Northam, WA: suburb profile

The population of Northam WA is 6,679 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Northam is $653 per week ($33,956 per year). Median rent in Northam is $250 per week ($1,083 per month). Northam has a median age of 42 years, older than the national median of 38. Northam has a population density of 249 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Northam is England. The most common religion is No religion (39.9% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Tagalog. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Northam is $1,300.

Population
6,679
Census 2021
Median income
$653/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$250/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
42years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021.

Northam vs the typical WA suburb

The median personal income in Northam is $653 a week, 19% below the typical WA suburb ($806). That ranks 558th of 701 WA suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $250 a week, $70 less than the typical WA suburb. Rent takes 20.1% of the median household income here, against 18.6% in the typical WA suburb. The median resident is 42, 1 year older than in the typical WA suburb (41).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureNorthamTypical WADifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$653/wk$806/wk −19%$766/wk
Household income$1,246/wk$1,722/wk −28%$1,637/wk
Rent$250/wk$320/wk −22%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,300/mo$1,759/mo −26%$1,733/mo
Median age4241 +1 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.1%18.6% +1.4 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Northam, the typical WA suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Northam Population

6,679 residents at the 2021 Census.

Northam Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$653/wk
$33,956 per year
Ranked 6,293 of 14,663
Median Rent
$250/wk
$1,083 per month
Ranked 6,115 of 14,663
Median Age
42years
4 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 0.7 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Northam Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,246/wk
Median rent $250/wk
Rent to income 20.1%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Northam against your income

About $5,399 a month
Median rent $250/wk
Left after rent $996/wk
Rent share 20.1%

Northam Schools

8
schools nearby
5
government
888
avg ICSEA score
2,002
total students
St Joseph's School Catholic
Primary · PP-12 · 721 students
1013
ICSEA
Northam Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 325 students
937
ICSEA
Avonvale Education Support Centre Government
Combined · K-12 · 40 students
932
ICSEA
Northam Senior High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 669 students
898
ICSEA
West Northam Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 130 students
803
ICSEA
Avonvale Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 117 students
745
ICSEA
St Joseph's School - Secondary Campus Catholic
Secondary
OneSchool Global WA - Cunderdin Campus Independent
Combined

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Northam, with a map

Northam Map

Northam, Western Australia Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Northam, Western Australia: 31.6523°S, 116.6622°E

Northam Schools (8)

People in Northam

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.7% (3,254) Female 51.3% (3,424)

Population Density

249
people per km²
6,679 people · 26.8 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
0.7
Persons per bedroom
$1,574
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
3.6%
New Zealand
2.3%
Philippines
1.8%
India
0.8%
Germany
0.8%
South Africa
0.6%
Netherlands
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Tagalog
1.0%
Filipino
0.6%
Australian Indigenous Languages
0.5%
Malayalam
0.5%
Polish
0.4%
Afrikaans
0.3%
Urdu
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
39.6%
Australian
39.1%
Scottish
8.4%
Irish
8.1%
Australian Aboriginal
7.8%
German
3.8%
Italian
2.6%
Filipino
2.2%
Polish
2.0%
Dutch
2.0%
Indian
1.1%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
39.9%
Catholic
19.0%
Not stated
12.4%
Anglican
11.5%
Christian (other)
3.0%
Uniting Church
2.3%
Brethren
2.1%
Christinty Jehvahs Witnses
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

8.3%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
40.9% 2,207
Separated
4.9% 264
Divorced
11.0% 591
Widowed
7.3% 392
Never married
36.0% 1,943

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
36.4%
Couple: no children
30.7%
One parent: children under 15
14.5%
Couple: no children under 15
10.7%
One parent: no children under 15
7.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
32.0%
2 persons
35.4%
3 persons
12.7%
4 persons
11.0%
5 persons
5.5%
6+ persons
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Northam

Housing Tenure

Of the 2,484 occupied private dwellings in Northam at the 2021 Census, 30.0% were rented, 34.8% owned outright and 31.8% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.1% 27 dwellings
Owned outright
34.8% 865 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
31.8% 789 dwellings
Rented
30.0% 745 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
2.2% 55 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
94.3%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
5.3%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
2.4%
2 bedrooms
15.0%
3 bedrooms
46.8%
4 bedrooms
30.2%
5 bedrooms
4.5%
6+ bedrooms
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.2%
$300-$449/mo
3.8%
$450-$599/mo
4.8%
$600-$799/mo
8.8%
$800-$999/mo
10.6%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
24.4%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
19.9%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
12.8%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
6.3%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
7.3%
1 vehicle
36.6%
2 vehicles
35.5%
3 vehicles
14.0%
4+ vehicles
6.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Northam

Employment

Employed full-time
35.1% 1,629 people
Employed part-time
18.8% 873 people
Unemployed
3.9% 182 people
Not in labour force
42.2% 1,963 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
21.6%
Technicians & Trade Workers
19.1%
Community & Personal Service
15.6%
Managers
11.6%
Clerical & Administrative
10.8%
Labourers
8.7%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
6.4%
Sales Workers
6.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.7%
$1-$149/wk
0.9%
$150-$299/wk
1.8%
$300-$399/wk
3.5%
$400-$499/wk
10.4%
$500-$649/wk
6.6%
$650-$799/wk
8.6%
$800-$999/wk
7.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.8%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.3%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.2%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.7%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
2.3%
$4,000+/wk
5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.9%
$1-$149/wk
4.7%
$150-$299/wk
7.4%
$300-$399/wk
6.6%
$400-$499/wk
5.0%
$500-$649/wk
4.0%
$650-$799/wk
8.9%
$800-$999/wk
9.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
12.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.0%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
8.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.6%
$3,500+/wk
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
73.3%
Did not go to work
10.3%
Car (passenger)
7.5%
Walked only
5.7%
Truck
0.7%
Other
0.7%
Bus
0.6%
Bicycle
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.4%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
44.8%
Year 10 or equivalent
34.5%
Year 11 or equivalent
13.5%
Year 9 or equivalent
7.2%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
49.1%
Bachelor Degree
18.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.2%
Certificate I/II
6.9%
Postgraduate Degree
5.1%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Engineering
20.8%
Management & Commerce
19.8%
Society & Culture
12.7%
Health
11.4%
Education
11.3%
Architecture & Building
8.1%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.6%
Agriculture & Environment
3.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.4%
Creative Arts
2.0%
Information Technology
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
26.5%
Secondary: Government
23.2%
Primary: Catholic
16.1%
Secondary: Catholic
11.1%
Vocational Education
10.5%
Pre-school
8.5%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.4%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
82.0%
Has need for assistance
7.2%
Need for assistance not stated
10.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
675
Diabetes
269
Arthritis
234
Asthma
229
Heart disease
190
Lung condition
142
Cancer
101
Stroke
97
Kidney disease
84
Dementia
30

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.9% 616
Did not provide
87.1% 4,159

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
20.3% 970
Not a volunteer
79.7% 3,819

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 6
Previously served
3.6% 174
Never served
96.3% 4,633

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
27.0%
1 child
10.6%
2 children
27.0%
3 children
21.5%
4 children
9.8%
5+ children
4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
57
1951: 1960
53
1961: 1970
134
1971: 1980
128
1981: 1990
101
1991: 2000
51
2001: 2010
169
2011: 2015
170
2016
23
2017
14
2018
17
2019
24
2020
12
2021
8

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

15.1%
moved in the last year
40.3%
moved in the last 5 years
6.4%
unemployment rate (Census)
52.6%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
4,974
Moved from WA
396
Moved: same area (SA2)
392
Moved from overseas
34
Moved from QLD
21
Moved from SA
11
Moved from VIC
9
Moved from NT
6
Moved from NSW
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
18.5%
5: 14 hours
26.5%
15: 29 hours
12.5%
30+ hours
11.1%
Did not do domestic work
31.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
73.8%
Step family: no other children
15.5%
Blended family: no other children
6.4%
Other couple: children only
2.5%
Intact family: other children present
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Moora (WA)
Income: $743/wk Rent: $230/wk $20/wk less rent
Wonthella
Income: $615/wk Rent: $230/wk $20/wk less rent
Narrogin
Income: $719/wk Rent: $240/wk $10/wk less rent
Spalding (WA)
Income: $537/wk Rent: $220/wk $30/wk less rent
Merredin
Income: $756/wk Rent: $220/wk $30/wk less rent
Lockyer (WA)
Income: $531/wk Rent: $230/wk $20/wk less rent
Beachlands
Income: $735/wk Rent: $200/wk $50/wk less rent
Withers
Income: $552/wk Rent: $240/wk $10/wk less rent

Compare Northam

Frequently Asked Questions About Northam

What is the population of Northam WA?

The population of Northam WA is 6,679 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 249 people per km². Northam is ranked #1,133 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Northam?

The median personal income in Northam WA is $653 per week, or $33,956 per year. The median household income is $1,246 per week. Family income is $1,574 per week. Northam is ranked #6,293 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Northam?

Median rent in Northam WA is $250 per week ($1,083 per month). Rent represents 20.1% of household income, which is considered affordable. Northam ranks #6,115 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Northam?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Northam WA is $1,300. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Northam?

The median age in Northam WA is 42 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Northam a good suburb to live in?

Northam is a suburb in Western Australia with a population of 6,679. The median income is $653/wk, which is below the typical WA suburb ($806/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.1% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Perth Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 51157. All dollar figures in AUD.