A profile of personal incomes in the Northern Rivers region is a lesson in the unequal distribution of wealth

On 28 January 2016 the Australian Bureau of Statistics released its Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, 2012-13.

These estimates show 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.

In NSW the per cent of total income (from wages/investments) held by the top 1% of earners  is 10.5% - with the top 10% having 34.9% of total income.

In NSW the median total income from all sources for individuals was $44,780 (excluding government pensions/allowances), in Greater Sydney it was $47,281 and in the rest of NSW it was $40,702, both with the same exclusions.

In the Northern Rivers region the median total income from all sources for individuals was less than $39,000 (excluding government pensions/allowances).

This is a basic profile of wage and investment earners in all seven local government areas within the NSW Northern Rivers region:

BALLINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

* number of employees earning a wage – 16,348

* median age of employee – 44

* percentage of employees whose wage is main source of income – 67.3%

* average wage – $48,595 (half of those earning a wage receive $40,617pa or less)

* number of people with investment income – 17,131

* percentage of people whose main source of income was investments – 18.6%

* average investment income – $9,005 (half of those with investment income receive $573pa or less)
* Total income of all earners living in this local government area (excluding govt pensions/allowances): $1.07 billion with the top 10% sharing 33.2% of this billion

BYRON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

* number of employees earning a wage – 12,300

* median age of employee – 41

* percentage of employees whose wage is main source of income – 61.4%

* average wage – $43,947 (half of those earning a wage receive $33,634pa or less)

* number of people with investment income –  13,332

* percentage of people whose main source of income was investments – 18.1%

* average investment income – $12,365 (half of those with investment income receive $624pa or less)

* Total income of all earners living in this local government area (excluding govt pensions/allowances): $823.5 million with the top 10% of the population sharing 38.5% of these millions

CLARENCE VALLEY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

* number of employees earning a wage - 16,945

* median age of employee – 44 years

* percentage of employees whose wage is main source of income – 70.9%

* average wage – $45,005 (half of those earning a wage receive $38,958pa or less)

* number of people with investment income – 16,468

* percentage of people whose main source of income was investments – 15.7%

* average investment income – $4,880 (half of those with investment income receive $378pa or less)
* Total income of all earners living in this local government area (excluding govt pensions/allowances): $915.5 million with the top 10% sharing 31.1% of these millions

KYOGLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

* number of employees earning a wage – 2,777

* median age of employee – 45

* percentage of employees whose wage is main source of income – 68.7%

* average wage –  $43,789 (half of those earning a wage receive $38,678pa or less)

* number of people with investment income – 2,841

* percentage of people whose main source of income was investments – 14.0%

* average investment income – $5,366 (half of those with investment income receive $473pa or less)
* Total income of all earners living in this local government area (excluding govt pensions/allowances): $143.4 million with the top 10% sharing 33.9% of these millions

LISMORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

* number of employees earning a wage – 16,972

* median age of employee – 43

* percentage of employees whose wage is main source of income – 74.8%

* average wage – $45,989 (half of those earning a wage receive $40,751pa or less)

* number of people with investment income – 15,629

* percentage of people whose main source of income was investments – 12.8%

* average investment income – $5,289 (half of those with investment income receive $343pa or less)
* Total income of all earners living in this local government area (excluding govt pensions/allowances): $946.7 million with the top 10% sharing 29.7% of these millions

RICHMOND VALLEY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

* number of employees earning a wage – 7,587

* median age of employee – 42

* percentage of employees whose wage is main source of income – 76.4%

* average wage – $44,229 (half of those earning a wage receive $40,880pa or less)

* number of people with investment income – 6,617

* percentage of people whose main source of income was investments – 13.6%

* average investment income – $3,988 (half of those with investment income receive $271pa or less
* Total income of all earners living in this local government area (excluding govt pensions/allowances): $388.7 million with the top 10% sharing 28.1% of these millions

TWEED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

* number of employees earning a wage – 32,066

* median age of employee – 43

* percentage of employees whose wage is main source of income –  69.7%

* average wage – $49,061 (half of those earning a wage receive $41,592pa or less)

* number of people with investment income – 30,587

* percentage of people whose main source of income was investments – 16.7%

* average investment income – $7,320 (half of those with investment income receive $396pa or less)
* Total income of all earners living in this local government area (excluding govt pensions/allowances): $2.00 billion with the top 10% sharing 31.7% of these billions