9 Safest Small Communities To Settle In Western Australia
Safety is rarely as straightforward as a crime statistic. Whether an individual is raising a family, getting older, managing illness, or simply living alone, feeling secure is often considered an imperative factor of one's standard of living. Although police reports can provide valuable information, quiet streets, reliable services, a supportive community, and so much more can all shape how comfortable and safe a place feels. Choosing where to settle, therefore, often requires looking beyond the numbers to consider the immediate realities one might face upon arrival.
Beyond its reputation for outdoor living and vastly unique wildlife, Western Australia's (WA) immense landscapes harbor several small communities where the qualities that make residents feel safe are at the forefront of day-to-day life. Separate from the pace of the region's larger metropolitans, these municipalities offer low crime rates alongside peaceful surroundings and close-knit neighborhoods that provide anyone who places security high on the list of priorities with the chance to build a life where tranquility and security are woven into the fabric of everyday living.
Denmark
This compact coastal town stands out for its strong safety profile, supported in no small part by a combination of low crime rates, community services, and a peaceful, walkable environment. From 2022 to 2024, the broader Shire of Denmark boasted one of the lowest crime rates in Western Australia at just 939 incidents per 100,000 residents, a figure that is approximately 68.9% lower than WA's rate of 3,013 per 100,000. Even within the Denmark locality itself, the rate was 1,146 per 100,000 during the same period, remaining well below state and national figures. Although this information is promising, this is just the beginning of how Denmark overtly prioritizes the safety of its civilians. Denmark Health Services provides local emergency and inpatient care, while the Albany Health Campus, the largest hospital in the Great Southern region, is roughly a 40-minute drive away, giving residents access to more extensive medical services without requiring a lengthy journey. Meanwhile, the town center around Strickland Street is compact and relatively easy to navigate, with essential amenities such as the post office, library, shops, and riverside walking paths in close proximity. With fewer than 3,000 residents, Denmark retains the familiarity of a small community where daily necessities, public spaces, and community life remain well-connected.
Beyond its practical advantages, Denmark offers the kind of natural beauty and leisurely pursuits that make a secure community enjoyable to call home. Greens Pool, within William Bay National Park, is known for its sheltered turquoise waters and granite formations, while the nearby Elephant Rocks feature enormous rounded boulders that resemble, as one may guess, a herd of elephants gathered along the coast. Back in town and throughout the surrounding countryside, wineries and artisanal cafes showcase the Great Southern's celebrated cool-climate wine and food culture, providing vast opportunities to linger over local flavors. Families and animal lovers can also visit Denmark Animal Farm, where visitors can encounter alpacas, kangaroos, emus, and other animals. Together, these attractions give Denmark an appealing balance. It is a small community where low violent-crime rates and convenient services provide a sense of security, while forests, vineyards, beaches, and local experiences ensure that life here never feels short on things to discover.
Kalbarri
Kalbarri offers a distinctive kind of security in that it is mainly shaped by its remote setting and strong sense of community. Home to approximately 1,500 permanent inhabitants, there is a deep sense of familiarity common to many small settlements, with neighbors, local businesses, and community services working together to form an interconnected social fabric. That atmosphere is reflected in residents' perceptions of safety, with a December 2014 night-time safety measure for the surrounding Shire of Northampton putting the figure at 76.2%. The area's policing and public service infrastructure further support the town's relatively low crime environment, with visitors often finding that the most significant hazards have more to do with the intense Australian sun, surrounding wilderness, and changing ocean conditions rather than any individual crime. Kalbarri's appeal extends past its idyllic environment. The Kalbarri Skywalk projects over the Murchison River Gorge and offers dramatic views from roughly 330 feet above the river, and the neighboring Nature's Window frames the gorge through a naturally formed rock arc. Along the coast, the Zuytdorp Cliffs provide a stark contrast with their rugged limestone walls overlooking the Indian Ocean, and Hutt Lagoon adds yet another unusual landscape with its vivid pink waters. These attractions give Kalbarri a distinctive character that melds the familiarity of a remote coastal community with some of the region's most striking natural scenery.
Margaret River
There are few small towns that are capable of integrating a relaxed country atmosphere with the energetic atmosphere of a typical major wine and food destination. Margaret River manages to do so while preserving its character and its safety. Inhabited by approximately 7,400 people, the town recorded a violent crime rate of just 1,286 per 100,000 from 2022 to 2024, 57.3% below Western Australia's aforementioned rate and 54.5% below the national rate of 2,829. This figure is also a 50.2% decline from the locale's 2020-2022 rate, denoting notable recent improvements to the area's overall safety profile. Beyond just the statistics, Margaret River has a compact town center with shops and community facilities, while Margaret River District Hospital offers local emergency care. These accessible services alongside an active community and a manageable population offer residents the convenience of a well-established regional center without the scale or congestion of the average major city.
The surrounding landscapes add yet another dimension to the town's distinct character, with beaches, forests, caves, and vineyards all within easy reach. Surfers Point is a well-known destination along the coast where dramatic ocean scenery and top-tier surfing have established themselves as integral parts of Margaret River's identity, while Mammoth Cave offers the experience of investigating underground limestone formations. For less active alternatives, the region also features the Margaret River Chocolate Factory where visitors can explore chocolate production in a way that engages all their senses, especially taste. In sum, Margaret River offers the reassurance of low crime levels and concrete social infrastructure while retaining enough culinary, cultural, and outdoor activity to make small-town life here feel remarkably full.
Albany
Founded in 1826 as a military outpost, Albany is considered one of the oldest colonial settlements in Western Australia. Encased by Mount Melville, Mount Clarence, and Mount Adelaide, this lively community of more than 31,000 people manages to blend a relatively low crime rate with the services expected of a larger regional center while still staying true to the town's sociocultural history. From 2022 to 2024 the city recorded 2,290 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, which is about 24% below Western Australia's rate and a 30.4% drop from its previous period. The town also boasts a 24/7 police station and the Albany Health Campus, which provides emergency care alongside maternity, mental health and rehabilitation services, amongst other divisions. Apart from these practical safeguards, visitors and residents can also enjoy some of the nearby attractions like The Gap and Natural Bridge in Torndirrup National Park and the pristine coastlines like Emu Point and Goode Beach. Alongside the natural sites and monuments, there are a slew of activities for travelers to enjoy. Whether their preference is whale watching along the King George Sound or exploring the growing food and wine scene through local breweries, distilleries, and wineries, the amenities and the overall infrastructure provide a baseline for community security while still allowing for room to enjoy the benefits of living in a larger city.
Donnybrook
Known as the heart of Western Australia's apple-growing country, Donnybrook's distinctly rural identity is made even more attractive by its notably low crime environment. The municipality recorded 1,667 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and a break-in rate of 236 per 100,000 residents from 2022 to 2024, figures that are roughly 41% and 75.1% lower than the national average respectively. Practical amenities add another layer of security, with established community facilities, walking trails, local parks, and emergency services serving the town of more than 3,000 residents with relative ease. Donnybrook has no shortage of things to do, with the Indigenous Walk Trail and Waugyl Sculpture along the Preston River presenting some of the area's Aboriginal heritage and artistry and the Railway Heritage Precinct exposing the town's roots. In Donnybrook, the comforts of a secure community unfold at an unhurried pace, creating an atmosphere where safety, heritage, and the quiet rhythms of country life come together beneath the shade of its orchards.
Walpole
This municipality's population is swallowed almost entirely by the enormous wilderness surrounding it, creating a community where the natural landscape is far more prominent than the built environment. Records state that just 429 people call this town home, and that exceptionally tiny population heavily contributes to the neighborly atmosphere that defines daily life in the area. Crime is correspondingly limited, with Walpole recording only one commercial/residential break-in and no car break-ins for the year of 2025.
Away from the handful of local businesses and services, dense forests and waterways dominate the landscape. The Walpole-Nornalup National Park provides a prime example of the South West region's ancient karri and tingle forests, and the nearby Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk offers another way to experience the region's natural beauty by lifting visitors directly into these tingle trees. For a change of pace, the Petrichor Gallery showcases local Australian artists with a unique collection of fine arts, woodwork, furniture, jewelry, and more. Such a setting naturally lends itself to a slower rhythm, with its small population, limited traffic, and little nightlife removing the pressures commonly associated with larger cities. Although community bonds are tight here, it is the solitude that Walpole can provide that adds another layer of tranquility and security to its residents.
Dunsborough
Dunsborough's distinctiveness is not just rooted in its natural beauty and relaxed coastal vibes, but in its rich Aboriginal heritage and Indigenous history. European contact with the area began in the 17th century, but settlement only became permanent around the 1830s, but prior to this occurrence the locality served as a home to the Wardandi people. The Wardandi referred to it as "Quedjinup," or "Place of Women," and used the surrounding waters and lands for cultural and practical purposes. Today the local population stands at approximately 7,200 people and only a minute portion of that are descendants of the Wardandi, but this history is memorialized at a site on the Caves Road-Naturaliste Road roundabout and contains artifacts dated between 8,000-12,000 years old. The site is also officially listed on the Permanent Register of Aboriginal Sites and is protected under the Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972.
This history remains visible not only in the physical monuments scattered throughout the township, but in the very character of Dunsborough. Respect for the land, cultural preservation, and maintaining an active connection between the people and the surrounding landscape remain integral parts of this community's identity. Meelup Beach offers one way to witness the area's natural charm, while Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse provides sweeping views across the coast and an opportunity to dive into the region's maritime history. Beyond that, Dunsborough's sense of security is also supported by relatively low crime and established local services. Crime figures state that between 2022 and 2024 the town recorded 82 violent-crime incidents, 64% below the Western Australian rate and 61% below the national rate. With its own police station, small-town scale, accessible services, and strong cultural identity, Dunsborough offers a community where connection, safety, and heritage remain closely intertwined.
Augusta
Set in the space where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet, Augusta occupies one of the region's most remarkable coastal settings. An intimate community of about 1,200 people encompassed by forests, beaches, rivers, and rugged headlands make for a visually and geographically distinctive location, one that is matched by a notably low violent crime rate of just 918 per 100,000 residents. Local policing serves Augusta as well as its bordering municipalities, ensuring a consistent layer of security despite the town's remote environment. Beyond safety, locals and travelers can climb the historic Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, explore Jewel Cave, kayak along the Hardy Inlet, or observe the migrating whales from the shores of Flinders Bay. With such a small community set against the meeting point of two oceans, Augusta offers a distinct combination of scenery, solitude, and security at the far southwestern edge of the country.
Bridgetown
Bridgetown might just be one of the strongest safety options on the list, pairing exceptionally low crime with the charm of a small historic community. From 2022 to 2024 the town recorded 651 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, approximately 78.4% below Western Australia's rate. Its break-in rate is equally complimentary at just 181 per 100,000 residents, a whopping 81% below Western Australia's rate. A local police station provides a dedicated law-enforcement presence to serve and protect its roughly 2,300 inhabitants, while established community services and emergency infrastructure offer locals additional support.
Although reassuring, Bridgetown is far more than a collection of positive statistics. Its heritage-lined main street leads directly to the Blackwood River, where visitors can enjoy walking, kayaking, and fishing while the historic Bridgetown Police Station Museum offers a glimpse of the town's early history. The Brierley Jigsaw Gallery offers a unique cultural attraction, and nearby wineries, orchards, and forest trails open up multiple ways to explore the surrounding countryside. All in all, Bridgetown provides something that is increasingly difficult to find. That is the assurance of a place where safety, community, nature, and an active lifestyle can all coexist while still independently having room to flourish.
Safety Beyond The Statistics
The crime figures behind these communities vary considerably. Bridgetown records the lowest violent crime rate of the group, while Albany, the largest by far, still sits roughly 24% below the state rate. What the numbers cannot fully capture is how much of that security comes down to scale. In places like Walpole and Augusta, residents are likely to recognize the faces behind local services as readily as the neighbors down the road. For anyone weighing a move, that familiarity may prove just as reassuring as any statistic, and it is the quality these nine communities share most consistently.
