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Byron Bay vs Goonellabah

Name: Byron Bay vs Goonellabah — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 28 km apart · Byron Bay profile · Goonellabah profile

Byron Bay Goonellabah

Goonellabah and Byron Bay are nearby New South Wales areas with very different social profiles. Byron Bay is far more diverse and highly educated, with 27.8% born overseas and 33.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, Goonellabah has a much lower share of overseas-born residents at 9.7% and 18.5% of adults with a degree. Byron Bay also has a much higher share of high earners, with 22.6% of households earning $3,000 or more a week compared to 11.8% in Goonellabah.

These differences have become more pronounced over time, as the gap in typical weekly rent has widened to $300 and far more people in Byron Bay now work from home. Despite this, the two areas are effectively alike in their unemployment rates, which sit around 5%, and they both have the same typical number of people per home at 2.4. They also share similar population growth since 2021, with both increasing by between 4.2% and 4.8%.

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Where they differ most

Year 12: 21.6 pts higher in Byron Bay People / bedroom: 0.20 higher in Byron Bay No religion: 21.0 pts higher in Byron Bay Born overseas: 18.0 pts higher in Byron Bay Unpaid carers: 5.1 pts higher in Goonellabah

Demographics & Identity

Population in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +2,677 larger in Goonellabah gap narrowing

10,914 58th pct 13,591 70th pct

Median age in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +3 yrs older in Goonellabah gap widening

39 yrs 48th pct 42 yrs 64th pct

Age structure

35.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +11.3 pts 23.8%

25.3% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.0 pts 24.3%

17.2% Seniors (65+) +5.3 pts ▸ 22.5%

13.7% Children (0–14) +4.6 pts ▸ 18.3%

8.8% Youth (15–24) +2.4 pts ▸ 11.2%

Marital status

51.6% Never married ◂ +14.2 pts 37.4%

30.5% Married +10.3 pts ▸ 40.8%

11.9% Divorced ◂ +0.6 pts 11.2%

3.6% Widowed +3.3 pts ▸ 6.9%

2.4% Separated +1.3 pts ▸ 3.7%

Age & sex structure

Byron Bay Goonellabah

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

63.6% Australia +21.3 pts ▸ 84.9%

5.6% England ◂ +3.5 pts 2.1%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +1.6 pts 0.9%

1.3% Italy ◂ +0.9 pts 0.4%

0.3% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.6% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.3% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.1% Vietnam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% China even 0.2%

0.1% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

27.3% Australian +14.0 pts ▸ 41.3%

39.2% English +2.0 pts ▸ 41.2%

14.7% Irish ◂ +1.9 pts 12.8%

11.3% Scottish ◂ +0.4 pts 11.0%

6.0% German ◂ +1.7 pts 4.3%

5.5% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 4.4%

2.0% Dutch ◂ +0.9 pts 1.0%

0.5% Filipino +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.9% Greek ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

0.8% Chinese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% Indian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Language

Language used at home

77.6% English only +11.0 pts ▸ 88.6%

1.4% Italian ◂ +0.9 pts 0.5%

0.1% Punjabi +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Mandarin +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.1% Hindi even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

59.7% No religion ◂ +21.0 pts 38.6%

24.9% Christianity +26.5 pts ▸ 51.4%

11.3% Not stated ◂ +4.4 pts 6.8%

2.2% Buddhism ◂ +1.4 pts 0.8%

0.5% Other religions +1.0 pts ▸ 1.5%

1.0% Judaism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.1%

0.2% Islam +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Hinduism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Byron Bay in Goonellabah even

4 57th pct 4 57th pct

Schools/1k kids in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +1.07 more in Byron Bay

2.68 63rd pct 1.61 35th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +13 more in Goonellabah

5 10th pct 18 47th pct

Students in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +384 more in Byron Bay

1,701 56th pct 1,317 46th pct

Avg size in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +96 larger in Byron Bay

425 50th pct 329 36th pct

ICSEA in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +95 higher in Byron Bay

1,066 71st pct 971 28th pct

Highest year of school

66.8% Year 12 ◂ +21.6 pts 45.2%

14.3% Year 10 +15.2 pts ▸ 29.5%

3.7% Year 9 or below +8.7 pts ▸ 12.4%

5.3% Year 11 +1.2 pts ▸ 6.5%

Highest qualification level

18.2% Certificate III / IV +15.8 pts ▸ 34.0%

33.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +12.0 pts 21.5%

15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.6 pts 14.6%

9.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.5 pts 5.7%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.0 pts ▸ 3.9%

1.4% Certificate I / II +1.3 pts ▸ 2.6%

Field of qualification

16.5% Management & commerce +1.6 pts ▸ 18.1%

13.8% Society & culture ◂ +1.6 pts 12.2%

10.2% Health +2.8 pts ▸ 13.1%

6.7% Engineering & related +4.1 pts ▸ 10.7%

10.7% Creative arts ◂ +7.2 pts 3.4%

6.8% Education +3.8 pts ▸ 10.6%

6.6% Architecture & building ◂ +1.4 pts 5.2%

6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.8 pts 5.3%

2.1% Agriculture & environment +0.9 pts ▸ 3.0%

2.9% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.8 pts 2.1%

1.2% Information technology +1.2 pts ▸ 2.4%

Income

Personal income in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +$130 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$837 57th pct $707 30th pct

Household income in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +$423 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$1,748 50th pct $1,325 23rd pct

Family income in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +$358 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$2,091 50th pct $1,733 27th pct

Household income distribution

23.3% $650–$1,499 +10.1 pts ▸ 33.4%

27.8% $1,500–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 29.7%

17.1% Under $650 +2.7 pts ▸ 19.9%

13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +8.5 pts 5.1%

9.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 6.7%

Personal income distribution

33.5% Under $650 +9.9 pts ▸ 43.5%

35.3% $650–$1,499 +1.3 pts ▸ 36.6%

14.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.3 pts 12.2%

5.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +4.2 pts 1.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Mental health +6.3 pts ▸ 13.4%

5.8% Asthma +6.1 pts ▸ 11.9%

6.2% Arthritis +5.5 pts ▸ 11.6%

6.7% Other condition +3.7 pts ▸ 10.4%

2.8% Heart disease +3.0 pts ▸ 5.8%

1.8% Diabetes +3.8 pts ▸ 5.5%

2.7% Cancer +1.0 pts ▸ 3.7%

1.5% Lung condition +1.6 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.8% Stroke +0.6 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.6% Dementia +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.1% None ◂ +12.2 pts 54.9%

15.9% One condition +7.0 pts ▸ 22.9%

4.1% Two conditions +4.7 pts ▸ 8.7%

1.7% Three or more +3.6 pts ▸ 5.3%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +803 larger in Goonellabah

201 54th pct 1,004 87th pct

Median age in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +10 yrs older in Byron Bay

33 yrs 91st pct 23 yrs 36th pct

Median income in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +$56 higher in Byron Bay

$603 44th pct $547 30th pct

Household income in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +$89 higher in Byron Bay

$1,593 44th pct $1,504 38th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Byron Bay in Goonellabah even gap narrowing

2.4 36th pct 2.4 36th pct

Family composition

50.0% Couples with children +0.8 pts ▸ 50.8%

34.5% Couples without children ◂ +6.2 pts 28.4%

14.5% One-parent families +5.4 pts ▸ 19.9%

0.9% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%

Household size

33.6% 2 people +1.1 pts ▸ 34.7%

29.1% 1 person +1.9 pts ▸ 31.0%

16.3% 3 people ◂ +2.0 pts 14.3%

13.9% 4 people ◂ +2.3 pts 11.7%

5.1% 5 people even 5.0%

1.9% 6 or more +1.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +$300 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$620 100th pct $320 33rd pct

Mortgage in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +$780 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$2,340 82nd pct $1,560 31st pct

People / bedroom in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +0.20 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

0.90 86th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.8% Rented ◂ +8.3 pts 28.5%

34.7% Owned outright +1.2 pts ▸ 35.9%

24.3% Owned with a mortgage +7.8 pts ▸ 32.1%

2.2% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 2.0%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

61.6% Separate house +16.5 pts ▸ 78.1%

25.2% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +7.5 pts 17.7%

8.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +3.8 pts 4.2%

4.0% Other dwelling ◂ +4.0 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

40.5% 3 bedrooms +4.0 pts ▸ 44.5%

21.9% 4 bedrooms +7.7 pts ▸ 29.6%

18.0% 2 bedrooms ◂ +2.7 pts 15.3%

9.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +7.1 pts 2.3%

6.0% 5 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 6.7%

1.8% Studio / none ◂ +1.5 pts 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

11.8% $200–$349 +28.2 pts ▸ 40.0%

16.2% $350–$549 +20.3 pts ▸ 36.4%

30.6% $750 or more ◂ +30.6 pts 0.0%

28.6% $550–$749 ◂ +24.4 pts 4.2%

7.6% Under $200 +7.4 pts ▸ 15.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

18.3% $1,000–$1,799 +25.7 pts ▸ 44.0%

32.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +27.8 pts 4.6%

27.6% $1,800–$2,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 28.1%

14.7% Under $1,000 +3.8 pts ▸ 18.5%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +24 more in Goonellabah

73 76th pct 97 86th pct

Stops/1k in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +0.45 more in Goonellabah

6.69 80th pct 7.14 84th pct

Departures/1k in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +110.7 more in Goonellabah

377.0 33rd pct 487.7 38th pct

PT routes in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +5 more in Byron Bay

17 82nd pct 12 71st pct

Stop walk in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +9 longer in Byron Bay

11 72nd pct 2 14th pct

How people get to work

44.2% Car (driver) +22.5 pts ▸ 66.7%

25.8% Worked at home ◂ +15.0 pts 10.7%

5.2% Walked ◂ +4.2 pts 1.0%

2.5% Car (passenger) +2.6 pts ▸ 5.1%

4.0% Bicycle ◂ +3.8 pts 0.2%

0.2% Bus +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.5% 1 vehicle +0.1 pts ▸ 38.5%

36.7% 2 vehicles +1.4 pts ▸ 38.2%

12.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.2 pts 12.3%

7.0% 4 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 5.5%

5.3% No vehicle +0.4 pts ▸ 5.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

12.1% Health care & social assistance +10.4 pts ▸ 22.5%

20.1% Accommodation & food ◂ +13.9 pts 6.2%

8.6% Retail trade +4.3 pts ▸ 12.9%

7.3% Education & training +3.2 pts ▸ 10.5%

9.6% Professional & technical ◂ +5.2 pts 4.4%

8.0% Construction ◂ +0.8 pts 7.2%

3.3% Manufacturing +2.2 pts ▸ 5.5%

2.2% Public administration & safety +3.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.3% Other services +1.6 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.5% Administrative & support ◂ +0.6 pts 3.9%

1.9% Transport & warehousing +1.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +1.1 pts ▸ 2.6%

Occupations people work in

25.2% Professionals ◂ +5.4 pts 19.8%

17.7% Managers ◂ +7.8 pts 9.9%

7.3% Clerical & administrative +6.5 pts ▸ 13.9%

13.8% Community & personal service +0.1 pts ▸ 13.9%

13.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.4 pts 13.3%

9.1% Labourers +3.0 pts ▸ 12.1%

8.3% Sales workers +2.1 pts ▸ 10.5%

2.3% Machinery operators & drivers +3.1 pts ▸ 5.4%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +4 higher in Byron Bay

7 64th pct 3 29th pct

IRSD decile in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +3 higher in Byron Bay

6 57th pct 3 29th pct

IER decile in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +1 higher in Byron Bay

5 43rd pct 4 36th pct

IEO decile in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +5 higher in Byron Bay

8 71st pct 3 29th pct

IRSAD score in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +107 higher in Byron Bay

1,047 70th pct 940 26th pct

ERP in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +2,695 higher in Goonellabah

11,482 55th pct 14,177 68th pct

Growth in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +0.6 pts higher in Byron Bay

4.8% 53rd pct 4.2% 47th pct

Businesses in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +1,601 higher in Byron Bay

2,329 86th pct 728 39th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +162 higher in Byron Bay

1,735 96th pct 1,573 92nd pct

Max temp in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +0.9 higher in Goonellabah

24.7 61st pct 25.6 71st pct

Min temp in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +1.5 higher in Byron Bay

15.3 82nd pct 13.8 72nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +2.1 higher in Byron Bay

6.6 69th pct 4.5 37th pct

Types ≤15 min in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +1.7 more in Byron Bay

6.3 65th pct 4.6 40th pct

15-min city in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +11.9 pts higher in Byron Bay

72.7% 56th pct 60.7% 46th pct

Walk to shops in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +38.2 pts higher in Byron Bay

78.7% 64th pct 40.5% 30th pct

Walk to transit in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +7.6 pts higher in Byron Bay

92.5% 52nd pct 85.0% 42nd pct

Walk to school in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +18.5 pts higher in Byron Bay

61.0% 39th pct 42.5% 25th pct

Walk to a park in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +11.7 pts higher in Byron Bay

94.8% 43rd pct 83.1% 30th pct

Walk to health in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +15.0 pts higher in Byron Bay

70.3% 69th pct 55.3% 58th pct

Amenities/1k in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +14.8 more in Byron Bay

26.8 84th pct 11.9 36th pct

Intersections/km² in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +2 higher in Goonellabah

33 34th pct 35 35th pct

Mean slope in Byron Bay in Goonellabah +6.5 pts higher in Goonellabah

4.7% 38th pct 11.2% 93rd pct

Compare Byron Bay with nearby areas

Lennox Head - Skennars Head Bangalow Ballina Brunswick Heads - Ocean Shores Ballina Surrounds Mullumbimby Goonellabah Pottsville

Compare Goonellabah with nearby areas

Lismore Ballina Surrounds Lismore Surrounds Bangalow Ballina Lennox Head - Skennars Head Byron Bay Mullumbimby

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Byron Bay vs Goonellabah [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/112011240/byron-bay/vs/112021246/goonellabah