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Ballarat vs Golden Plains

Name: Ballarat vs Golden Plains — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 44 km apart · Ballarat profile · Golden Plains profile

Ballarat Golden Plains

Ballarat and Golden Plains are nearby Victorian areas with very different layouts. Ballarat is a more urban environment where 31.6% of homes are rented and 30.3% of people live alone. In contrast, Golden Plains is dominated by separate houses (98.6%) and has a much lower rental rate of 7.2%. Ballarat also has a more mobile and diverse population, with 43.1% of residents moving in the last five years and 15.3% arriving from overseas, compared to 32.2% and 2.9% in Golden Plains. This urban nature makes Ballarat far more walkable, with 65.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, while only 15.3% of homes in Golden Plains have that access.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the proportion of people who speak little or no English. They also share a typical resident age of 39 and similar levels of weekly personal income. However, the gaps in their housing and population trends are shifting; the difference in rental rates and the number of people living alone have both widened since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Renting: 24.4 pts higher in Ballarat Population: 88,778 larger in Ballarat One-parent: 8.4 pts higher in Ballarat Separate houses: 13.5 pts higher in Golden Plains No car: 5.1 pts higher in Ballarat

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballarat in Golden Plains +88,778 larger in Ballarat gap widening

113,763 86th pct 24,985 63rd pct

Median age in Ballarat in Golden Plains even gap narrowing

39 yrs 33rd pct 39 yrs 33rd pct

Age structure

23.9% Older adults (45–64) +3.9 pts ▸ 27.8%

26.0% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.4 pts 23.6%

18.7% Children (0–14) +3.3 pts ▸ 22.0%

18.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.6 pts 15.3%

12.4% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.2 pts 11.2%

Marital status

42.2% Married +12.0 pts ▸ 54.3%

38.6% Never married ◂ +7.1 pts 31.6%

9.5% Divorced ◂ +2.0 pts 7.5%

5.8% Widowed ◂ +2.1 pts 3.7%

3.8% Separated ◂ +0.8 pts 3.0%

Age & sex structure

Ballarat Golden Plains

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

83.7% Australia +1.9 pts ▸ 85.6%

2.2% England +1.1 pts ▸ 3.3%

1.6% India ◂ +1.5 pts 0.2%

0.9% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% China ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%

0.6% Philippines ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.2% South Africa even 0.2%

0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.2% Italy even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

39.4% Australian +5.1 pts ▸ 44.5%

41.8% English ◂ +0.5 pts 41.3%

15.1% Irish ◂ +2.8 pts 12.4%

12.6% Scottish ◂ +0.4 pts 12.2%

4.4% German +0.4 pts ▸ 4.8%

2.8% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.7% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.7% Indian ◂ +1.5 pts 0.3%

1.7% Chinese ◂ +1.2 pts 0.5%

0.8% Filipino ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

0.5% Greek even 0.6%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

88.1% English only +4.2 pts ▸ 92.3%

0.9% Mandarin ◂ +0.8 pts 0.1%

0.7% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%

0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Italian even 0.2%

0.2% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

48.0% No religion +1.9 pts ▸ 49.9%

42.0% Christianity +0.3 pts ▸ 42.3%

6.4% Not stated +0.4 pts ▸ 6.8%

1.2% Hinduism ◂ +1.1 pts 0.1%

1.0% Other religions ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%

0.8% Buddhism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%

0.7% Islam ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Ballarat in Golden Plains +36 more in Ballarat

49 86th pct 13 60th pct

Schools/1k kids in Ballarat in Golden Plains +0.06 more in Golden Plains

2.30 28th pct 2.36 29th pct

Students in Ballarat in Golden Plains +20,277 more in Ballarat

22,828 86th pct 2,551 54th pct

Avg size in Ballarat in Golden Plains +279 larger in Ballarat

476 80th pct 196 45th pct

ICSEA in Ballarat in Golden Plains +29 higher in Ballarat

1,038 79th pct 1,009 72nd pct

Highest year of school

52.7% Year 12 ◂ +5.6 pts 47.1%

15.9% Year 10 +3.0 pts ▸ 18.9%

13.7% Year 11 +3.5 pts ▸ 17.3%

11.3% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.0 pts 10.3%

Highest qualification level

30.1% Certificate III / IV +9.6 pts ▸ 39.7%

24.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +6.6 pts 17.8%

15.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.6 pts ▸ 16.5%

8.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.1 pts 4.1%

5.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.8 pts 4.5%

2.1% Certificate I / II +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

Field of qualification

11.4% Engineering & related +6.1 pts ▸ 17.4%

15.1% Management & commerce ◂ +1.8 pts 13.3%

13.4% Health ◂ +2.3 pts 11.1%

13.2% Society & culture ◂ +1.3 pts 12.0%

10.9% Education ◂ +2.1 pts 8.7%

5.9% Architecture & building +2.3 pts ▸ 8.2%

5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.7 pts 4.6%

2.2% Agriculture & environment +2.3 pts ▸ 4.6%

4.0% Creative arts ◂ +1.4 pts 2.6%

2.7% Information technology ◂ +1.0 pts 1.7%

2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.4 pts 1.8%

Income

Personal income in Ballarat in Golden Plains +$40 higher in Golden Plains gap widening

$743 50th pct $783 60th pct

Household income in Ballarat in Golden Plains +$470 higher in Golden Plains gap widening

$1,429 53rd pct $1,899 81st pct

Family income in Ballarat in Golden Plains +$254 higher in Golden Plains gap widening

$1,871 57th pct $2,125 74th pct

Household income distribution

29.0% $1,500–$2,999 +5.2 pts ▸ 34.1%

30.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +6.4 pts 24.4%

18.5% Under $650 ◂ +6.2 pts 12.2%

8.4% $3,000–$3,999 +3.2 pts ▸ 11.6%

7.3% $4,000 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 9.7%

Personal income distribution

41.8% Under $650 ◂ +1.4 pts 40.3%

33.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.4 pts 31.8%

15.3% $1,500–$2,999 +2.5 pts ▸ 17.8%

3.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 3.0%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

13.1% Mental health ◂ +3.3 pts 9.8%

11.4% Asthma ◂ +0.9 pts 10.4%

10.5% Arthritis ◂ +1.6 pts 8.9%

9.6% Other condition ◂ +1.6 pts 8.1%

5.2% Diabetes ◂ +1.0 pts 4.2%

4.7% Heart disease ◂ +1.0 pts 3.7%

3.4% Cancer ◂ +0.5 pts 2.9%

2.4% Lung condition ◂ +0.7 pts 1.7%

1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%

0.8% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.3% None +4.7 pts ▸ 62.0%

22.9% One condition ◂ +1.9 pts 20.9%

8.0% Two conditions ◂ +1.8 pts 6.1%

4.1% Three or more ◂ +1.0 pts 3.1%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Ballarat in Golden Plains +1,718 larger in Ballarat

2,094 80th pct 376 43rd pct

Median age in Ballarat in Golden Plains +2 yrs older in Ballarat

22 yrs 21st pct 20 yrs 7th pct

Median income in Ballarat in Golden Plains +$214 higher in Golden Plains

$548 48th pct $762 86th pct

Household income in Ballarat in Golden Plains +$972 higher in Golden Plains

$1,361 48th pct $2,333 94th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ballarat in Golden Plains +0.5 larger in Golden Plains gap widening

2.4 43rd pct 2.9 89th pct

Family composition

53.6% Couples with children +12.3 pts ▸ 65.9%

27.9% Couples without children ◂ +3.3 pts 24.6%

17.4% One-parent families ◂ +8.4 pts 9.0%

1.1% Other families ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

Household size

34.2% 2 people even 34.1%

30.3% 1 person ◂ +13.8 pts 16.5%

13.4% 4 people +6.3 pts ▸ 19.6%

14.3% 3 people +1.2 pts ▸ 15.5%

5.8% 5 people +3.9 pts ▸ 9.7%

2.2% 6 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 4.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballarat in Golden Plains +$41 higher in Golden Plains gap widening

$297 62nd pct $338 73rd pct

Mortgage in Ballarat in Golden Plains +$256 higher in Golden Plains gap widening

$1,477 55th pct $1,733 71st pct

People / bedroom in Ballarat in Golden Plains +0.10 higher in Golden Plains gap widening

0.70 0th pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

33.0% Owned with a mortgage +20.2 pts ▸ 53.2%

32.6% Owned outright +4.3 pts ▸ 36.9%

31.6% Rented ◂ +24.4 pts 7.2%

1.4% Other tenure +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

1.4% Not stated ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

85.1% Separate house +13.5 pts ▸ 98.6%

12.0% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.8 pts 1.1%

2.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +2.4 pts 0.1%

0.3% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Bedrooms per home

47.3% 3 bedrooms ◂ +7.7 pts 39.5%

28.6% 4 bedrooms +12.5 pts ▸ 41.2%

15.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +7.8 pts 7.8%

3.8% 5 or more +4.6 pts ▸ 8.3%

3.2% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.7 pts 1.6%

0.1% Studio / none +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

53.7% $200–$349 ◂ +18.8 pts 34.9%

26.6% $350–$549 +13.2 pts ▸ 39.8%

15.4% Under $200 ◂ +2.4 pts 13.0%

0.8% $550–$749 +1.9 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.4% $750 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

44.9% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +10.1 pts 34.8%

22.8% $1,800–$2,999 +10.0 pts ▸ 32.8%

21.1% Under $1,000 ◂ +4.0 pts 17.1%

6.2% $3,000 or more +3.1 pts ▸ 9.4%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Ballarat in Golden Plains +584 more in Ballarat

615 86th pct 31 48th pct

Stops/1k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +4.17 more in Ballarat

5.41 77th pct 1.24 31st pct

Departures/1k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +1,018.9 more in Ballarat

1,033.3 80th pct 14.4 34th pct

PT routes in Ballarat in Golden Plains +25 more in Ballarat

33 79th pct 8 52nd pct

Stop walk in Ballarat in Golden Plains +8 longer in Golden Plains

50 78th pct 58 85th pct

Drive to city in Ballarat in Golden Plains +24 longer in Golden Plains

82 62nd pct 106 76th pct

How people get to work

61.6% Car (driver) +1.7 pts ▸ 63.2%

15.5% Worked at home +0.7 pts ▸ 16.2%

4.8% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.4 pts 3.4%

2.4% Walked ◂ +0.9 pts 1.5%

0.6% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%

0.5% Bus ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.3% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

37.6% 2 vehicles +4.0 pts ▸ 41.6%

37.9% 1 vehicle ◂ +21.2 pts 16.7%

11.9% 3 vehicles +9.8 pts ▸ 21.7%

6.5% 4 or more +12.6 pts ▸ 19.0%

6.1% No vehicle ◂ +5.1 pts 1.0%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

19.1% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.7 pts 14.5%

9.5% Construction +4.5 pts ▸ 14.0%

10.8% Education & training ◂ +2.4 pts 8.5%

10.1% Retail trade ◂ +1.4 pts 8.7%

7.2% Manufacturing +0.5 pts ▸ 7.7%

7.2% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.4 pts 4.8%

6.4% Public administration & safety even 6.4%

1.7% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +4.7 pts ▸ 6.4%

5.4% Professional & technical ◂ +0.9 pts 4.5%

3.4% Transport & warehousing +1.2 pts ▸ 4.6%

3.5% Other services +0.5 pts ▸ 4.0%

1.8% Wholesale trade +1.0 pts ▸ 2.8%

Occupations people work in

22.8% Professionals ◂ +6.6 pts 16.1%

13.8% Technicians & trades +4.8 pts ▸ 18.6%

13.7% Community & personal service ◂ +1.8 pts 12.0%

11.4% Managers +2.0 pts ▸ 13.4%

12.3% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.4 pts 11.9%

9.9% Labourers +0.8 pts ▸ 10.6%

9.5% Sales workers ◂ +1.5 pts 7.9%

5.2% Machinery operators & drivers +2.7 pts ▸ 7.8%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Ballarat in Golden Plains +1 higher in Golden Plains

7 64th pct 8 71st pct

IRSD decile in Ballarat in Golden Plains +3 higher in Golden Plains

6 57th pct 9 86th pct

IER decile in Ballarat in Golden Plains +6 higher in Golden Plains

4 36th pct 10 100th pct

IEO decile in Ballarat in Golden Plains +1 higher in Ballarat

8 71st pct 7 64th pct

IRSAD score in Ballarat in Golden Plains +32 higher in Golden Plains

965 60th pct 997 75th pct

ERP in Ballarat in Golden Plains +96,041 higher in Ballarat

122,661 86th pct 26,620 62nd pct

Growth in Ballarat in Golden Plains +1.1 pts higher in Ballarat

8.1% 81st pct 6.9% 76th pct

Businesses in Ballarat in Golden Plains +7,857 higher in Ballarat

10,151 85th pct 2,294 60th pct

Approvals in Ballarat in Golden Plains +560 higher in Ballarat

702 86th pct 142 64th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Ballarat in Golden Plains +13 higher in Ballarat

727 59th pct 715 58th pct

Max temp in Ballarat in Golden Plains +0.1 higher in Golden Plains

18.4 8th pct 18.5 9th pct

Min temp in Ballarat in Golden Plains +0.7 higher in Golden Plains

8.0 10th pct 8.7 14th pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Ballarat in Golden Plains +7,057 higher in Ballarat

9,543 58th pct 2,485 0th pct

Assault/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +720 higher in Ballarat

985 51st pct 264 0th pct

Sexual/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +88 higher in Ballarat

184 32nd pct 96 5th pct

Robbery/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains

39 71st pct —

Burglary/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +429 higher in Ballarat

713 72nd pct 284 22nd pct

Theft/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +2,535 higher in Ballarat

3,292 92nd pct 756 25th pct

Vehicle theft/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +376 higher in Ballarat

504 67th pct 128 10th pct

Property damage/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +734 higher in Ballarat

974 68th pct 240 0th pct

Drugs/100k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +129 higher in Ballarat

213 23rd pct 84 1st pct

5-yr change in Ballarat in Golden Plains +9.5 pts higher in Ballarat

48.1% 88th pct 38.6% 85th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Ballarat in Golden Plains +4.0 higher in Ballarat

5.7 79th pct 1.7 10th pct

Types ≤15 min in Ballarat in Golden Plains +3.8 more in Ballarat

5.6 78th pct 1.8 9th pct

15-min city in Ballarat in Golden Plains +50.0 pts higher in Ballarat

65.3% 75th pct 15.4% 8th pct

Walk to shops in Ballarat in Golden Plains +49.9 pts higher in Ballarat

65.2% 75th pct 15.3% 9th pct

Walk to transit in Ballarat in Golden Plains +65.6 pts higher in Ballarat

80.8% 76th pct 15.2% 27th pct

Walk to school in Ballarat in Golden Plains +43.8 pts higher in Ballarat

71.5% 74th pct 27.7% 13th pct

Walk to a park in Ballarat in Golden Plains +49.2 pts higher in Ballarat

94.7% 81st pct 45.5% 15th pct

Walk to health in Ballarat in Golden Plains +38.4 pts higher in Ballarat

49.1% 69th pct 10.7% 9th pct

Amenities/1k in Ballarat in Golden Plains +3.2 more in Ballarat

16.0 40th pct 12.8 22nd pct

Intersections/km² in Ballarat in Golden Plains +33 higher in Ballarat

35 75th pct 2 58th pct

Mean slope in Ballarat in Golden Plains even

4.8% 52nd pct 4.8% 53rd pct

Compare Ballarat with nearby areas

Hepburn Pyrenees Central Goldfields Golden Plains Moorabool Mount Alexander Greater Geelong Corangamite

Compare Golden Plains with nearby areas

Ballarat Hepburn Moorabool Pyrenees Surf Coast Corangamite Greater Geelong Colac Otway

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballarat vs Golden Plains [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA20570/ballarat/vs/LGA22490/golden-plains