Urban Centre · Area profile
Burnie - Somerset
31 km²
A large population of over 20,000 people makes Burnie - Somerset one of the most significant hubs in its region. It is a diverse community where 8.7% of residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, a figure well above the national average. While the area is very walkable with easy access to services, it has seen a population drop of 11% since 2011. It is a place where a high number of people live alone and many more have moved away from traditional religious affiliations.
Explore Burnie - Somerset by topic
The area has a much higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population than most similar places, at 8.7%. The typical resident is 41, which is a little younger than the state average but noticeably older than the national figure of 38.
Most residents were born in Australia, and 10.1% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English is the most common ancestry after Australian.
English is used in 90% of homes, although the proportion of people using another language at home rose to 4.8% since 2011. This is still far below the national average of 22.3%.
More than half the community (53.2%) report no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. This represents a significant increase of 25 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than the state and national averages, with 12.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, school completion has improved, with the proportion of people finishing Year 12 rising 10 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,150, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. While most households earn under $1,500 a week, the number of households earning $3,000 or more rose to 9.5% since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 37.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. This includes a mental health rate of 13.5%, which is well above the national figure.
The area has a lower rate of volunteers at 15% compared to the state average of 18%. Around 13.2% of residents provide unpaid care, which is a little above the national figure.
Single-person households are common at 34.2%, well above the national average. One-parent families make up 20.7% of the community, which is much higher than in most similar areas.
Renting is much more common here than in other areas, at 34.4%. While typical weekly rent is $240 — well below the national figure — the number of homes owned outright has fallen since 2011.
Cars are the primary way to get to work, with 70.5% of people driving. Very few people work from home (4.1%), which is far below the national average of 21%.
The community is quite mobile, with 37.9% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals have also increased, now making up 17.9% of the population.
The unemployment rate is 6.8%, which is a little above the national figure. Many residents work in health care and social assistance, which accounts for 19.7% of jobs.
This is a very walkable area, with a score of 6.0 that is well above the state average. Nearly all homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, and 73.3% are near a school.