Sandstone vs Meekatharra

Meekatharra is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 60 in Sandstone. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Sandstone, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of households are people living alone. In Meekatharra, most households rent. On these figures, Sandstone tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Meekatharra suits renters and young adults.

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

Sandstone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 98/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.

First-home buyers

Meekatharra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (12% vs 37%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Sandstone has cheaper rent ($70/wk vs $110/wk)
  • Meekatharra has a bigger rental market to choose from (59% vs 12%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Sandstone sits closer to the CBD (761.4 km vs 781.9 km)
  • Meekatharra has a shorter drive in (515 min vs 532 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sandstone

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 10%)
  • carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 98/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sandstone Meekatharra
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.

Sandstone Meekatharra
Walkability 0 / 0
Sandstone — Walkability: 0/100 Meekatharra — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 40 / 2
Sandstone — Safety: 40/100 Meekatharra — Safety: 2/100
Low fire risk 64 / 66
Sandstone — Low fire risk: 64/100 Meekatharra — Low fire risk: 66/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Sandstone — Low flood risk: 100/100 Meekatharra — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Meekatharra has more residents (849 vs 109); Sandstone skews older (60 vs 33).

Sandstone Meekatharra
Population 109 849
+679% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.5% +19.9%
Median age 60 33
Median household income $49,348/yr $66,196/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $70/wk $110/wk
+57% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sandstone Meekatharra
0-4 — / 8.2%
Sandstone — 0-4: not among its largest Meekatharra — 0-4: 8.2%
5-14 — / 9.3%
Sandstone — 5-14: not among its largest Meekatharra — 5-14: 9.3%
15-19 — / 5.9%
Sandstone — 15-19: not among its largest Meekatharra — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 3.7% / 8.5%
Sandstone — 20-24: 3.7% Meekatharra — 20-24: 8.5%
25-34 11.9% / 20.3%
Sandstone — 25-34: 11.9% Meekatharra — 25-34: 20.3%
35-44 6.4% / 12.7%
Sandstone — 35-44: 6.4% Meekatharra — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 10.1% / 11.8%
Sandstone — 45-54: 10.1% Meekatharra — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 28.4% / 14.3%
Sandstone — 55-64: 28.4% Meekatharra — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 20.2% / 6.8%
Sandstone — 65-74: 20.2% Meekatharra — 65-74: 6.8%
75-84 13.8% / 2.8%
Sandstone — 75-84: 13.8% Meekatharra — 75-84: 2.8%
85+ — / —
Sandstone — 85+: not among its largest Meekatharra — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sandstone 100.0% lone person
Sandstone — Lone Person: 100.0% Sandstone — Couple Families: 0.0% Sandstone — One Parent Families: 0.0% Sandstone — Other Families: 0.0% Sandstone — Group Household: 0.0%
Meekatharra 44.3% lone person
Meekatharra — Lone Person: 44.3% Meekatharra — Couple Families: 24.7% Meekatharra — One Parent Families: 23.0% Meekatharra — Other Families: 6.3% Meekatharra — Group Household: 1.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sandstone 12.5% renting
Sandstone — Owned Outright: 75.0% Sandstone — Mortgage: 12.5% Sandstone — Renting: 12.5%
Meekatharra 59.1% renting
Meekatharra — Owned Outright: 33.3% Meekatharra — Mortgage: 7.5% Meekatharra — Renting: 59.1%
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.

Sandstone Meekatharra
New Zealand 3.7% / 1.3%
Sandstone — New Zealand: 3.7% Meekatharra — New Zealand: 1.3%
England 2.8% / 1.1%
Sandstone — England: 2.8% Meekatharra — England: 1.1%
Philippines — / 1.4%
Sandstone — Philippines: not among its largest Meekatharra — Philippines: 1.4%
India — / 0.8%
Sandstone — India: not among its largest Meekatharra — India: 0.8%
South Africa — / 0.6%
Sandstone — South Africa: not among its largest Meekatharra — South Africa: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

Qualifications

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

Sandstone Meekatharra
Certificate III & IV 15.6% / 11.3%
Sandstone — Certificate III & IV: 15.6% Meekatharra — Certificate III & IV: 11.3%
Bachelor Degree 8.3% / 4.6%
Sandstone — Bachelor Degree: 8.3% Meekatharra — Bachelor Degree: 4.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.7% / 3.9%
Sandstone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.7% Meekatharra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.9%
Sandstone — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Meekatharra — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.5%
Sandstone — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Meekatharra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sandstone 79.1% houses
Sandstone — Houses: 79.1% Sandstone — Flats / Apartments: 20.9% Sandstone — Townhouses: 0.0%
Meekatharra 84.3% houses
Meekatharra — Houses: 84.3% Meekatharra — Flats / Apartments: 12.6% Meekatharra — Townhouses: 3.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Sandstone Meekatharra
Median house price — $170,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Sandstone Meekatharra
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 8% of WA Higher than 23% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 7% of WA Higher than 17% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 4% of WA Higher than 10% of WA

Liveability

Sandstone Meekatharra
Grade — D
Score — 15/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Meekatharra carries more crime risk (98 vs 60).

Sandstone Meekatharra
Bushfire Low
36/100
 Low
34/100
Crime Moderate
60/100
 High
98/100
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

Sandstone Meekatharra
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Sandstone

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

Schools in Meekatharra

  • Meekatharra District High School Government · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Sandstone Meekatharra
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 4 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 3
Waterways 3 22

Mobility

Meekatharra sits further from the CBD (781.9 km vs 761.4 km).

Sandstone Meekatharra
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 761.4 km 781.9 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 532 min 515 min
Electric vehicle share — 0.0%
postcode 6642
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings — 23
postcode 6642

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.

Sandstone Meekatharra
Car (driver) 29.0% / 52.9%
Sandstone — Car (driver): 29.0% Meekatharra — Car (driver): 52.9%
Walked Only 29.0% / 16.9%
Sandstone — Walked Only: 29.0% Meekatharra — Walked Only: 16.9%
Worked from Home 29.0% / 6.5%
Sandstone — Worked from Home: 29.0% Meekatharra — Worked from Home: 6.5%
Bicycle 12.9% / 1.9%
Sandstone — Bicycle: 12.9% Meekatharra — Bicycle: 1.9%
Bus — / 12.6%
Sandstone — Bus: not among its largest Meekatharra — Bus: 12.6%
Car (passenger) — / 9.2%
Sandstone — Car (passenger): not among its largest Meekatharra — Car (passenger): 9.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.9%).

Setting

Sandstone Meekatharra
Elevation 469 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 554 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Sandstone Meekatharra
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
52 premises
 0%
91 premises

Climate

Sandstone Meekatharra
Annual rainfall 266 mm 224 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 38.3°C
Winter min (Jul) — 8.7°C

Federal electorate

Sandstone Meekatharra
Division Durack
same for both
Member Melissa Price
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sandstone Meekatharra
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sandstone

Retirees Rural

Meekatharra

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sandstone

Sandstone vs Leinster Sandstone vs Wiluna Sandstone vs Mount Jackson Sandstone vs Ularring

Other comparisons with Meekatharra

Meekatharra vs Wiluna Meekatharra vs Peak Hill Meekatharra vs Kumarina Meekatharra vs Karalundi
Full data on Sandstone Full data on Meekatharra
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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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