6524.0.55.002 - Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, 2012-13 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 28/01/2016   
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MEDIA RELEASE
6/2016
28 January 2016
Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
Income profile data reveals microcosms of Australia

New data released today from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals which regions most closely reflect the nation in terms of income profile.

Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas 2012 - 2013 shows that for Australia, the median total personal income in 2012-13 for people lodging tax returns was $44,940. The top 10 per cent of earners received 33.7 per cent of the total income and the median age of an earner was 42 years of age. Also, 77.9 per cent of earners reported employee income as their main source of income.

The regions most resembling Australia's total income profile were Beacon Hill - Narraweena in Greater Sydney with a median of $44,934, Berwick - North in Greater Melbourne ($45,863), West Beach in Greater Adelaide ($45,017) and Bellerive - Rosny in Greater Hobart ($44,615).

Across the other states and territories, regions similar to Australia's income profile were Page in the ACT, Wagaman in Greater Darwin, Mandurah in Greater Perth, Capel in Rest of WA and Mansfield in Greater Brisbane.

Lisa Conolly, Director of the ABS Regional Statistics National Centre advised that "Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, 2012-13, provides a comprehensive picture of sources of income earned by people in Australia. It offers an array of indicators which show how this income is distributed between and within regions. These indicators can also be used to compare regions, for example two neighbouring councils or a smaller region with its parent State or Australia."

Other details of interest:

The highest median total income in 2012-13 was recorded by the mining centre of Ashburton, Western Australia at $93,902.

In South Australia, the highest median employee income in 2012-13 was recorded by Roxby Downs at $84,478.

The highest median investment income in 2012-13 was recorded by Toorak in Melbourne at $11,735.

In Kulin, Western Australia, 29.9 per cent of all income earners reported own unincorporated income as their main source of income - the highest proportion in Australia.

Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest in New South Wales recorded the highest median age of earners at 58 years of age.


Further information can be found in Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, 2012-13 (cat. no. 6524.0.55.002).

Media Note:
  • Regions in this media release refer to Statistical Area Level 2 regions.
  • When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.
  • Media requests and interviews - contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070.