Urban Area · Area profile
Ballarat
344 km²
Daily life in Ballarat revolves around a growing city where most people live in detached houses and rely on cars to get around. The population has grown by 22% since 2011, reaching 111,973 people. It is a place where a large proportion of the community now identify as having no religion and where many residents hold high qualifications. With a typical age of 38, it is a balanced community that blends a significant number of children with a rising senior population.
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The population is around the national typical age of 38, though the number of seniors has risen by 3.8 points since 2011. Children under 15 make up 18.8% of the community, which is higher than most similar areas.
Ballarat has a much smaller proportion of overseas-born residents at 11.4%, which is far below the 30% seen across Victoria. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
Only 7.1% of people use a language other than English at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%. English remains the dominant language for 88% of the population.
A large 48.1% of residents report having no religion, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. This represents a significant shift, rising 21 points since 2011.
The area is well-qualified, with 23.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Both university degrees and Year 12 completion rates have risen since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,427, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more per week has risen by 11 points since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 35% of people reporting a long-term condition. Mental health conditions are particularly high at 13.2%, well above the 8.8% national average.
Residents are active in providing unpaid care, with 14.1% doing so, which is much higher than most areas. This includes a high rate of people caring for children unpaid.
One-parent families are more common here than in most areas at 17.6%. There is also a higher proportion of people living alone compared to the rest of the country.
Most people live in separate houses, with 85% of homes being detached. While 31.9% of households rent, the typical weekly rent of $300 is well below the national figure.
Cars are essential for most, as only 0.8% of people commute by public transport. However, working from home has become much more common, rising 12 points since 2011.
The community is quite mobile, with 43.5% of people moving house in the last five years. This is higher than the national average of 40.7%.
Health care and social assistance is the largest employer. While 60.2% of adults are working or looking for work, full-time employment is lower than in most similar areas.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 95.8% of homes near a park. However, access to health services and groceries is well below the state average.