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Greater Sydney vs Greater Brisbane

Name: Greater Sydney vs Greater Brisbane — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Capital City comparison ≈ 754 km apart · Greater Sydney profile · Greater Brisbane profile

Greater Sydney Greater Brisbane

Greater Sydney and Greater Brisbane are both major metropolitan hubs, but they differ sharply in their makeup and layout. Greater Sydney is much more culturally diverse, with 38.6% of people born overseas and 37.4% using a language other than English at home. It is also more walkable and connected, with far more public transport departures and a higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of schools and health services. In contrast, Greater Brisbane has a higher proportion of separate houses (73.4%) and larger homes, with 77.2% having three or more bedrooms.

The gap in working habits has widened significantly since 2016, with Greater Sydney now seeing far more people working from home at 38.9% compared to 17.4% in Greater Brisbane. Despite this, the two cities share a very similar age profile, with about 19% of the population being children under 15. They also have almost identical rates of people living alone and a similar share of households that rent.

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Where they differ most

Work from home: 21.4 pts higher in Greater Sydney Other language: 19.7 pts higher in Greater Sydney Separate houses: 17.6 pts higher in Greater Brisbane 3+ bedrooms: 13.2 pts higher in Greater Brisbane People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Greater Sydney

Demographics & Identity

Population in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +2,704,909 larger in Greater Sydney gap steady

5,231,147 100th pct 2,526,238 87th pct

Median age in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +1 yrs older in Greater Sydney gap steady

37 yrs 23rd pct 36 yrs 14th pct

Age structure

30.4% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +1.3 pts 29.1%

23.8% Older adults (45–64) even 23.9%

18.4% Children (0–14) +0.8 pts ▸ 19.2%

15.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +0.4 pts 14.8%

12.2% Youth (15–24) +0.9 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

48.3% Married ◂ +3.4 pts 45.0%

36.4% Never married +2.0 pts ▸ 38.4%

7.8% Divorced +1.1 pts ▸ 8.9%

4.5% Widowed ◂ +0.2 pts 4.3%

2.9% Separated +0.5 pts ▸ 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Greater Sydney Greater Brisbane

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

56.8% Australia +11.6 pts ▸ 68.3%

4.6% China ◂ +2.9 pts 1.7%

1.6% New Zealand +2.8 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.9% England +0.8 pts ▸ 3.8%

3.6% India ◂ +1.5 pts 2.0%

1.8% Vietnam ◂ +1.0 pts 0.8%

1.7% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 1.1%

1.1% Nepal ◂ +0.9 pts 0.3%

0.8% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.7% Italy ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%

Ancestry

23.8% English +12.7 pts ▸ 36.5%

22.3% Australian +9.2 pts ▸ 31.6%

7.7% Irish +3.5 pts ▸ 11.1%

10.6% Chinese ◂ +5.9 pts 4.7%

6.0% Scottish +4.1 pts ▸ 10.1%

2.3% German +3.3 pts ▸ 5.7%

4.5% Indian ◂ +1.8 pts 2.7%

4.3% Italian ◂ +1.5 pts 2.7%

2.5% Filipino ◂ +0.9 pts 1.6%

2.4% Greek ◂ +1.6 pts 0.8%

2.3% Vietnamese ◂ +1.1 pts 1.1%

0.9% Dutch +0.7 pts ▸ 1.6%

Language

Language used at home

57.3% English only +20.0 pts ▸ 77.3%

5.0% Mandarin ◂ +2.4 pts 2.5%

4.2% Arabic ◂ +3.7 pts 0.5%

2.8% Cantonese ◂ +1.9 pts 0.9%

2.2% Vietnamese ◂ +1.1 pts 1.1%

1.5% Hindi ◂ +0.8 pts 0.7%

1.4% Greek ◂ +1.1 pts 0.3%

1.0% Italian ◂ +0.6 pts 0.4%

0.8% Punjabi even 0.9%

0.9% Tagalog ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%

Religion

Religious affiliation

45.8% Christianity ◂ +1.5 pts 44.3%

30.7% No religion +11.2 pts ▸ 41.9%

6.5% Not stated +0.2 pts ▸ 6.7%

6.3% Islam ◂ +4.5 pts 1.8%

4.8% Hinduism ◂ +2.8 pts 2.0%

3.8% Buddhism ◂ +1.9 pts 1.9%

1.3% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

0.7% Judaism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

66.9% Year 12 ◂ +3.0 pts 63.9%

14.8% Year 10 +2.7 pts ▸ 17.5%

8.2% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.0 pts 7.3%

3.9% Year 11 +1.7 pts ▸ 5.6%

Highest qualification level

33.2% Bachelor degree ◂ +5.1 pts 28.1%

18.0% Certificate III / IV +8.5 pts ▸ 26.6%

14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.6 pts ▸ 15.3%

14.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.4 pts 9.8%

3.2% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.8 pts ▸ 4.1%

1.4% Certificate I / II +0.7 pts ▸ 2.1%

Field of qualification

24.6% Management & commerce ◂ +4.0 pts 20.7%

11.9% Engineering & related +1.9 pts ▸ 13.8%

12.2% Society & culture +0.6 pts ▸ 12.8%

8.8% Health +2.1 pts ▸ 10.9%

6.7% Education +0.8 pts ▸ 7.5%

4.9% Architecture & building +0.4 pts ▸ 5.3%

5.2% Information technology ◂ +1.7 pts 3.5%

4.0% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.0 pts ▸ 5.0%

4.8% Creative arts ◂ +0.8 pts 4.0%

3.4% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.4 pts 3.0%

1.1% Agriculture & environment +0.4 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +$39 higher in Greater Sydney gap widening

$881 58th pct $842 46th pct

Household income in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +$228 higher in Greater Sydney gap widening

$2,077 79th pct $1,849 66th pct

Family income in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +$199 higher in Greater Sydney gap widening

$2,374 81st pct $2,175 67th pct

Household income distribution

29.2% $1,500–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 31.1%

21.7% $650–$1,499 +3.5 pts ▸ 25.2%

18.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +5.7 pts 12.8%

13.3% Under $650 +0.2 pts ▸ 13.5%

11.7% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.7 pts 10.9%

Personal income distribution

37.3% Under $650 +0.8 pts ▸ 38.1%

29.4% $650–$1,499 +2.6 pts ▸ 32.1%

19.7% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.0 pts 18.7%

7.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.2 pts 4.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

6.6% Mental health +3.5 pts ▸ 10.1%

6.8% Asthma +2.1 pts ▸ 8.9%

7.4% Other condition +1.5 pts ▸ 8.8%

6.7% Arthritis +1.3 pts ▸ 8.0%

4.6% Diabetes ◂ +0.1 pts 4.4%

3.4% Heart disease +0.5 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.4% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 2.9%

1.2% Lung condition +0.6 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.7% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.7% Dementia even 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

69.1% None ◂ +5.1 pts 64.0%

16.7% One condition +2.7 pts ▸ 19.3%

4.6% Two conditions +1.4 pts ▸ 6.0%

2.3% Three or more +0.9 pts ▸ 3.1%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +13,997 larger in Greater Sydney

90,939 90th pct 76,942 89th pct

Median age in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +1 yrs older in Greater Sydney

24 yrs 29th pct 23 yrs 0th pct

Median income in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +$51 higher in Greater Sydney

$674 76th pct $623 69th pct

Household income in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +$121 higher in Greater Sydney

$1,779 78th pct $1,658 68th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +0.1 larger in Greater Sydney gap steady

2.7 90th pct 2.6 86th pct

Family composition

62.5% Couples with children ◂ +4.3 pts 58.1%

23.3% Couples without children +2.4 pts ▸ 25.7%

13.1% One-parent families +1.9 pts ▸ 14.9%

1.2% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

30.7% 2 people +2.8 pts ▸ 33.5%

23.2% 1 person +0.4 pts ▸ 23.6%

17.3% 4 people ◂ +1.3 pts 16.0%

17.2% 3 people ◂ +0.5 pts 16.7%

7.3% 5 people ◂ +0.8 pts 6.5%

4.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 3.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +$90 higher in Greater Sydney gap steady

$470 100th pct $380 78th pct

Mortgage in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +$564 higher in Greater Sydney gap widening

$2,427 100th pct $1,863 70th pct

People / bedroom in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +0.10 higher in Greater Sydney gap steady

0.90 86th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

33.3% Owned with a mortgage +2.8 pts ▸ 36.1%

35.9% Rented ◂ +0.8 pts 35.1%

27.8% Owned outright ◂ +1.8 pts 25.9%

1.7% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%

1.3% Not stated even 1.3%

Types of homes

55.8% Separate house +17.6 pts ▸ 73.4%

30.7% Flat or apartment ◂ +16.0 pts 14.7%

12.8% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.4 pts 11.4%

0.4% Other dwelling even 0.4%

Bedrooms per home

30.9% 3 bedrooms +5.2 pts ▸ 36.1%

24.1% 4 bedrooms +7.8 pts ▸ 31.9%

25.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +9.6 pts 16.1%

9.0% 5 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 9.2%

8.1% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.1 pts 5.0%

0.9% Studio / none ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

43.0% $350–$549 +8.6 pts ▸ 51.6%

12.6% $200–$349 +14.0 pts ▸ 26.6%

22.1% $550–$749 ◂ +13.7 pts 8.4%

10.9% $750 or more ◂ +8.5 pts 2.3%

8.1% Under $200 +0.1 pts ▸ 8.2%

Monthly mortgage distribution

32.5% $1,800–$2,999 +2.4 pts ▸ 34.9%

33.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +18.6 pts 15.1%

16.4% $1,000–$1,799 +15.0 pts ▸ 31.5%

10.9% Under $1,000 +2.2 pts ▸ 13.1%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +17,025 more in Greater Sydney

26,948 100th pct 9,923 73rd pct

Stops/1k in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +1.22 more in Greater Sydney

5.15 66th pct 3.93 28th pct

Departures/1k in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +698.8 more in Greater Sydney

1,738.2 91st pct 1,039.4 60th pct

PT routes in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +277 more in Greater Sydney

809 100th pct 532 78th pct

How people get to work

34.2% Car (driver) +20.9 pts ▸ 55.1%

38.9% Worked at home ◂ +21.4 pts 17.4%

2.6% Car (passenger) +1.5 pts ▸ 4.1%

2.5% Train ◂ +0.5 pts 2.0%

1.2% Bus +1.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

2.3% Walked ◂ +0.1 pts 2.2%

0.4% Bicycle +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

Motor vehicles per home

40.0% 1 vehicle ◂ +3.8 pts 36.3%

32.8% 2 vehicles +5.1 pts ▸ 37.8%

10.1% 3 vehicles +2.4 pts ▸ 12.5%

11.3% No vehicle ◂ +4.9 pts 6.4%

5.8% 4 or more +1.2 pts ▸ 7.0%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

13.4% Health care & social assistance +1.9 pts ▸ 15.3%

10.9% Professional & technical ◂ +2.4 pts 8.5%

8.5% Education & training +0.5 pts ▸ 9.0%

8.8% Retail trade +0.2 pts ▸ 9.0%

8.2% Construction +0.4 pts ▸ 8.6%

7.0% Finance & insurance ◂ +3.7 pts 3.3%

5.5% Public administration & safety +1.2 pts ▸ 6.7%

5.5% Accommodation & food +1.0 pts ▸ 6.4%

5.4% Manufacturing +0.7 pts ▸ 6.1%

5.1% Transport & warehousing +0.3 pts ▸ 5.4%

3.2% Other services +0.6 pts ▸ 3.8%

3.2% Administrative & support +0.2 pts ▸ 3.4%

Occupations people work in

29.3% Professionals ◂ +4.6 pts 24.7%

15.2% Managers ◂ +2.6 pts 12.6%

13.8% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.2 pts 13.5%

10.5% Technicians & trades +1.8 pts ▸ 12.3%

9.3% Community & personal service +2.4 pts ▸ 11.6%

6.8% Labourers +2.2 pts ▸ 8.9%

7.8% Sales workers +0.5 pts ▸ 8.2%

5.6% Machinery operators & drivers +0.7 pts ▸ 6.3%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +2,805,306 higher in Greater Sydney

5,638,830 100th pct 2,833,524 79th pct

Growth in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +3.2 pts higher in Greater Brisbane

7.2% 72nd pct 10.4% 94th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +23 higher in Greater Sydney

1,031 86th pct 1,009 82nd pct

Max temp in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +0.3 higher in Greater Brisbane

25.3 57th pct 25.6 58th pct

Min temp in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +2.3 higher in Greater Brisbane

10.7 46th pct 13.0 59th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +1.2 higher in Greater Sydney

7.2 100th pct 6.1 72nd pct

Types ≤15 min in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +0.9 more in Greater Sydney

6.7 100th pct 5.8 71st pct

15-min city in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +12.8 pts higher in Greater Sydney

84.1% 100th pct 71.3% 71st pct

Walk to shops in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +8.3 pts higher in Greater Sydney

80.2% 94th pct 71.9% 74th pct

Walk to transit in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +14.5 pts higher in Greater Sydney

96.0% 97th pct 81.5% 63rd pct

Walk to school in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +12.1 pts higher in Greater Sydney

88.0% 100th pct 75.9% 71st pct

Walk to a park in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +4.3 pts higher in Greater Sydney

96.7% 88th pct 92.5% 71st pct

Walk to health in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +11.3 pts higher in Greater Sydney

69.0% 95th pct 57.7% 76th pct

Amenities/1k in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +0.0 more in Greater Brisbane

13.5 10th pct 13.6 11th pct

Intersections/km² in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +15 higher in Greater Sydney

32 75th pct 17 62nd pct

Mean slope in Greater Sydney in Greater Brisbane +1.1 pts higher in Greater Sydney

7.1% 81st pct 6.0% 68th pct

Compare Greater Sydney with nearby areas

Australian Capital Territory Rest of NSW Greater Melbourne Greater Brisbane Rest of Vic. Rest of Tas. Greater Hobart Greater Adelaide Rest of Qld Rest of SA Rest of NT Greater Darwin

Compare Greater Brisbane with nearby areas

Greater Sydney Rest of NSW Australian Capital Territory Rest of Qld Greater Melbourne Rest of Vic. Greater Adelaide Rest of Tas. Greater Hobart Rest of SA Rest of NT Greater Darwin

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Greater Sydney vs Greater Brisbane [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/gccsa/1GSYD/greater-sydney/vs/3GBRI/greater-brisbane