Sandstone vs Wiluna

Wiluna is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 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 Wiluna, the large majority of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Sandstone tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Wiluna 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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Sandstone carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 95/100)
  • Wiluna has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 79%)

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

Renters

They split

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

  • Sandstone has cheaper rent ($70/wk vs $118/wk)
  • Wiluna has a bigger rental market to choose from (76% vs 12%)

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

Commuting to the city

Sandstone

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (761.4 km vs 991.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (532 min vs 689 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sandstone

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 10%)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (21% vs 11%)
  • carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 95/100)

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

Investors

Sandstone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.5% vs -27.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Sandstone and Wiluna 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 Wiluna
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 Wiluna
Walkability 0 / 0
Sandstone — Walkability: 0/100 Wiluna — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 40 / 5
Sandstone — Safety: 40/100 Wiluna — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 64 / 51
Sandstone — Low fire risk: 64/100 Wiluna — Low fire risk: 51/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Sandstone — Low flood risk: 100/100 Wiluna — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Wiluna has more residents (521 vs 109); Sandstone skews older (60 vs 35).

Sandstone Wiluna
Population 109 521
+378% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.5% -27.6%
Median age 60 35
Median household income $49,348/yr $56,628/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $70/wk $118/wk
+69% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sandstone Wiluna
0-4 — / 3.5%
Sandstone — 0-4: not among its largest Wiluna — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 — / 12.7%
Sandstone — 5-14: not among its largest Wiluna — 5-14: 12.7%
15-19 — / 4.6%
Sandstone — 15-19: not among its largest Wiluna — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 3.7% / 9.4%
Sandstone — 20-24: 3.7% Wiluna — 20-24: 9.4%
25-34 11.9% / 20.5%
Sandstone — 25-34: 11.9% Wiluna — 25-34: 20.5%
35-44 6.4% / 16.9%
Sandstone — 35-44: 6.4% Wiluna — 35-44: 16.9%
45-54 10.1% / 15.2%
Sandstone — 45-54: 10.1% Wiluna — 45-54: 15.2%
55-64 28.4% / 7.5%
Sandstone — 55-64: 28.4% Wiluna — 55-64: 7.5%
65-74 20.2% / 7.5%
Sandstone — 65-74: 20.2% Wiluna — 65-74: 7.5%
75-84 13.8% / 2.5%
Sandstone — 75-84: 13.8% Wiluna — 75-84: 2.5%
85+ — / —
Sandstone — 85+: not among its largest Wiluna — 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 — One Parent Families: 0.0% Sandstone — Other Families: 0.0% Sandstone — Couple Families: 0.0% Sandstone — Group Household: 0.0%
Wiluna 51.4% lone person
Wiluna — Lone Person: 51.4% Wiluna — One Parent Families: 27.1% Wiluna — Other Families: 8.6% Wiluna — Couple Families: 8.6% Wiluna — Group Household: 4.3%
Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Couple 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%
Wiluna 75.9% renting
Wiluna — Owned Outright: 24.1% Wiluna — Mortgage: 0.0% Wiluna — Renting: 75.9%
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 Wiluna
New Zealand 3.7% / 3.1%
Sandstone — New Zealand: 3.7% Wiluna — New Zealand: 3.1%
England 2.8% / 3.3%
Sandstone — England: 2.8% Wiluna — England: 3.3%
Fiji — / 1.5%
Sandstone — Fiji: not among its largest Wiluna — Fiji: 1.5%
Philippines — / 1.3%
Sandstone — Philippines: not among its largest Wiluna — Philippines: 1.3%
South Africa — / 0.8%
Sandstone — South Africa: not among its largest Wiluna — South Africa: 0.8%

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

Qualifications

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

Sandstone Wiluna
Certificate III & IV 15.6% / 13.8%
Sandstone — Certificate III & IV: 15.6% Wiluna — Certificate III & IV: 13.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.3% / 4.8%
Sandstone — Bachelor Degree: 8.3% Wiluna — Bachelor Degree: 4.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.7% / 3.5%
Sandstone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.7% Wiluna — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.5%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.7%
Sandstone — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Wiluna — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.0%
Sandstone — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Wiluna — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

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%
Wiluna 92.9% houses
Wiluna — Houses: 92.9% Wiluna — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Wiluna — Townhouses: 10.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Ranking within WA

Sandstone Wiluna
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 8% of WA Higher than 13% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 7% of WA Higher than 3% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 4% of WA Higher than 2% of WA

Liveability

Sandstone Wiluna
Grade — D
Score — 11/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Wiluna carries more crime risk (95 vs 60); Wiluna carries more bushfire risk (49 vs 36).

Sandstone Wiluna
Bushfire Low
36/100
 Moderate
49/100
Crime Moderate
60/100
 High
95/100
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 Wiluna
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
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 Wiluna

  • Wiluna Remote Community School Government · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Sandstone Wiluna
Parks & reserves 4 6
GPs 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 3 5

Mobility

Wiluna sits further from the CBD (991.5 km vs 761.4 km).

Sandstone Wiluna
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 761.4 km 991.5 km
+30% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 532 min 689 min
Electric vehicle share — 0.0%
postcode 6646
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings — 9
postcode 6646

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 Wiluna
Car (driver) 29.0% / 34.8%
Sandstone — Car (driver): 29.0% Wiluna — Car (driver): 34.8%
Walked Only 29.0% / 30.4%
Sandstone — Walked Only: 29.0% Wiluna — Walked Only: 30.4%
Worked from Home 29.0% / 5.2%
Sandstone — Worked from Home: 29.0% Wiluna — Worked from Home: 5.2%
Bus — / 17.8%
Sandstone — Bus: not among its largest Wiluna — Bus: 17.8%
Bicycle 12.9% / —
Sandstone — Bicycle: 12.9% Wiluna — Bicycle: not among its largest
Car (passenger) — / 11.9%
Sandstone — Car (passenger): not among its largest Wiluna — Car (passenger): 11.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.8%).

Setting

Sandstone Wiluna
Elevation 469 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 561 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

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

Federal electorate

Sandstone Wiluna
Division Durack O'connor
Member Melissa Price Rick Wilson
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Sandstone

Retirees Rural

Wiluna

Multicultural Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sandstone

Sandstone vs Meekatharra Sandstone vs Leinster Sandstone vs Mount Jackson Sandstone vs Ularring

Other comparisons with Wiluna

Wiluna vs Meekatharra Wiluna vs Lake Darlot Wiluna vs Kumarina
Full data on Sandstone Full data on Wiluna
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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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