Living in Ballarat

In Ballarat, unemployment is 4.5% (2026).

Ballarat had 111,973 residents in August 2021 and is a city in Australia. Median rent was A$300 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,473 in August 2021. For Ballarat, the unemployment rate was 4.5% in March 2026. Foreign-born residents accounted for 11.4% of the population in 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0411 sources

Population111,973people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Median gross salary (region)1,998EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent825.4EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Ballarat, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Unemployment rate4.5%country median 4.5% — about the sameIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

Recorded crime9,130incidents per 100,00030 Jun 2026Regional figureOfficial source · Data Tables: Recorded Offences by LGA - Year Ending June 2026

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Ballarat?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Ballarat.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€2007

Utilities, 85 m² flat€233

Fitness club€62

Internet, 60 Mbps€50

Transport pass€42

Mobile plan, 10 GB€25

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	61.83 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	49.8 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	2,007 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.83 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.9 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Ballarat. Jun 2026. Prices in Ballarat⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	41.86 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	233.3 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	47,484 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Main residence dwellings	43,993 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	300 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	825.4 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Ballarat, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official

Is Ballarat a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker52%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 42–62%

Skilled employee60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–68%

Student35%strong on education, weak on safety · range 27–43%

Family56%strong on family, weak on cost · range 47–65%

Retirement54%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 41–67%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

11.4% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 12,730 of 111,973 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

Median personal income was A$743 per week in August 2021. Median household income was A$1,427 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Ballarat is 4.5%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Ballarat 4.5%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	29,176 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Employment rate	57.4 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	1,427 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	743 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,998 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁸Official
Unemployment rate	4.5 %country median 4.5% — about the same	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹⁰Independent

What does a salary buy in Ballarat?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€0of €0 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	outside the model's range
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Ballarat, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2021-12-31	− €825
Public transport pass€42 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €42
Utilities, 85 m²€233 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €233
Internet€50 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €50
Mobile plan€25 · market price · Cost of Living in Ballarat. Jun 2026. Prices in Ballarat · 2026-07-31	− €25
Left over	—

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Ballarat Salary needed to live in Ballarat

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Ballarat. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Ballarat. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People who speak a language other than English at home	7.08 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	9,130 incidents per 100,000	30 Jun 2026	Data Tables: Recorded Offences by LGA - Year Ending June 2026⁴Official · regional context

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Ballarat. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridFree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, HybridFree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Ballarat.

Find courses near Ballarat

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

26°12°

23°10°

18°7°

14°5°

11°4°

10°3°

12°3°

14°4°

17°6°

21°8°

23°9°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average daytime high by month	Jan 26.2 · Feb 25.7 · Mar 22.9 · Apr 18.4 · May 14.2 · Jun 11.3 · Jul 10.5 · Aug 11.8 · Sep 14.1 · Oct 17.3 · Nov 20.5 · Dec 23.4 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — BALLARAT AERODROME, 1991-2020³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 11.6 · Feb 11.6 · Mar 9.9 · Apr 7 · May 5.1 · Jun 3.6 · Jul 3 · Aug 3.1 · Sep 4.4 · Oct 5.9 · Nov 8 · Dec 9.4 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — BALLARAT AERODROME, 1991-2020³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 18.9 · Feb 18.8 · Mar 16.4 · Apr 12.7 · May 9.6 · Jun 7.4 · Jul 6.8 · Aug 7.4 · Sep 9.3 · Oct 11.6 · Nov 14.2 · Dec 16.4 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BALLARAT AERODROME⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 45.1 · Feb 39.5 · Mar 31.5 · Apr 42.4 · May 50.4 · Jun 60.2 · Jul 61.4 · Aug 66.5 · Sep 69.2 · Oct 53.8 · Nov 54.5 · Dec 46.2 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — BALLARAT AERODROME, 1991-2020³Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 343.6 km² in 2021. Population density was 352.0 people per km² in 2025.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport88.6%
Foreign residents11.4%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	343.6 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁵Official
Foreign-resident share	11.37 %	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Foreign residents	12,730 people	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Population density	352 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁶Official
Female residents	58,167 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Male residents	53,805 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population	111,973 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

77,561

93,091

108,622

124,152

120,939200120052011201520212025

Population rose 49.7% between 2001 and 2025, from 80,774 to 120,939.

International community in Ballarat

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	111,973	100.0%
Australia	93,684	83.7%
Country of birth not stated	5,559	5.0%
England	2,403	2.1%
India	1,846	1.6%
Born elsewhere(d)	1,175	1.0%
New Zealand	962	0.9%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	675	0.6%
Philippines	635	0.6%
Netherlands	488	0.4%
Scotland	368	0.3%

Show 42 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Germany	308	0.3%
United States of America	308	0.3%
South Africa	263	0.2%
Malaysia	251	0.2%
Sri Lanka	249	0.2%
Nepal	212	0.2%
Pakistan	184	0.2%
Ireland	175	0.2%
Italy	167	0.1%
Vietnam	163	0.1%
Thailand	154	0.1%
Canada	142	0.1%
Croatia	122	0.1%
Bangladesh	93	0.1%
Zimbabwe	92	0.1%
Indonesia	90	0.1%
Japan	87	0.1%
Singapore	76	0.1%
Iran	72	0.1%
Wales	71	0.1%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	69	0.1%
Fiji	68	0.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	66	0.1%
Malta	63	0.1%
Greece	62	0.1%
France	60	0.1%
Poland	57	0.1%
Taiwan	54	0.0%
Iraq	51	0.0%
Egypt	48	0.0%
Brazil	42	0.0%
Papua New Guinea	39	0.0%
Mauritius	35	0.0%
Chile	32	0.0%
Cambodia	21	0.0%
Turkey	21	0.0%
Afghanistan	18	0.0%
Samoa	18	0.0%
Myanmar	17	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	15	0.0%
North Macedonia	15	0.0%
Lebanon	14	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	111,973	100.0%
Australia	93,684	83.7%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	12,729	11.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	111,973	100.0%
Australian citizen	101,124	90.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	11.37 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Households	43,993 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Labour force participation rate	60.2 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median age	38 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	1,473 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Alternatives for people set on Ballarat

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Darwin as a Ballarat alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Foreign residents: 37.4% Darwin vs 11.4% Ballarat+229%
Median gross pay, region: €3,017 Darwin vs €1,998 Ballarat+51%
Unemployment: 3.3% Darwin vs 4.5% Ballarat−27%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €161 Darwin vs €233 Ballarat−31%
Residents: 127,215 Darwin vs 111,973 Ballarat+14%
A meal out: €13 Darwin vs €13 Ballarat+5%

Full comparison More about Darwin

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Ballarat, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Bendigo103,034 residents Darwin127,215 residents Albury - Wodonga97,793 residents Launceston90,953 residents Toowoomba143,942 residents Mackay85,408 residents

How does Ballarat compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Ballarat's.

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Ballarat in rankings

#17 of 30 in Largest cities in Australia

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Ballarat when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Ballarat's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Ballarat?

The median gross salary is 1,998 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Ballarat?

The unemployment rate is 4.5 %. Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

How safe is Ballarat?

Police recorded 9,130 incidents per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Data Tables: Recorded Offences by LGA - Year Ending June 2026.

How many people live in Ballarat?

The published population is 111,973 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Ballarat?

12,730 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How much is public transport in Ballarat?

A monthly transport pass is 41.86 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Ballarat a good place to live?

Ballarat may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Ballarat?

The official country of birth distribution records 93,684 people (83.7%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Ballarat, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; version dff3775adb26b2cf4d780f4cb8c6b41f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/ballarat/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_ballarat-australia-population-rent-salary-jobs-safety_778a792b16d4,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Ballarat, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {dff3775adb26b2cf4d780f4cb8c6b41f},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/ballarat/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Ballarat, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/ballarat/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version dff3775adb26b2cf4d780f4cb8c6b41f; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2021 Ballarat, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-10-03
2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-25
BOM monthly climate statistics — BALLARAT AERODROME, 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Data Tables: Recorded Offences by LGA - Year Ending June 2026 files.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au · checked 2026-10-03
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BALLARAT AERODROME WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Ballarat. Jun 2026. Prices in Ballarat numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26

Show 1 more source

Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.