Council (LGA) · Area profile
Burnie
611 km²
A significant gap exists between Burnie and the national average in terms of overall advantage and income. This Tasmanian community is marked by a strong First Nations presence, with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population well above the state and national figures. While it is a predominantly Australian and English settlement, there is a growing number of people who identify as having no religion. The area is a hub of detached housing where a high proportion of residents rent their homes.
Explore Burnie by topic
Burnie is home to 19,918 people, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 8.5% since 2011. This is much higher than most similar areas and well above the national figure of 3.2%.
The community is predominantly Australian and English, with only 10.1% of people born overseas. This is far below the national figure of 27.7%, though the proportion of overseas-born residents has risen slightly since 2011.
English is the primary language for 90.2% of residents. The proportion of people using another language at home is 4.7%, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A majority of the community—53.8%—now report having no religion. This figure is far above the national average of 38.9% and has risen by 25 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than in most other areas, with only 12.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national figure of 26.3%, though Year 12 completion rose by 10 percentage points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,225, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 10.6% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, a rate far below the national average of 22.6%.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas; 35.6% of people have a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are particularly prevalent at 12.7%, which is well above the national figure.
Unpaid care is a common feature of life here, with 13.1% of people providing unpaid care, which is higher than most similar areas. However, the percentage of volunteers has fallen to 15.5% since 2011.
The First Nations community consists of 1,692 people, a larger count than about 75% of similar areas. Typical personal income for this group is $512 a week, which is about the same as the national figure.
Single-person households are common, with 32.0% of people living alone. Additionally, one-parent families make up 18.4% of the community, a rate well above the national figure of 14.1%.
Separate houses dominate the landscape, making up 90.2% of all homes. Renting is more common here than in most areas, with 31.9% of households renting, which is well above the state average.
Most people rely on cars, as only 0.9% of residents commute by public transport. Working from home is also very uncommon, at 4.9%, which is far below the national figure of 21.0%.
The community has seen steady movement, with 37.5% of people having moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 16.9% of the population, which is a little above the national average.
The unemployment rate is 6.0%, which is much higher than most similar areas. The most common industry for workers is health care and social assistance, employing 19.0% of the workforce.
Burnie faces significant challenges, with an overall advantage score of 895. This places it as less advantaged than about 86% of all other similar areas across the country.
The area is very wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,344mm, which is far above the Tasmanian average of 805mm. Minimum temperatures are also far above the state average.
The town is somewhat walkable, with 86.9% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. This is far above the state figure of 70.0%.