MEDIA RELEASE
19 June 2018	Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time)
Which is Australia’s top region for personal income?

Australians earned a median personal income of $47,692 in 2015-16, an increase of 1.8 per cent from the previous year, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Ashburton in Western Australia remained Australia's top local government area for personal income with a median income of $100,665 in 2015-16. This was the highest median income of the 544 local government areas in Australia and over $10,000 more than the Perth local government area of Peppermint Grove, which had the second highest median income.

Bjorn Jarvis, the ABS’s head of labour statistics, said: “Western Australia had four of the top five local government areas with the highest median income.

"However, despite four of the five highest median income regions being in Western Australia, it was also the only state to experience a decrease in the overall median income. These figures are important to understanding changes in income in WA, following the mining boom."

The Australian Capital Territory continued its run as the state/territory with the highest median income at $63,084 in 2015-16.

Over the past six years, the Northern Territory showed the highest income growth rate of 21.1 per cent, with the greater Darwin area increasing by 23.3 per cent.

Mr Jarvis said: “The Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas publication provides a comprehensive set of income indicators, which gives a better understanding of income distribution across the country – and how that distribution is changing.

"I encourage everyone to go to the ABS website to see how your local area and neighbouring regions compare to the rest of the country."

The ABS acknowledges the support of the ATO in compiling these statistics.

Further information can be found in Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, 2011-2016 (cat. no. 6524.0.55.002) available for free download from the ABS website (www.abs.gov.au).

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