South Hedland
South Hedland is unusually young, high income and renter dominated: its 11,046 residents have a median age of 32, which is 8.0 years below the national benchmark, while household income sits at the 93.5 percentile. Compared with nearby Port Hedland and Wedgefield, it functions more as the residential and services hub for a resource economy. The 72.3% renting share and 71.8% separate-house stock explain why demand can move quickly when mining and public-sector rosters expand.
Population
11,046
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,586/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$325K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers should treat South Hedland as a lifestyle and employment-led market because a current median house price is not available, yet carrying costs look modest against incomes. The typical mortgage payment is $1,387 a month, while mortgage costs equal 12.4% of income, below common stress thresholds. Detached houses make up 71.8% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes at 49.1% and 4-plus bedrooms at 29.7%, so families get more conventional housing than the 6.1% apartment share suggests.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should treat South Hedland as a lifestyle and employment-led market because a current median house price is not available, yet carrying costs look modest against incomes. The typical mortgage payment is $1,387 a month, while mortgage costs equal 12.4% of income, below common stress thresholds. Detached houses make up 71.8% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes at 49.1% and 4-plus bedrooms at 29.7%, so families get more conventional housing than the 6.1% apartment share suggests.
For Investors
Investors face a market with strong rental exposure but clear vacancy risk. Renters make up 72.3% of households, much higher than an owner-occupier suburb, and median rent is $240 a week. The caution is the 22.0% vacancy rate and 0 new developments in the past 12 months, which point to demand depending heavily on workforce cycles rather than broad scarcity. Overseas migration adds an average 114 people a year, compared with 10 from internal migration, helping underpin tenant flow.
Schools in South Hedland iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Baler Primary School
K-6 · 592 students
Hedland Senior High School
7-12 · 1138 students
Cassia Primary School
K-6 · 444 students
South Hedland Primary School
K-6 · 265 students
Demographics
South Hedland skews younger and more workforce oriented than the national profile. The median age is 32, or 8.0 years below national, and males make up 52.5% of residents, consistent with mining-linked employment. Overseas-born residents are 24.8%, 3.2 percentage points above national, while university attainment is 14.4%, which is 15.7 points lower. English ancestry leads with 2,872 people, and Christianity has 3,596 adherents, but smaller language groups include 107 Indigenous-language speakers and 46 Gujarati speakers.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.8%
Houses
21.4%
Townhouse
6.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing tenure is the defining feature: 72.3% rent, compared with only 7.4% owned outright and 20.3% held with a mortgage. That matters because price behaviour can follow employer housing demand more than household wealth accumulation. The stock is mostly separate houses at 71.8%, with semi-detached dwellings at 21.4% and apartments at 6.1%. Rent-to-income is 9.3% and mortgage-to-income is 12.4%, both lower than stress settings, but the missing median sale price means recent comparable sales deserve extra scrutiny.
Mortgage / mo
$1,387
Rent / wk
$240
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,415
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
22.0%
Unoccupied
952
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
9.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
12.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.5%
Couples, no children
7,612
Total families
Economy & Employment
South Hedland's economy ranks as highly income rich but education and advantage measures sit lower. Mining employs 945 workers, or 29.3%, followed by healthcare at 353, education at 331, transport at 270 and public admin at 211. Machinery and driver roles lead occupations with 883 workers, ahead of 593 professionals and 585 labourers. Full-time work is 78.7% and unemployment is 4.4%. The anomaly is SEIFA: IEO decile 2 and IER decile 3 sit below the 93.5 household income percentile, while IRSD and IRSAD are both decile 4, because wages are strong but qualification and broader advantage indicators are mixed.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
7,492
Unemployed
339
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
78.7%
Part-time
16.9%
Participation
61.1%
Employed
4,826
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.4%
Postgraduate
2.1%
Born Overseas
24.8%
Dwellings
3,366
Transport to Work
Daily life is car dependent because 87.5% drive to work, while public transport use is 1.4% and walking or cycling is 2.8%, lower than car commuting by a wide margin. School access is practical, with 4 government schools and an ICSEA range from 815 to 902. Baler Primary is the highest ICSEA school at 902 with 592 students, while Hedland Senior High has 1,138 students and an ICSEA of 886. IRSAD decile 4 signals moderate disadvantage, so livability depends on secure employment, school fit and reliable vehicle access more than cafe or transit density.
Drive
87.5%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.89%/yr
(+246 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is expected to remain positive rather than explosive. The annual trend is 1.89%, or about 246 people a year, with the medium path rising from 13,011 in 2026 to 14,243 in 2031. Migration is led by overseas arrivals, averaging 114 net people a year compared with 10 from internal migration, so workforce recruitment and visa-linked settlement matter. Gentrification is still early, with a score of 26 and an Early signs stage. Affordability worsened from 10.9 in 2011 to 17.0 in 2021 as rents rose 73.9% and real income fell 9.3%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+114
Net Internal / yr
+10
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +33% since 2011, Accelerating: 1% → 31%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How South Hedland compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is South Hedland a good suburb to live in?
South Hedland can suit people tied to Pilbara jobs because household income sits at the 93.5 percentile and the median age is 32. It is very car dependent, with 87.5% driving to work, so daily convenience is strongest for residents with reliable vehicle access.
What is the median house price in South Hedland?
There is no current median house price figure for South Hedland. Buyers should lean on recent comparable sales and note that typical mortgage payments are $1,387 a month, with mortgage costs at 12.4% of income.
What schools are in South Hedland?
South Hedland has 4 local government schools: Baler Primary School, Hedland Senior High School, Cassia Primary School and South Hedland Primary School. ICSEA values range from 815 to 902, and enrolments range from 265 to 1,138 students.
Is South Hedland safe?
South Hedland should be assessed street by street because no current crime rate per 1,000 residents is available. With 11,046 residents and 87.5% car commuting, local checks around work, school routes and after-dark travel are important.
Is South Hedland good for property investment?
It has investor appeal because 72.3% of households rent and median rent is $240 a week. The main risk is the 22.0% vacancy rate, which is higher than a tight rental market and reflects the suburb's exposure to workforce cycles.
How is South Hedland's population changing?
South Hedland is growing, with a forecast annual trend of 1.89%, or about 246 people a year. The medium population path rises from 13,011 in 2026 to 14,243 in 2031, helped by average net overseas migration of 114 people a year.
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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