Living in Port Hedland

Port Hedland is a city in Australia. In August 2021, median household income was A$2,882 per week. Its population was 15,298 in August 2021. Foreign-born residents accounted for 20.9% of the population in 2021.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Port Hedland?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Port Hedland.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$228 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,500 in August 2021.

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Port Hedland yet.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Dwellings	6,224 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	4,766 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	228 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

20.9% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 3,195 people of 15,298 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3.1% in March 2026. Median personal income was A$1,542 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Port Hedland is 3.1%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	5,563 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Employment rate	66.4 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	2,882 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	1,542 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	3,498 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁶Official
Unemployment rate	3.1 %country median 4.4%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026⁷Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Port Hedland. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Port Hedland. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	14.48 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Port Hedland. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridfree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, Hybridfree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Port Hedland.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average daytime high by month	Jan 36.5 · Feb 36.3 · Mar 37 · Apr 35.6 · May 31.3 · Jun 27.9 · Jul 27.9 · Aug 29.9 · Sep 32.8 · Oct 36 · Nov 36.5 · Dec 36.7 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT HEDLAND AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 26.1 · Feb 26 · Mar 25.1 · Apr 21.8 · May 17.2 · Jun 14.2 · Jul 12.5 · Aug 13.1 · Sep 15.6 · Oct 19.4 · Nov 21.9 · Dec 24.7 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT HEDLAND AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 31.3 · Feb 31.1 · Mar 31 · Apr 28.7 · May 24.3 · Jun 21.1 · Jul 20.2 · Aug 21.5 · Sep 24.2 · Oct 27.7 · Nov 29.2 · Dec 30.7 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT HEDLAND AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 73.9 · Feb 78 · Mar 71.4 · Apr 19.9 · May 21.8 · Jun 30.7 · Jul 11.7 · Aug 4.8 · Sep 1.6 · Oct 0.7 · Nov 0.8 · Dec 20.3 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT HEDLAND AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Australia

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Australia cities

Sale15,301 residents Ulverstone15,086 residents Yeppoon15,525 residents Mudgee15,020 residents Lismore15,654 residents Bairnsdale15,684 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 116.4 km² in 2016. Population density was 139.6 people per km² in 2021.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	116.4 km²	1 Jul 2016	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.³Official
Foreign-resident share	35.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	3,195 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.²Official
Population density	139.6 people/km²	30 Jun 2021	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁴Official
Population Female	7,271 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population Male	8,028 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population	15,298 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 39.4% between 2001 and 2025, from 12,409 to 17,300.

International community in Port Hedland

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	15,298	100.0%
Australia	9,828	64.2%
Country of birth not stated	2,272	14.9%
New Zealand	809	5.3%
Philippines	451	2.9%
England	307	2.0%
Born elsewhere(d)	233	1.5%
India	206	1.3%
South Africa	194	1.3%
Zimbabwe	101	0.7%
Indonesia	99	0.6%

Show 39 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Thailand	92	0.6%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	63	0.4%
Scotland	59	0.4%
Sri Lanka	47	0.3%
Ireland	46	0.3%
Malaysia	44	0.3%
Germany	40	0.3%
Singapore	39	0.3%
Vietnam	33	0.2%
Fiji	31	0.2%
United States of America	31	0.2%
Canada	23	0.2%
Papua New Guinea	20	0.1%
France	19	0.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	14	0.1%
Mauritius	13	0.1%
Myanmar	13	0.1%
Turkey	13	0.1%
Croatia	12	0.1%
Pakistan	12	0.1%
Brazil	11	0.1%
North Macedonia	11	0.1%
Greece	10	0.1%
Wales	10	0.1%
Taiwan	9	0.1%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	8	0.1%
Italy	8	0.1%
Poland	8	0.1%
Egypt	7	0.0%
Iran	7	0.0%
Netherlands	7	0.0%
Bangladesh	5	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5	0.0%
Nepal	5	0.0%
Samoa	5	0.0%
Afghanistan	4	0.0%
Lebanon	4	0.0%
Chile	3	0.0%
Japan	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	15,298	100.0%
Australia	9,828	64.2%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	3,195	20.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	15,298	100.0%
Australian citizen	11,223	73.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Is Port Hedland a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker64%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 54–74%

Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 56–72%

Student64%strong on education, weak on safety · range 56–72%

Family64%strong on family, weak on safety · range 55–73%

Retirement61%strong on housing, weak on admin · range 48–74%

Foreign residents3,195 people10 Aug 2021Official source · Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.

Population15,298 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings6,224 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate66.4 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)3,498 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate3.1 %31 Mar 2026Independent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	20.89 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Households	4,766 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Labour force participation rate	68.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median age	32 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,500 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Port Hedland when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Port Hedland?

The median gross salary is 3,498 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Port Hedland?

The unemployment rate is 3.1 %. Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

How many people live in Port Hedland?

The published population is 15,298 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Port Hedland?

3,195 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

Is Port Hedland a good place to live?

Port Hedland may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Afghanistan live in Port Hedland?

The official country of birth distribution records 4 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Port Hedland, Australia: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/port-hedland/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_port-hedland-australia-rent-salary-jobs_ed76505b0025,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Port Hedland, Australia: rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/port-hedland/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Port Hedland, Australia: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/port-hedland/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station PORT HEDLAND AIRPORT WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.