Nulsen
With a median house price of $266,000 and a vacancy rate of 14.4%, Nulsen stands out as one of the more affordable and loosely occupied suburbs in regional WA. Household income falls in the 12.2nd percentile nationally, well below the national average, yet mortgage and rent costs remain proportionate: rent-to-income sits at 22.5% and mortgage-to-income at 23.4%, both below the standard stress thresholds. The suburb's 1,083 residents skew toward blue-collar work, with Labourers and Machinery Operators leading occupations, and English-origin ancestry dominates at 36% of responses. A median age of 36, four years younger than the national figure, gives the community a working-age character.
Population
1,083
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$977/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$266K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $266,000 is accessible compared to national and state metropolitan benchmarks, with monthly mortgage repayments averaging $990. Separate houses dominate the stock at 81.2% of dwellings, making this a genuinely detached-house suburb rather than a mixed-format one. Three-bedroom homes account for 66.9% of stock, the clear majority, giving buyers a predictable and relatively uniform product type. Mortgage-to-income stands at 23.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, which means buyers at median income can service a median-priced loan without significant financial pressure. The 14.4% vacancy rate signals softer demand conditions, so buyers carry negotiating leverage that denser markets rarely allow.
For Buyers
The median house price of $266,000 is accessible compared to national and state metropolitan benchmarks, with monthly mortgage repayments averaging $990. Separate houses dominate the stock at 81.2% of dwellings, making this a genuinely detached-house suburb rather than a mixed-format one. Three-bedroom homes account for 66.9% of stock, the clear majority, giving buyers a predictable and relatively uniform product type. Mortgage-to-income stands at 23.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, which means buyers at median income can service a median-priced loan without significant financial pressure. The 14.4% vacancy rate signals softer demand conditions, so buyers carry negotiating leverage that denser markets rarely allow.
For Investors
Nulsen's investor calculus is cautious. Weekly rent of $220 against a $266,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, higher than most capital-city suburbs, but the 14.4% vacancy rate, more than double a healthy 5-7% range, signals chronic oversupply or weak demand. The unemployment rate of 9.0% is elevated compared to national averages, which constrains the tenant pool's financial stability. Renting households represent 38.7% of dwellings, a solid base, but only 32.1% carry mortgages, suggesting owner-occupier demand is limited. With no recorded development applications in the past 12 months and no population growth data available, there are few near-term supply or demand catalysts to drive price movement.
Demographics
Nulsen's median age of 36 is four years below the national figure, placing it among the younger regional WA suburbs. Overseas-born residents account for 11.7% of the population, which is 9.9 percentage points below the national average, making this a strongly Anglo-Celtic community. English ancestry leads at 389 respondents, followed by Scottish (84) and Irish (73). University qualifications are low at 7.9%, which is 22.2 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with the blue-collar occupational profile. Average household size is 2.3, marginally below the national norm. Couples with children (234) outnumber couples without children (163), reflecting the community's working-family character.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.2%
Houses
13.5%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupiers make up the majority when outright owners (29.2%) and mortgage holders (32.1%) are combined, reaching 61.3%, while renters account for 38.7%. The stock is heavily weighted toward detached houses at 81.2%, with semi-detached dwellings at 13.5% accounting for most of the remainder. Three-bedroom homes represent 66.9% of all dwellings, making smaller or larger formats the exception rather than the rule. The vacancy rate of 14.4% is high relative to healthy market conditions, indicating that a meaningful share of the housing stock sits unoccupied, which suppresses price growth but benefits tenants and buyers seeking choice. Median house price is estimated at $266,000 with weekly rent at $220.
Mortgage / mo
$990
Rent / wk
$220
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$513
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.4%
Unoccupied
67
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.4%
Couples, no children
697
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs the largest share of local workers at 17.4%, followed by Retail at 13.5% and Education and Other Services each at 9.7%. Hospitality rounds out the top five at 7.7%. By occupation, Labourers lead at 74 workers, ahead of Machinery and Drivers (51), Community and Personal Service (46), Sales (40), and Clerical and Admin (38), a profile that differs markedly from higher-income suburbs nationally. The full-time employment rate of 60.2% is reasonable, but the participation rate of 43.6% is low by national standards, partly because 321 residents are not in the labour force. The unemployment rate of 9.0% is above the national average, adding risk to the local economic base compared to more diversified urban centres.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.2%
Part-time
30.8%
Participation
43.6%
Employed
332
Occupations
Top Industries
University
7.9%
Postgraduate
N/A
Born Overseas
11.7%
Dwellings
399
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high at 86.4% driving to work, typical of regional WA where public transport coverage is limited. Walking and cycling account for 7.8% of commutes, a modest but non-trivial share. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in nearby areas. Crime statistics are not available for Nulsen in the data. Rent-to-income sits at 22.5% and mortgage-to-income at 23.4%, both below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are proportionate to local incomes even though those incomes fall in the 12.2nd percentile nationally. The volunteering rate of 13.9% indicates reasonable community engagement relative to the population size of 1,083.
Drive
86.4%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
7.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Nulsen compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nulsen a good suburb to live in?
Nulsen suits working families and those seeking affordable regional living. The median house price of $266,000 is well below most WA urban markets, and housing costs as a share of income are manageable, with rent-to-income at 22.5% and mortgage-to-income at 23.4%. The trade-offs are a 9.0% unemployment rate above national averages and limited public transport, with 86.4% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Nulsen?
The median house price in Nulsen is $266,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $220, giving a gross rental yield near 4.3%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $990, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.4% is below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Nulsen?
No schools are recorded within the Nulsen suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring areas within the broader Esperance district. University-level qualifications in the suburb are low at 7.9%, which is 22.2 percentage points below the national average.
Is Nulsen safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Nulsen in this dataset. The unemployment rate of 9.0% is elevated compared to national averages, which can be associated with higher crime risk in some regional contexts. Housing stress is limited, with rent-to-income at 22.5% below the 30% threshold, which is one positive indicator of community stability across the 1,083 residents.
Is Nulsen good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. A gross yield near 4.3% from $220 weekly rent against a $266,000 median is above capital-city norms, but the 14.4% vacancy rate is more than double a healthy 5-7% range, signalling demand weakness. The unemployment rate of 9.0% and household income in the 12.2nd percentile nationally add tenant-quality risk.
How is Nulsen's population changing?
Formal population forecasts are not available for Nulsen. The current population is 1,083 across 3.14 km2, with a residential turnover rate of 15.8%, meaning roughly 1 in 6 households moves annually. This level of turnover is higher than settled suburbs and reflects a mobile or transient working population rather than long-term residents.
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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