Pegs Creek
A household income at the 91.1st percentile nationally tells the central story of Pegs Creek: the workforce earns well above average, driven by mining and construction rather than knowledge-sector credentials. The median age of 33 is 7 years below the national figure, making this one of the younger suburbs in regional WA. At 61.4% renters and a 26.5% vacancy rate, the suburb operates more like a transient worker accommodation hub than a settled residential community, with 34.9% of residents having moved in the past five years.
Population
2,050
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,420/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$452K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price sits at $452,000, well below the Perth metropolitan median, which suits buyers seeking regional affordability without forgoing high household incomes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733 against a household income at the 91.1st percentile nationally, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 59.4% of dwellings, a reasonable proportion, while apartments and semi-detached each account for 20.3%. The most common dwelling type is 3-bedroom at 40.7%, followed by 4-plus at 23.7%, so entry-level buyers have genuine choice across size and budget.
For Buyers
The median house price sits at $452,000, well below the Perth metropolitan median, which suits buyers seeking regional affordability without forgoing high household incomes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733 against a household income at the 91.1st percentile nationally, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 59.4% of dwellings, a reasonable proportion, while apartments and semi-detached each account for 20.3%. The most common dwelling type is 3-bedroom at 40.7%, followed by 4-plus at 23.7%, so entry-level buyers have genuine choice across size and budget.
For Investors
The 61.4% renter share is a standout figure, running far higher than the national average and providing landlords with a deep tenant pool. Weekly rent of $367 against a $452,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, stronger than most Perth suburbs. The 26.5% vacancy rate is the key risk: it signals genuine oversupply or high tenant turnover linked to the mining cycle, meaning void periods can be extended. With no development applications lodged in the past 12 months, new supply is not a near-term pressure, but the suburb's fortunes track closely with commodity prices and employment at regional resource projects.
Demographics
The median age of 33 sits 7 years below the national average of 40, reflecting the suburb's function as a destination for working-age arrivals rather than established families. Overseas-born residents account for 31.9% of the population, which is 10.3 percentage points above the national figure. Ancestry is led by English (565 residents), followed by Scottish (156) and Irish (148), with Punjabi the most common non-English language at 19 speakers. University qualifications reach only 20.1%, which is 10 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades and resource extraction rather than professional roles. Average household size is 2.3, slightly below the national figure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
59.4%
Houses
20.3%
Townhouse
20.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily skewed toward renting: 61.4% of dwellings are occupied by tenants, 30.5% by mortgage holders and only 8.1% by outright owners. The near-absence of debt-free ownership reflects the transient character of the suburb, where long-term residents who have paid off their homes are uncommon compared to the national average. Separate houses account for 59.4% of stock, with apartments and semi-detached each at 20.3%. Three-bedroom dwellings are the modal type at 40.7% and 4-plus bedroom homes represent 23.7%, suggesting the stock is sized for families rather than singles. At a $452,000 median and a rent-to-income ratio of 15.2%, housing costs remain well within manageable bounds for the resident income base.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$367
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,451
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
26.5%
Unoccupied
258
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.2%
Couples, no children
1,247
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining is the largest employer at 14.9% of workers (109 people), followed by Construction at 12.1% (88) and Education at 11.4% (83), with Healthcare at 9.0% and Retail at 7.9%. The mining and construction concentration explains why household income sits in the 91.1st percentile nationally despite university qualifications running 10 points below average: trade and resource-sector wages outpace much of the white-collar economy in regional WA. By occupation, Professionals (145), Labourers (143) and Clerical/Admin (128) are closely matched at the top, with Machinery and Drivers (127) and Managers (127) also prominent. Unemployment is low at 2.8% and the full-time employment rate reaches 77.8%, both indicators of a tight labour market driven by sustained resource demand.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
77.8%
Part-time
19.4%
Participation
66.4%
Employed
1,059
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.1%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
31.9%
Dwellings
705
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extreme: 82.6% of residents drive to work, while only 1.4% use public transport, far below national norms. Walking and cycling account for 7.9%, which is moderate for a low-density regional suburb. No schools are recorded within the Pegs Creek boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in nearby suburbs of the Karratha area. Safety data is not available at suburb level in this brief, but the low 2.8% unemployment rate and housing stress indicators suggest a population under less economic strain than the national median. Volunteering runs at 14.0% and only 1.8% of residents (30 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a young and physically active workforce population.
Drive
82.6%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
7.9%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Pegs Creek compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pegs Creek a good suburb to live in?
Pegs Creek suits workers tied to the Pilbara mining and construction sector. Household income sits at the 91.1st percentile nationally, housing costs are low with a rent-to-income ratio of 15.2%, and unemployment is just 2.8%. The trade-offs are minimal public transport (1.4% usage), a 26.5% vacancy rate reflecting high turnover, and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Pegs Creek?
The median house price is approximately $452,000, estimated from rental data as of 2025. Weekly rent averages $367 and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733. Against incomes at the 91.1st percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio works out to 16.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Pegs Creek?
No schools are recorded inside the Pegs Creek boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Karratha suburbs. The suburb's population is young, with a median age of 33, but university qualifications reach only 20.1%, which is 10 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Pegs Creek safe?
Suburb-level crime statistics are not available for Pegs Creek in this dataset. As indirect indicators, unemployment is low at 2.8%, housing stress is absent with a rent-to-income ratio of 15.2% and mortgage-to-income of 16.5%, and only 1.8% of residents (30 people) need daily assistance, all consistent with a stable, employed population.
Is Pegs Creek good for property investment?
The 61.4% renter share gives landlords a large tenant pool, and weekly rent of $367 against a $452,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.2%, higher than most Perth metropolitan suburbs. The main risk is the 26.5% vacancy rate, which reflects resource-sector cyclicality. With 0 development applications in the past 12 months, near-term supply pressure is low.
How is Pegs Creek's population changing?
Pegs Creek has a population of 2,050 with high turnover: 34.9% of residents moved in the five years before the census. This churn is typical of resource-sector towns where workers rotate through on contracts. The median age holds steady at 33, which is 7 years below the national average, because new arrivals continuously replace those who leave.
What languages are spoken in Pegs Creek?
About 31.9% of residents were born overseas, which is 10.3 percentage points above the national figure. The most common non-English language is Punjabi (19 speakers), followed by Australian Indigenous Languages (12) and Mandarin (11). English is dominant, with ancestry led by English (565), Scottish (156) and Irish (148) 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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