Northam WA 6401
Northam is a town in Western Australia, 96 km from Perth CBD, around 1 hour 20 minutes by car. Population is 6,679; the median age is 42 and the median household income is $64,792 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population grew 2.0% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $250 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. The area shows high crime risk and high flood risk. 8 schools sit within the town boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Northam a good town?
Northam scores a D (23/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on schools, safety, and community.
Below the state average
8 schools · Bottom 22% in WA
Very walkable
Walkability 67/100 · 95.9 km · 80 min drive to Perth
Median available
Median $505K
High crime risk
Fire 18/100 · Crime 89/100 · Flood 68/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 42 · 6,679 residents
Liveability Rating
23 / 100 · Ranked #507 in WAEach bar is Northam's rank among WA suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Northam?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
23 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataNortham's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $505,000, roughly 15% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$505,000
Based on 166 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 48 days — median across 69 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 9 sales $360K
- 3 bed 93 sales $444K
- 4 bed 51 sales $585K
- 5 bed 7 sales $800K
Land
$142,500
Based on 34 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 46 days — median across 12 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Northam are currently listed at around $590,000 on average. Based on 86 houses listed in the past six months.
$590K
86 houses listed in the last 6 months.
87 of the suburb's 2,484 dwellings (3.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Northam rent for around $580 a week on average, based on 17 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$580/wk
17 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
19 rentals advertised against an estimated 773 rented homes (2.5%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- All rentals
- $580/wk
- 33 bonds
- +62% since 2023
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. WA's bond data does not record bedrooms or dwelling type, so it covers all rentals together.Change since 2023 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025128 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 23% of its income on the median rent in postcode 6401.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$580/week ($30,000 a year) on a $590,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
12 active Airbnb listings: 7 whole homes and 5 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.2% of the town's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Schools
Eight schools serve Northam, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 2,002 students across 6 schools (avg 334)
- • Sectors: 5 Government, 2 Catholic, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 745-1013, median 932 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Joseph's School (721 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Northam is somewhat walkable on foot — at 67/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Northam.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 25%
- Premises covered
- 3,983
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Northam: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 20 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Northam is home to about 6,700 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $65,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
6,679
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$64,792/yr
Census Median Rent
$250/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$33,956/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
17.9%
Total Dwellings
2,484
Owner-Occupier Rate
68.9%
Houses
92.5%
Rental Stress
20.1%
Mortgage Stress
24.1%
Work From Home
4.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
194 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 17 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 745 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 74.6%
- English Spoken at Home
- 82.3%
- Employment Rate
- 49.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 28.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
98 residents (1.5%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
8.3% of residents (521) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Perth (465).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 6,290 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (43 of 2,652).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 3,922 people work here; 2,652 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.5 per resident). At least 32% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,471 a year through Northam based on 2023 figures.
Building Approvals: Northam
In the year to August 2026, 85 new dwellings were approved across Northam. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 68.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Northam, 0.7 kmDry climate — very hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 162 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 399 mm
- 57 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 34.2°C
- 53 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.5°C
- 6 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
4 facilities within 5 km- 1.7 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 3.0 km
- 3.1 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.5 kmRail Freight TransportTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene)
EV adoption
In postcode 6401, 19 of 7,218 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.1% (154 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 6401, 1,729 rooftop-solar systems totalling 10.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,523 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 75 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $800,000.
Cap is $800,000 SOUTH of the 26th parallel (which includes all of metropolitan Perth) and $1,000,000 NORTH of it. We store the southern figure because that is where almost every buyer is; the northern cap is higher, so the stored value never overstates eligibility. The southern cap rose from $750,000 on 7 May 2026 in the 2026-27 Housing Taxation Package. The same package moved the first home owner RATE OF DUTY thresholds, which is a different scheme and lives in the web repo's app/stamp_duty.py.
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this town.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with RevenueWA
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $800,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Department of Finance WA.
At $505,000 this is under the $800,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Department of Finance WA.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Trish Cook Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Trish Cook | 50.5% | 49.5% | -2.8 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Lachlan Hunter The Nationals WA
Next state election: 10 March 2029.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lachlan Hunter NP | 73.3% |
| 2021 | Mia Davies NP | 60.7% |
| 2017 | Mia Davies NP | 72.6% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2023, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Western Australian Electoral Commission.
Looking at a specific address in Northam?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 6,679 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Northam to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other WA suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Northam
Is Northam a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Northam is high (89/100, ranked against other WA suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Northam?
Northam has a low recorded bushfire history (18/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (68/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Northam a good place to live?
Northam has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (23/100), ranked against other WA suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Northam?
Northam, WA had a population of 6,679 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Northam, WA?
The postcode for Northam, WA is 6401.
How far is Northam from Perth?
Northam is 96 km from Perth CBD by road, about 80 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Northam?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Northam was $64,792 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Northam?
The median advertised rent in Northam is $580 a week for houses (17 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Northam?
The median age of residents in Northam was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Northam at risk of bushfire?
Northam has a low recorded bushfire history (18/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Northam?
There are 8 schools inside the Northam boundary: 1 at and 4 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Northam walkable?
Northam scores 67/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Northam?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Northam, Northam (0.7 km away), summer days average 34.2°C, winter nights 5.5°C, 399 mm of rain a year over 57 rainy days, and 53 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Northam?
First-home buyers in WA may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $800,000. The grant is administered by Department of Finance WA; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Northam belong to?
Northam sits within the Northam local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Northam?
The average residential rates bill through Northam is $2,471 a year (2023). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Northam?
Across Northam, 85 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 68.4% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Northam in?
Northam sits within the federal Division of Bullwinkel, currently held by Trish Cook (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2023–24
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2025
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.