Broome population: How many people live in Broome, Western Australia?

The Broome population is 14,403. This makes the gateway town to the Kimberley in Western Australia about the same size as Mudgee, Port Pirie, Emerald or Port Hedland.

Broome, Western Australia, is one of Australia’s most appealing resort towns. It’s out there on its own on the west coast, acting as the gateway to the Kimberley, but otherwise isolated on the edge of the outback.

9 great Broome experiences to book today

1. Sunset camel ride – take in the changing colours of Cable Beach on camelback.
2. Horizontal Falls flight – see one of nature’s most extraordinary natural phenomena
3. Crocodile park visit – watch big crocs being fed up close.
4. Half hour helicopter ride – see the extraordinary red rock coastline from above
5. Dinosaur footprints adventure – including a wildlife spotting boat ride down Dampier Creek.
6. Sunset cruise – enjoy an Indian Ocean sunset with wine in hand
7. Windjana Gorge day trip – venture deeper into the rugged Kimberley.
8. Town tour – learn Broome’s fascinating history along the way.
9. Mud-crabbing experience – catch crabs in the mangroves then eat them after they’re cooked by a pro.

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The beaches are a major part of Broome’s appeal. Cable Beach, in particular, is massive, with enough space for 4WDers and several camel tour operators. But Broome is also engagingly unusual. Activity options include pearl farm tours, seeing ancient dinosaur footprints by hovercraft, the Pearl Luggers museum and drinking mango beers in Matsos Brewery.

Broome hovercraft tour on Roebuck Bay — This unusual Broome hovercraft tour visits ancient dinosaur footprints. Photo copyright David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

Broome population stats

Broome Airport gets regular flights from Perth, and seasonal flights from the east coast cities, but it is surprisingly small. The population of Broome, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, is just 14,403. This Broome population figure is for 2020, and is for the significant urban area – which is effectively the city and surrounding suburbs.

Elsewhere in the world, this would barely qualify as a town, but in north-western Australia, that’s as close as you come to having a big smoke.

Best 5 Broome day trips to book in advance

Horizontal Falls and Dampier Peninsula day tour – including speedboat ride and Buccaneer archipelago flight. (See other Horizontal Falls tour options here).
Dampier Peninsula 4WD tour – including Beagle Bay’s pearl shell church, Aboriginal communities & Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.
Fixed wing air tour – including Cape Leveque, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm & Horizontal Falls.
Windjana Gorge day tour – including the Tunnel Creek caves.
Epic full day combo – see Mitchell Falls, Horizontal Falls and the Dampier Peninsula in one trip.

Broome population compared to other Australian cities

For a rough idea of how large the Broome population is, we can compare it to that of other Australian cities. Broome is slightly bigger than Muswellbrook, Mudgee or Lithgow in New South Wales, but smaller than Kempsey or Singleton.

Comparing to Victorian towns, the Broome population is a little smaller than that of Bairnsdale or Sale, but bigger than Colac or Swan Hill.

Other towns around the same size as Broome include Emerald and Warwick in Queensland and Port Pirie in South Australia. In Western Australia, the Broome population is similar to that of Yanchep or Port Hedland.

Broome accommodation recommendations

There are plenty of places to stay in Broome – mostly scarily expensive. These are the best accommodation choices if they’re available on your dates.

For the best pool scene: Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa.
For Cable Beach location, but considerably cheaper: RAC Cable Beach Holiday Park.
For a good value, fairly central aparthotel: Moonlight Bay Suites.
For character, heritage and charm: Pinctada McAlpine House.