Somerville
Mining shapes nearly every metric in Somerville. At postcode 6430 in the Kalgoorlie region, 28.8% of employed residents work in mining, pushing household income to the 97.2nd percentile nationally despite an IEO education decile of just 5. The median age of 33 sits 7 years below the national average, and the 77.7% full-time employment rate far exceeds typical suburban figures. With a median house price around $471,000 and a 10.6% vacancy rate, this is a suburb where resource-sector wages define the ceiling but roster-driven turnover keeps rents and values volatile.
Population
4,165
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,996/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$471K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price of $471,000 reflects Kalgoorlie regional pricing rather than Perth metro benchmarks. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,123, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, because mining incomes are strong relative to purchase prices. Separate houses dominate at 72.4% of dwellings, and 59.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, larger than the national mix, because FIFO-worker households tend to buy for family use rather than investment. Semi-detached properties add another 21.5%. With 45.8% of residents carrying a mortgage compared to 16.1% owning outright, this is predominantly a mortgage-belt suburb where buyers are recent purchasers rather than long-held owners.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price of $471,000 reflects Kalgoorlie regional pricing rather than Perth metro benchmarks. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,123, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, because mining incomes are strong relative to purchase prices. Separate houses dominate at 72.4% of dwellings, and 59.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, larger than the national mix, because FIFO-worker households tend to buy for family use rather than investment. Semi-detached properties add another 21.5%. With 45.8% of residents carrying a mortgage compared to 16.1% owning outright, this is predominantly a mortgage-belt suburb where buyers are recent purchasers rather than long-held owners.
For Investors
Somerville's rental market is shaped by mining employment cycles. Weekly rent of $330 against a $471,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.6%, above most metro suburbs. However, the 10.6% vacancy rate signals material downside risk when mining activity softens and FIFO rosters contract, as has happened in past commodity cycles. The 38.1% renter share provides a broad tenant pool when demand is running. Overseas migration adds a net 78 residents annually, more than offsetting internal outflow of 44, which provides a baseline of demand. Rent grew 38.2% over the decade compared to real income growth of 13.1%, meaning landlords captured outsized gains but affordability compression creates a ceiling for future rent increases.
Schools in Somerville iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Goldfields Baptist College
PP-11 · 239 students
Demographics
The median age of 33 is 7 years below the national figure, reflecting the young workforce drawn by mining employment. Males make up 53.0% of residents, consistent with the industry gender skew. Overseas-born residents reach 28.4%, which is 6.8 percentage points above the national average, with the leading non-English languages being Afrikaans (33 speakers), Hindi (20) and Mandarin (18), indicating South African and Indian mining-sector recruitment pipelines. University qualifications at 25.2% sit 4.9 points below national, because mining work is trade and operator-heavy: Machinery and Drivers (337 workers) rank second behind Professionals (405) by occupation. Couples with children account for the largest household type at 1,802 families, and average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above the national figure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
72.4%
Houses
21.5%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Somerville's housing stock is large and detached. Separate houses make up 72.4% of dwellings and 59.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, while only 21.5% are semi-detached and no significant apartment stock is recorded. Tenure splits toward mortgaged ownership at 45.8%, with renters at 38.1% and outright owners at just 16.1%, lower than the national average, consistent with a relatively young population that has not yet paid down debt. Mortgage repayments average $2,123 monthly, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.4% is low by national standards, reflecting the income premium from mining wages. Rent-to-income at 11.0% is similarly undemanding. The 10.6% vacancy rate stands above most residential suburbs and reflects the cyclical nature of mining employment rather than structural oversupply.
Mortgage / mo
$2,123
Rent / wk
$330
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,431
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.6%
Unoccupied
158
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
11.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.0%
Couples, no children
3,215
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining accounts for 28.8% of local employment (432 workers), the single dominant sector, placing Somerville in the resource-economy category where national sector benchmarks are largely irrelevant. Education employs 12.2% (183 workers) and Healthcare 11.3% (170), providing community-service anchors that stabilise employment during downturns. Construction at 7.0% and Public Admin at 5.9% round out the top five. The unemployment rate of 2.8% is low, and the 77.7% full-time employment rate is high compared to most residential suburbs. The IER (economic resources) score reaches decile 8 nationally, driven by high wages, while the IEO (education and occupation) score of decile 5 reflects the trade and operator-heavy workforce. Household income sits at the 97.2nd percentile nationally, the same as higher-educated metro suburbs but derived from physical labour rather than professional services.
Unemployment
3.4%
Labour Force
10,717
Unemployed
367
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
77.7%
Part-time
19.5%
Participation
70.9%
Employed
2,179
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.2%
Postgraduate
6.3%
Born Overseas
28.4%
Dwellings
1,342
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 84.8% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average, and public transport use is just 2.9%. Walking and cycling account for 3.2% of commutes. No schools are recorded within Somerville in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in surrounding Kalgoorlie suburbs. Crime statistics are not available for this suburb at the level captured in this dataset. Volunteering reaches 15.6% of residents, above many comparable resource towns, suggesting social cohesion despite high workforce transience. Only 2.2% of residents (82 people) need daily assistance. The IRSAD decile of 6 places Somerville in the upper half nationally on the combined advantage-disadvantage index, higher than the IEO decile of 5 would imply, because income wealth partially offsets lower educational attainment.
Drive
84.8%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
3.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.39%/yr
(+75 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 6.1% over the decade, adding roughly 239 residents, with annual growth currently running at 0.39% (75 persons per year). Medium forecasts project the broader area reaching 19,541 by 2031, continuing gradual expansion. Overseas migration is the primary positive driver at a net 78 arrivals annually, partly offsetting internal outflow of 44, a pattern typical of resource towns where international recruits fill trade and operator roles. The demographic trajectory is aging, with the senior share rising 6.5 points and the working-age share falling 1.6 points over the decade, and the young-adult share declining 2.6 points. Gentrification scores at 33 with early signals, driven by affordability stability (47.7% rent-to-purchase ratio in 2021 vs 48.0% in 2011) rather than displacement dynamics common in urban markets.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+78
Net Internal / yr
-44
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Somerville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Somerville a good suburb to live in?
Somerville suits people employed in the Kalgoorlie mining sector. Household income ranks at the 97.2nd percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income sits at a comfortable 16.4%, and unemployment is just 2.8%. The trade-offs are limited public transport at 2.9% of commuters and a 10.6% vacancy rate that reflects the cyclical nature of resource-sector employment.
What is the median house price in Somerville?
The estimated median house price is $471,000 (based on 2025 rental data), with average monthly mortgage repayments of $2,123. Weekly rent averages $330, implying a gross yield near 3.6%. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.4% is low by national standards because mining wages are strong relative to local property prices.
What schools are in Somerville?
No schools are recorded within the Somerville boundary in this dataset. Families in postcode 6430 typically rely on schools in the broader Kalgoorlie area. The suburb has 4,165 residents with 1,802 couples-with-children families, so school access from neighbouring areas is a practical consideration for buyers.
Is Somerville safe?
Detailed suburb-level crime statistics are not available for Somerville in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the IRSAD decile of 6 places the suburb in the upper half nationally on the combined advantage-disadvantage index, and only 2.2% of the 4,165 residents require daily assistance, both consistent with a relatively low-disadvantage community.
Is Somerville good for property investment?
At $330 weekly rent against a $471,000 median, gross yield is near 3.6%, better than most metro suburbs. However, the 10.6% vacancy rate reflects exposure to mining-cycle downturns, and rent-to-income at 11.0% leaves limited room for further rent growth. Overseas migration of 78 net arrivals annually provides a steady demand base, but investors should stress-test for commodity price softening.
How is Somerville's population changing?
Population grew 6.1% over the decade and is growing at 0.39% annually (about 75 people per year). Overseas migration is the primary driver at a net 78 arrivals per year, more than offsetting net internal outflow of 44. The age profile is slowly aging, with the senior share up 6.5 points over 10 years, though the median age of 33 remains 7 years below the national figure.
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.
Explore Somerville on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map