Council (LGA) · Area profile
Berrigan
2,066 km²
An exceptionally older population defines Berrigan, where the typical resident is 52. This rural community is far older than the national figure and has seen its proportion of seniors rise by 7.4 percentage points since 2011. It is a place where many people own their homes outright and live in detached houses. While the population has grown by 7.4% over the last decade, the area remains predominantly Australian-born with a very low proportion of overseas arrivals.
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The community is notably older than most areas, with 32.6% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population is far above the national figure, while children under 15 make up only 15.4% of the population.
Berrigan is very traditional in its heritage; only 8.1% of people were born overseas, which is far below the national figure. Most residents claim English (42.1%) or Australian (39.9%) ancestry.
English is the primary language here, with only 3.0% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure, and very few people speak little or no English.
More than half of the population (53.6%) identify as Christian. While 34.2% of residents report no religion, this is well below the national figure.
Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 10.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure at 32.7%.
Incomes are much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly household income of $1,128. Only 9.7% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the state average.
Long-term health conditions are very common here, affecting 37.0% of people. This is far above the national figure, and 7.4% of residents need help with daily activities.
Berrigan has a strong volunteer spirit, with 22.4% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure. A higher than usual proportion of residents also served in the Defence Force.
The First Nations community is smaller than in 65% of similar areas. While household incomes are well below the national figure, the unemployment rate for First Nations people is much lower than most areas at 6.2%.
A large proportion of residents (31.6%) live alone, which is well above the national average. Households are generally small, with a typical size of 2.2 people.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (90.2%), and home ownership is very high, with 46.5% of homes owned outright. This is far above the national figure, and weekly rents are far below the national average at $210.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, as 65.3% of people drive to work and only 0.2% use public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and only 3.7% have none.
About 34.4% of the population has moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals make up 10.5% of the community.
Working or looking for work is much less common here than in most areas, at 48.7%. The local workforce is largely employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing, or health care.
Berrigan has an overall advantage score of 927, which is lower than 69% of similar areas. Population growth since 2021 has been slow at 1.8%, well below the state average.
The area is generally cooler and drier than the state average, with an average annual rainfall of 486mm and a typical minimum temperature that is much lower than most areas.
The overall crime rate is lower than in most areas, and the burglary rate is much lower. However, drug offences are higher than in most similar areas.
The area is somewhat walkable, though 40.5% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, which is far below the state average.