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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

MEDIAN AGE

• Western Australia (WA) had a median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of 36.3 years at June 2016, which was unchanged from June 2006. The median age of males in 2016 was 35.7 years compared with 36.9 years for females.

• The SA2s with the highest median ages in WA were the popular retirement and tree-change/sea-change locations of York - Beverley (50.9 years) and Toodyay (50.1) in the northern wheat belt, and Pemberton (49.4) in the state's south-west.

• Halls Creek (27.5 years) in the East Kimberley region had the lowest median age in the state, followed by Roebuck (27.6) in the state's far north.

SA2s WITH OLDEST AND YOUNGEST MEDIAN AGES(a), Western Australia, 2016
		Median Age
SA2	GCCSA	years
OLDEST MEDIAN AGES
York - Beverley	Rest of WA	50.9
Toodyay	Rest of WA	50.1
Pemberton	Rest of WA	49.4
Mandurah - South	Greater Perth.	48.7
Bridgetown - Boyup Brook	Rest of WA	48.6
YOUNGEST MEDIAN AGES
Halls Creek	Rest of WA	27.5
Roebuck	Rest of WA	27.6
Alkimos - Eglinton	Greater Perth	28.3
Derby - West Kimberley	Rest of WA	29.5
Byford	Greater Perth	29.6
(a) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2016.

• In the ten years to 2016, the largest increase in median age was in the SA2 of Pemberton (up 6.8 years). The largest decrease in median age was in Byford (down 7.4 years).
  

SEX RATIO

• At June 2016, the sex ratio (the number of males per 100 females) in WA was 100.9. This was the second highest sex ratio of all states and territories, behind the Northern Territory at 105.9 (the only other state or territory where males outnumbered females).

• The SA2 with the highest sex ratio in WA was East Pilbara (265.1 males per 100 females) in the state's northern mining region. Other SA2s in WA with high sex ratios included Ashburton (251.2), Roebourne (160.3) and Meekatharra (151.8), which are all located in areas of significant mining activity, and Chidlow (240.2), which contains a large male prison facility.

• The SA2s with the lowest sex ratios were Mosman Park - Peppermint Grove (86.0 males per 100 females) in Greater Perth and Albany (86.5) in the state's south.
  

SA2s WITH HIGHEST AND LOWEST SEX RATIOS(a), Western Australia, 2016
		Sex Ratio
SA2	GCCSA	males per 100 females
HIGHEST SEX RATIOS
East Pilbara	Rest of WA	265.1
Ashburton	Rest of WA	251.2
Chidlow	Greater Perth	240.2
Roebourne	Rest of WA	160.3
Meekatharra	Rest of WA	151.8
LOWEST SEX RATIOS
Mosman Park - Peppermint Grove	Greater Perth	86.0
Albany	Rest of WA	86.5
Willagee	Greater Perth	89.6
Como	Greater Perth	89.6
Tuart Hill - Joondanna	Greater Perth	89.7
(a) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2016.

• In 2016, Greater Perth had a lower proportion of its population aged less than 15 years (19%) compared with the rest of WA (21%) and a higher proportion aged 15 to 34 years (30% compared with 25%). This is consistent with young adults moving to the capital city for employment or education purposes.
  

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION (%), Western Australia - 30 June 2016