Arthur River vs Darkan

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Arthur River, about half of households are couple families. In Darkan, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Arthur River tends to suit couples, while Darkan suits people living alone and older residents.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Darkan

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (75/100 vs 89/100)
  • But Arthur River is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 43%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Arthur River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (7% vs 17%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Arthur River

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (5% vs 11%)
  • has cheaper rent ($92/wk vs $151/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Arthur River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (205.9 km vs 208.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Darkan

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 9%)
  • carries lower crime risk (75/100 vs 89/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Darkan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-7.9% vs -41.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Arthur River and Darkan drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Arthur River Darkan
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Arthur River Darkan
Walkability 0 / 0
Arthur River — Walkability: 0/100 Darkan — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 11 / 25
Arthur River — Safety: 11/100 Darkan — Safety: 25/100
Low fire risk 58 / 51
Arthur River — Low fire risk: 58/100 Darkan — Low fire risk: 51/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Arthur River — Low flood risk: 100/100 Darkan — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Darkan has more residents (371 vs 66); Darkan rents higher ($151/wk vs $92/wk).

Arthur River Darkan
Population 66 371
+462% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -41.1% -7.9%
Median age 49
same for both
Median household income $94,224/yr
+27% vs other
 $68,692/yr
Median weekly rent $92/wk $151/wk
+64% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Arthur River Darkan
0-4 — / 5.4%
Arthur River — 0-4: not among its largest Darkan — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 19.7% / 12.7%
Arthur River — 5-14: 19.7% Darkan — 5-14: 12.7%
15-19 — / 4.0%
Arthur River — 15-19: not among its largest Darkan — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 9.1% / 4.6%
Arthur River — 20-24: 9.1% Darkan — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 10.6% / 7.3%
Arthur River — 25-34: 10.6% Darkan — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 7.6% / 12.9%
Arthur River — 35-44: 7.6% Darkan — 35-44: 12.9%
45-54 19.7% / 13.7%
Arthur River — 45-54: 19.7% Darkan — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 24.2% / 17.0%
Arthur River — 55-64: 24.2% Darkan — 55-64: 17.0%
65-74 9.1% / 12.9%
Arthur River — 65-74: 9.1% Darkan — 65-74: 12.9%
75-84 — / 7.0%
Arthur River — 75-84: not among its largest Darkan — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ — / 3.2%
Arthur River — 85+: not among its largest Darkan — 85+: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Arthur River 52.9% couple families
Arthur River — Couple Families: 52.9% Arthur River — Lone Person: 29.4% Arthur River — One Parent Families: 17.6% Arthur River — Group Household: 0.0%
Darkan 35.8% couple families
Darkan — Couple Families: 35.8% Darkan — Lone Person: 51.6% Darkan — One Parent Families: 7.4% Darkan — Group Household: 5.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Arthur River 29.2% renting
Arthur River — Owned Outright: 70.8% Arthur River — Mortgage: 0.0% Arthur River — Renting: 29.2%
Darkan 21.8% renting
Darkan — Owned Outright: 56.4% Darkan — Mortgage: 21.8% Darkan — Renting: 21.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Arthur River Darkan
England 7.6% / 4.6%
Arthur River — England: 7.6% Darkan — England: 4.6%
New Zealand 4.5% / 4.6%
Arthur River — New Zealand: 4.5% Darkan — New Zealand: 4.6%
Scotland 6.1% / —
Arthur River — Scotland: 6.1% Darkan — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.8%
Arthur River — Germany: not among its largest Darkan — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.6%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Arthur River Darkan
Certificate III & IV 15.2% / 15.1%
Arthur River — Certificate III & IV: 15.2% Darkan — Certificate III & IV: 15.1%
Bachelor Degree 15.2% / 8.1%
Arthur River — Bachelor Degree: 15.2% Darkan — Bachelor Degree: 8.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 13.6% / 5.7%
Arthur River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.6% Darkan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.6%
Arthur River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Darkan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Arthur River 100.0% houses
Arthur River — Houses: 100.0% Arthur River — Townhouses: 0.0% Arthur River — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Darkan 92.4% houses
Darkan — Houses: 92.4% Darkan — Townhouses: 4.2% Darkan — Flats / Apartments: 3.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Arthur River Darkan
Median house price — $290,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $70,000

Development activity

Arthur River Darkan
New dwellings approved 3
across West Arthur
same for both

Ranking within WA

Arthur River Darkan
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 59% of WA Higher than 27% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 43% of WA Higher than 37% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 57% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 25% of WA Higher than 21% of WA

Liveability

Arthur River Darkan
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Arthur River carries more crime risk (89 vs 75).

Arthur River Darkan
Bushfire Moderate
42/100
 Moderate
49/100
Crime High
89/100
 High
75/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Arthur River Darkan
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Arthur River

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Darkan

  • Darkan Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Arthur River Darkan
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 5 7
Childcare 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 15 22

Mobility

Darkan sits further from the CBD (208.3 km vs 205.9 km).

Arthur River Darkan
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 205.9 km 208.3 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 156 min 157 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 6315
 0.5%
postcode 6392
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 6315
 43
postcode 6392

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Arthur River Darkan
Car (driver) 48.8% / 61.8%
Arthur River — Car (driver): 48.8% Darkan — Car (driver): 61.8%
Worked from Home 43.9% / 24.2%
Arthur River — Worked from Home: 43.9% Darkan — Worked from Home: 24.2%
Walked Only 7.3% / 8.5%
Arthur River — Walked Only: 7.3% Darkan — Walked Only: 8.5%
Car (passenger) — / 3.6%
Arthur River — Car (passenger): not among its largest Darkan — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Bus — / 1.8%
Arthur River — Bus: not among its largest Darkan — Bus: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.8%).

Setting

Arthur River Darkan
Elevation 315 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 311 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Arthur River Darkan
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
24 premises
 0%
73 premises

Federal electorate

Arthur River Darkan
Division O'connor
same for both
Member Rick Wilson
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Arthur River Darkan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Arthur River

Rural

Darkan

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Arthur River

Arthur River vs Williams Arthur River vs Highbury Arthur River vs Wedgecarrup Arthur River vs Mokup Arthur River vs Beaufort River

Other comparisons with Darkan

Darkan vs Williams Darkan vs Bowelling Darkan vs Duranillin
Full data on Arthur River Full data on Darkan
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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