Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Berri
12 km²
A growing number of recent overseas arrivals have shaped the character of Berri, where 21.4% of residents moved from abroad in the last five years. This regional hub has a diverse population, including a First Nations community that is much larger than in most similar areas. The community is notably older than the national average, with many seniors living alone in a high proportion of rental homes. While it is a very walkable town with easy access to services, it faces challenges with lower typical incomes and higher unemployment than the state average.
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The area has a strong First Nations presence, with 6.9% of residents identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, well above the state figure. Seniors make up 23.8% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas.
English and Australian are the most common ancestries, though 13.8% of people were born overseas. This is higher than most similar areas, but far below the state and national figures.
About 10.7% of residents use a language other than English at home, a figure much higher than most similar areas. English remains dominant, though Greek and Punjabi are also spoken.
Nearly half of the community (46.2%) report having no religion, which is about the same as the South Australian average and well above the national figure.
Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 11.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 40.3% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the state and national averages.
Typical incomes are much lower than most areas, with a typical weekly household earning $1,039. This is far below the national figure of $1,746.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 36.7% of people living with a long-term health condition. About 9.9% of residents need help with daily activities, which is well above the state average.
Volunteering is common, with 18.8% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure. Around 13.7% of residents provide unpaid care, a rate higher than most similar areas.
The First Nations community is among the largest at this level, though it faces significant disadvantage. Typical personal income is $433, and the unemployment rate is 18.5%, both well above the national figures.
One-parent families are very common here at 24.5%, far above the national average. A high proportion of people (36.2%) live alone, meaning typical homes are smaller with only 2.1 people per household.
Rental properties are much more common than usual, making up 41.3% of homes. This is far above the state average, and typical weekly rent is much lower than the national figure at $215.
Car use is dominant, but 10.7% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the state and national figures. Very few people work from home (4.3%) compared to the rest of Australia.
The area has seen significant movement, with 36.8% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals are much more common here than in most similar areas.
Unemployment is 7.6%, which is a little above the state and national figures. The most common industries for workers are health care and social assistance, followed by manufacturing and retail.
Crime rates are much higher than in most areas, with a total of 9,558 recorded offences per 100,000 people. Theft and assault are the most frequent offence types.
Berri is very walkable, with 89.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a 'city walkshed'. This includes easy access to groceries (89.4%) and health services (85.0%), both of which are far above state averages.