suburb.guide

WA · West Arthur Council

Darkan, 6392

Current weather

12.6°COvercast

76% humidity · 8.3 km/h wind · 13.1° / 7.4° today · 0.1 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

44.4/100
Average

Top 38% of Western Australia's suburbs

53% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Regional town
  • Shops
  • Established
  • Open space
  • Residential
What Darkan is known for: Regional town, Shops, Established, Open space, Residential

Suburb profile

As a regional hub in West Arthur, Darkan combines local convenience with the appeal of a smaller community that feels genuinely its own. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. Leafy streets and shaded corners make the suburb feel greener and more established than many nearby.

An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Local shops, markets and community spots keep everyday life grounded in the town itself. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.

Homes are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because housing affordability and schools and education lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in safety.

Population

Population
371
Median age
49
Median household income / week
$1,321
Dwelling vacancy
15.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
27 of 177
Median monthly mortgage
$980
Employment rate
59.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
15 / 6 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Housing

All types (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
$205
Rental bonds lodged (wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv)
28

Median weekly rent from WA rental bond lodgements. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

  • WA rental bond lodgements — Department of Communities (WA) · Period: wa-rental-bond/Monthly Bond Lodgement Summary (CSV)-(01-12-2025-31-12-2025).csv · Updated on site · Monthly bond summaries

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
1
Median school ICSEA
963
  • Darkan Primary SchoolPrimary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

31 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • Darkan Agri Services - NutrienAgrarian
  • Rarebits on BurrowesBooks
  • Rarebits on BurrowesCafe
  • Putland MotorsCar repair
  • Community Resource CentreCommunity centre
  • CWACommunity centre
  • Health and Resource CentreCommunity centre
  • The ShedCommunity centre
  • Darkan Agri servicesFarm
  • Fitness Station

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Proposed Nature ReserveNature reserve
  • Robert L Perry ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via WA bush fire prone area mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
13
Parks (OSM)
1

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability Index

Desirability score
44.4/100 — Average
State standing
Top 38% of Western Australia's suburbs
National rank
2533rd in Australia
State rank
264th in WA
Peer rank
#16 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#45 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
53%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • Proposed Nature Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
  • Robert L Perry Parkgovernmentpark
  • Darkan Primary SchoolschoolsPrimary
  • Allure for hairamenitieshairdresser
  • Australia Postamenitiespost_box
  • CWAamenitiescommunity_centre
  • Community Resource Centreamenitiescommunity_centre
  • Darkan Agri Services - Nutrienamenitiesagrarian
  • Darkan Agri servicesamenitiesfarm
  • Darkan LPOamenitiespost_office

Data sources & freshness

More in West Arthur Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Western Australia.