Kalbarri, WA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Kalbarri sits where the Murchison River meets the sea on Western Australia's Coral Coast, about 590 kilometres north of Perth. It takes its name from the Nanda people, the traditional owners of this coast, recognised in a 2018 native title determination; Kalbarri is said to have been both the name of a Nanda man and a word for an edible seed. The town is the gateway to Kalbarri National Park, where the Murchison carves deep red-rock gorges crossed by the famous Nature's Window and the cliff-edge Kalbarri Skywalk, and where the coast falls away in tall sandstone bluffs. Fishing, spring wildflowers, and easy river and ocean beaches round out its appeal.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Kalbarri is more socio-economically advantaged than about 19% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 925, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Kalbarri at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,478
- Median age
- 53
- Median weekly household income
- $1,122
- SEIFA score
- 925
- Coordinates
- -27.6833, 114.2020
Kalbarri demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Kalbarri using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 34%, 27% of homes are rented, and 19% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 186 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 114 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 277 | 19% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 499 | 34% |
| Seniors (65+) | 411 | 28% |
Share of the 1,487 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 246 | 44% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 127 | 23% |
| Rented | 150 | 27% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 441 | 79% |
| Townhouses & semis | 72 | 13% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 558 occupied private dwellings in Kalbarri.
- Median weekly rent
- $258
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,600
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,427
- Median weekly personal income
- $640
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 246 (19%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 50 (4%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 49 (3%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 457 (36%)
- Labour-force participation
- 50.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.5%
- Employed full-time
- 302
- Employed part-time
- 249
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Common questions about Kalbarri
Where is Kalbarri?
Kalbarri is a suburb of Western Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Kalbarri?
At the 2021 Census, Kalbarri had a population of about 1,478.
Is Kalbarri an advantaged area?
Kalbarri has an ABS SEIFA score of 925, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 19 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 19% of Australian suburbs.
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