunteering rate of 14.5% suggests a resident community with genuine local ties beyond the transient workforce.
Drive
28.0%
Public Transport
50.4%
Walk / Cycle
12.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Nullagine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nullagine a good suburb to live in?
Nullagine suits those working in the mining sector, where unemployment sits at just 1.7% and full-time employment is 92.1%. It is a remote Pilbara community covering 21,883 sq km with a population of 1,159. Rent-to-income is very low at 3.0%, but amenity is limited and no schools are recorded in the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Nullagine?
No median house price is recorded for Nullagine, consistent with a thinly traded market where most housing is employer or government owned. Weekly rent is recorded at $40, well below state and national medians, because much accommodation is subsidised. Outright ownership accounts for 29.6% of occupied dwellings.
What schools are in Nullagine?
No schools are recorded in the Nullagine suburb boundary in this dataset. The population of 1,159 is predominantly a working-age mining workforce, with university qualifications at 9.6%, which is 20.5 percentage points below the national rate. Families with school-age children typically rely on distance education or boarding schools.
Is Nullagine safe?
Crime rate data is not available for Nullagine in this dataset. As context, only 2.3% of residents (16 people) need daily assistance, and the unemployment rate is very low at 1.7%, well below national averages. The community of 1,159 is spread across a remote 21,883 sq km area, functioning primarily as a mining service town.
Is Nullagine good for property investment?
The investment case is challenging. Vacancy sits at 32.1%, far above the 3-4% considered healthy nationally, and weekly rent is just $40, limiting yield. There were zero development applications in the past 12 months. The 36.3% annual resident turnover means tenant stability is lower than metropolitan markets, with demand tied directly to mining activity.
How is Nullagine's population changing?
No formal population forecast is available for Nullagine. The current population is 1,159 across a 21,883 sq km area, giving a density of just 0.1 persons per sq km. Annual resident turnover is 36.3%, meaning more than a third of the population changes each year, reflecting FIFO work contracts rather than typical residential patterns.
What languages are spoken in Nullagine?
About 31.1% of residents were born overseas, which is 9.5 percentage points above the national rate. Indigenous languages are spoken by 49 residents, indicating a resident First Nations community alongside the mining workforce. English is the dominant language across the 1,159-strong population.
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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