Karratha property market: the official numbers
What the census actually says about Karratha, WA — who lives there, what they pay, and what they do for work. Every figure below is ABS Census 2021 data, linked at the bottom so you can check it yourself.
The straight answer
Median rent in Karratha was $320 a week at the 2021 Census — 15% below the national median. The typical repayment was $1,972 a month against $1,387 in rent — a middling gap, neither bargain nor squeeze.
The key numbers
The typical repayment ran at about 14% of the median household income. One caveat before you compare: everything here is August 2021. Repayments in particular have jumped since the 2022–24 rate rises. Treat these as a ranking tool, not a price tag.
Rent against the repayment
At the census, the typical monthly rent worked out to $1,387 against a typical mortgage repayment of $1,972:
How to read the rent-repayment gap
The mortgage figure reflects loans and rates as at August 2021, before the 2022–24 rate rises — today's repayment on a new loan would be higher. The rent figure is what tenants were actually paying, not today's asking rents. The useful signal is the shape: where rent and repayments sit close together, buying has historically competed well with renting here; where repayments tower over rent, the market prices in growth. Run your own numbers with the mortgage vs invest tool or what can I afford?
Who owns, who rents
60.0% of Karratha households rent — that's the tenant pool an investor here would actually be renting into, and it's a deep pool by national standards.
The age mix
How to read an age profile
A heavy 25–44 band usually means family housing demand (and pressure on 3–4 bedroom stock); a heavy 65+ band signals downsizer and retiree demand (units, single-level living, proximity to health care). Karratha's median age of 32 sits below the national median of 38.
Where the pay cheques come from
mining employs 20.4% of Karratha's 8,866 workers (Census 2021). Local housing demand rises and falls with it.
What it costs to buy in WA
Current sale prices live behind licensed feeds we won't republish. The costs of buying don't — they're public and exact:
- Stamp duty in Western Australia — exact duty and first-home-buyer concessions.
- What can I afford? — borrowing power, price range and all-in upfront cash.
- The official WA price trend — ABS state-level values since 2011, interactive.
Quick answers
What is the median rent in Karratha?
At the 2021 Census the median rent in Karratha was $320 a week — 15% below the national median ($375/wk). Rents have moved since 2021; check current listings for today's asking rents.
How many people live in Karratha?
17,013 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 32 (national median: 38). Karratha is one of Western Australia's significant urban areas as defined by the ABS.
What do people in Karratha do for work?
The biggest employing industry is mining, followed by construction (ABS Census 2021). The industry mix shapes how resilient local housing demand is.
The verdict
Your call
Rent covered roughly 70% of the typical repayment here — a middling shape. Owner-occupiers do fine in markets like this; an investor needs a sharper reason to pick it. Size is the catch — at 17,013 people, exits are slow here. Count on months, not weeks, if you ever need to sell.
Whatever you do, check the things the census can't show: today's asking rents, vacancy and days on market in Karratha. Then run your own numbers: what can I afford? for borrowing power and upfront cash, and the Western Australia stamp duty calculator for the tax bill.
Other WA markets
Perth · Bunbury · Busselton · Geraldton · Albany · Kalgoorlie - Boulder
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General information only — not financial or property advice. All figures are ABS Census 2021 ( official QuickStats for Karratha, CC-BY 4.0), which predates the 2022–24 rate rises; conditions have moved since. Last reviewed 10 July 2026.