Morawa
Statistical Area - sa2

Morawa has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Morawa's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 4,103 people. This figure represents an increase of 227 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,876 people. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 4,077 as of June 2024 and an additional 10 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 0.20 persons per square kilometer. Morawa's growth rate of 5.9% since the census is within 1.5 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth (7.4%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 52.8% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and post-2032 growth estimation, AreaSearch utilises ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, Morawa is expected to have a population increase just below the median of Australian non-metropolitan areas, with an expected rise of 358 persons by 2041, representing an overall increase of 8.1% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Morawa according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Morawa has recorded approximately 15 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 78 approvals across the past five financial years from FY2021 to FY2025, with one approval so far in FY2026. On average, 1.6 people have moved to the area each year for every dwelling built over these five financial years. This suggests a balanced supply and demand, creating stable market conditions.

The average construction cost of new homes is $398,000, which aligns with regional trends. In FY2026, $4.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's residential character. When compared to the Rest of WA, Morawa maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas.

All recent development has comprised detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 313 people per dwelling approval, Morawa exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. By 2041, Morawa is expected to grow by 332 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Morawa has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 1stth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects expected to impact the area. Notable ones are Warradarge Wind Farm, Iluka Eneabba Rare Earths Refinery, Twin Hills Wind Farm, and Eneabba Mineral Sands Mine. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, Morawa has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Morawa's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with varied industry representation. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

In this month, 2,008 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.2% higher than Rest of WA's rate of 3.2%. Workforce participation in Morawa lags behind Rest of WA at 53.6%, compared to the regional average of 59.4%. Key industries for employment among Morawa residents include agriculture, forestry & fishing, public administration & safety, and education & training. Notably, agriculture, forestry & fishing has a high concentration with employment levels at 4.0 times the regional average.

Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 5.1% compared to Rest of WA's average of 11.9%. Many Morawa residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparison between working population and local population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Morawa's labour force decreased by 2.5%, with employment decreasing by 2.6%, leaving unemployment relatively unchanged. By contrast, Rest of WA saw employment growth of 1.1% and labour force growth of 0.5%, with a 0.6 percentage point decrease in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Morawa's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 4.3% over five years and 10.2% over ten years, although these figures are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for local population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022 indicates Morawa had median taxpayer income of $51,245 and average income of $65,676. Nationally, these figures are slightly above average at $50,983 and $72,074 respectively. In Rest of WA, the figures stand at $57,323 (median) and $71,163 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% from financial year ended June 2022 to March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $57,195 and average income is $73,301 as of March 2025. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data for 2021, personal income ranks at 42nd percentile with weekly earnings of $768, while household income sits at 21st percentile. Income distribution shows 29.3% (1,202 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, similar to regional levels where 31.1% occupy this range. Housing costs retention is manageable at 93.8%, but disposable income ranks below average at 34th percentile.

Morawa is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Morawa, as assessed in the latest Census, 95.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 4.5% comprising semi-detached properties, apartments, and other types. This is compared to Non-Metro WA's breakdown of 87.5% houses and 12.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Morawa stood at 54.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 21.6% and rented ones at 23.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $800, below Non-Metro WA's average of $1,517. Weekly rent in Morawa was recorded at $175, compared to Non-Metro WA's $250. Nationally, Morawa's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Morawa features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.3% of all households, including 22.3% couples with children, 36.6% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.7%, with lone person households at 33.8% and group households comprising 1.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of WA average of 2.4.

Morawa faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 15.2%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.0%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.3%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.9%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 41.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.7%) and certificates (33.2%).

Educational participation is high at 31.4%, including primary education (15.1%), secondary education (7.3%), and tertiary education (2.3%). A network of 9 schools operates in Morawa, educating approximately 543 students. The educational mix includes 6 primary, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents stand at 13.2, below the regional average of 16.8, with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas.

Transport servicing is very low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Morawa has 23 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together offer 19 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is limited, with residents typically living 742 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are two trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately zero weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Morawa is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Morawa faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 52%, leading that of the average SA2 area with about 2,149 people having it. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.8% and 7.4% of residents respectively. About 65.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 66.8% across Rest of WA. The area has 22.7% of residents aged 65 and over (931 people), which is higher than the 18.3% in Rest of WA. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Morawa is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Morawa's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 76.9% of its population being citizens, 86.8% born in Australia, and 96.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion in Morawa, comprising 48.7% of people, compared to 49.9% across Rest of WA. The top three ancestry groups were English (34.3%), Australian (31.8%), and Scottish (7.7%).

Notably, Maori representation was higher at 0.9%, compared to the regional figure of 0.7%. Similarly, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 4.3% in Morawa, compared to 6.9% regionally. South African representation was slightly lower at 0.5%, compared to 0.6% regionally.

Morawa hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Morawa has a median age of 46, which is higher than the Rest of WA figure of 40 and also above the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 are particularly prominent, making up 15.0% of the population, while those aged 15-24 are comparatively smaller at 7.5%. This concentration of those aged 65-74 is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the age group of 35 to 44 has grown from 12.0% to 14.3%, while the 0 to 4 cohort increased from 5.9% to 6.9%. Conversely, the 75 to 84 cohort has declined from 7.2% to 5.8%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 17.0% to 15.8%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Morawa's age structure. Notably, the 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 36%, reaching 580 people from its current figure of 427. Conversely, population declines are projected for those aged 65 to 74 and those aged 85 and above.