487
Higher than 87% of suburb / locality areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Ballina · Suburb / Locality
First Nations in Ballina
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities — how many people identify as First Nations, and how they fare on age, schooling, work, income and language. From the ABS 2021 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Profile; the ABS notes these counts are an undercount.
Much lower typical incomes mark the First Nations experience in Ballina compared to state and national figures. The area is home to 487 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which is among the largest populations for this level. While a significant number of people live here, they face distinct economic and educational gaps.
487
- 1–1: 6180 areas
- 1–2: 0 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–4: 770 areas
- 4–5: 626 areas
- 5–7: 781 areas
- 7–9: 780 areas
- 9–12: 625 areas
- 12–17: 661 areas
- 17–23: 511 areas
- 23–32: 567 areas
- 32–44: 486 areas
- 44–60: 559 areas
- 60–82: 470 areas
- 82–113: 455 areas
- 113–155: 490 areas
- 155–212: 381 areas
- 212–291: 319 areas
- 291–398: 256 areas
- 398–546: 182 areas
- 546–748: 111 areas
- 748–1,025: 72 areas
- 1,025–1,404: 38 areas
- 1,404–1,924: 20 areas
- 1,924–2,637: 10 areas
- 2,637–3,613: 1 area
- 3,613–4,952: 0 areas
- 4,952–6,786: 1 area
All suburb / locality areas, 2021. The marker is Ballina — higher than 87% of areas.
| Ballina | 487 |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 278,043 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The First Nations population is among the largest at this level, with a typical age of 26. This is noticeably older than the New South Wales figure of 23.
26 yrs
Older than 50% of suburb / locality areas.
Median age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — half are older, half younger.
Education
School completion among First Nations people.
School completion is a challenge here, as only 31.1% of First Nations residents finished Year 12. This is well below the Australian figure of 37%.
31.1%
Lower than 72% of suburb / locality areas.
Share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Work
Engagement with the labour force.
Job prospects are a bright spot, with an unemployment rate of 8.1%. This is lower than most similar areas and well below the national figure of 12.3%.
8.1%
Lower than 61% of suburb / locality areas.
Unemployed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a share of the First Nations labour force (aged 15+).
Income
Personal and household incomes.
Typical earnings are low, with personal income at $471 and household income at $1,244. Both figures are well below the New South Wales typicals of $600 and $1,558 respectively.
$471
Lower than 72% of suburb / locality areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,244
Lower than 72% of suburb / locality areas.
Median total weekly income for households with one or more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members.
Language & culture
Use of an Australian Indigenous language at home.
Language preservation is strong in Ballina, where 8.4% of First Nations people speak a traditional language. This is well above the New South Wales figure of 4%.
8.4%
Higher than 72% of suburb / locality areas.
Share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who use an Australian Indigenous language at home.
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Ballina
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Ballina [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL10163/ballina/topic/first-nations