THE average Tweed local is making $175 more than a decade ago but is three years older and paying $433 extra a month in mortgage repayments.

The snapshot was revealed in this week's release of the 2016 census data.

Faith was another part of the survey of interest, with the number of locals identifying as no-religion almost hitting 30%, a statistic reflected across the nation.

The news prompted calls for change from some religious leaders who claimed they risked more people turning away.

"Make religion more vibrant, attractive and engaging if you want to keep your folks in God's fold,” Rajan Zed, a self-described 'religious statesman', said.

But Dr Deborah Donoghue, Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples at Southern Cross University, said the Australian Bureau of Statistics explained the statistic did not mean all of those people were without belief.

"It just means that you could be agnostic or you could have a religion but not nominate yourself to be one of the religions (listed in the census options),” she said.

The data showed the divides between postcodes: Casuarina, for example, has an average household income of $1913 per week, while in Murwillumbah a household brings in $957.

In the Tweed Shire, 26.9% of people struggled on a weekly household income of less than $650, while 7.7% of households took home more than $3000.

The Tweed's population is 91,370 - an increase from 79,321 a decade ago - and there are more woman (51.7%) than men (48.3%).

Murwillumbah outperformed the state for divorce rates - a statistic reflected in the Tweed Shire - with 17.1% of couples either divorced or separated, compared to 11.5% in NSW.

The census showed 40% of locals own their home, 28% have a mortgage and 27% are renting.