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Greater Sydney vs Greater Adelaide

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

Capital City comparison ≈ 1,098 km apart · Greater Sydney profile · Greater Adelaide profile

Greater Sydney Greater Adelaide

Greater Sydney and Greater Adelaide are both large metropolitan hubs, but they offer very different ways of living. Greater Sydney is far more multicultural, with 38.6% of people born overseas and 37.4% using a language other than English at home. It is also a wealthier and more professional centre, where 30.2% of households earn $3,000 or more a week and working from home is common for 38.9% of residents. In contrast, Greater Adelaide has a higher share of detached houses (75.0%) and larger homes, with 76.6% having three or more bedrooms. A much larger share of people in Greater Adelaide also report having no religion (45.1%) compared to Greater Sydney (30.7%).

While the two cities have tracked differently in some areas, they have remained remarkably similar in others since 2011. Both have seen nearly identical population growth, and both have the same share of First Nations people at 1.7%. However, some gaps are widening; the difference in typical weekly household income has grown to $529, and the gap in people working from home has surged to 29.1 percentage points. Despite these shifts, both areas provide a similar level of accessibility, with about 96% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park.

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Where they differ most

Work from home: 29.1 pts higher in Greater Sydney Separate houses: 19.2 pts higher in Greater Adelaide Population: 3,843,857 larger in Greater Sydney Mortgage: $865 higher in Greater Sydney Living alone: 4.5 pts higher in Greater Adelaide

Demographics & Identity

Population in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +3,843,857 larger in Greater Sydney gap steady

5,231,147 100th pct 1,387,290 79th pct

Median age in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +2 yrs older in Greater Adelaide gap narrowing

37 yrs 23rd pct 39 yrs 40th pct

Age structure

30.4% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +3.1 pts 27.3%

23.8% Older adults (45–64) +0.9 pts ▸ 24.8%

15.2% Seniors (65+) +3.4 pts ▸ 18.6%

18.4% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.3 pts 17.1%

12.2% Youth (15–24) even 12.2%

Marital status

48.3% Married ◂ +2.6 pts 45.7%

36.4% Never married even 36.4%

7.8% Divorced +1.5 pts ▸ 9.3%

4.5% Widowed +1.0 pts ▸ 5.5%

2.9% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.1%

Age & sex structure

Greater Sydney Greater Adelaide

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

56.8% Australia +11.9 pts ▸ 68.7%

2.9% England +2.7 pts ▸ 5.7%

4.6% China ◂ +2.8 pts 1.8%

3.6% India ◂ +0.5 pts 3.1%

1.8% Vietnam ◂ +0.6 pts 1.2%

1.7% Philippines ◂ +0.8 pts 0.9%

1.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.9 pts 0.7%

0.7% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

1.1% Nepal ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

0.8% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%

Ancestry

23.8% English +13.1 pts ▸ 36.8%

22.3% Australian +7.9 pts ▸ 30.2%

10.6% Chinese ◂ +6.5 pts 4.1%

6.0% Scottish +2.1 pts ▸ 8.2%

7.7% Irish even 7.6%

4.3% Italian +2.6 pts ▸ 6.8%

2.3% German +4.4 pts ▸ 6.7%

4.5% Indian ◂ +1.5 pts 3.0%

2.4% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 2.7%

2.5% Filipino ◂ +1.2 pts 1.3%

2.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.7 pts 1.6%

0.9% Dutch +0.7 pts ▸ 1.7%

Language

Language used at home

57.3% English only +17.6 pts ▸ 74.8%

5.0% Mandarin ◂ +2.7 pts 2.2%

4.2% Arabic ◂ +3.4 pts 0.8%

2.8% Cantonese ◂ +2.0 pts 0.7%

2.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.6 pts 1.5%

1.0% Italian +0.6 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.4% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

1.5% Hindi ◂ +0.8 pts 0.7%

0.8% Punjabi +0.5 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.9% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

Religion

Religious affiliation

45.8% Christianity ◂ +6.0 pts 39.8%

30.7% No religion +14.5 pts ▸ 45.1%

6.5% Not stated ◂ +1.0 pts 5.6%

6.3% Islam ◂ +3.5 pts 2.8%

4.8% Hinduism ◂ +2.2 pts 2.7%

3.8% Buddhism ◂ +1.6 pts 2.3%

1.3% Other religions +0.4 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.7% Judaism ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

66.9% Year 12 ◂ +7.7 pts 59.2%

3.9% Year 11 +10.9 pts ▸ 14.8%

14.8% Year 10 ◂ +2.1 pts 12.7%

8.2% Year 9 or below +0.3 pts ▸ 8.5%

Highest qualification level

33.2% Bachelor degree ◂ +4.9 pts 28.3%

18.0% Certificate III / IV +9.3 pts ▸ 27.3%

14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.1 pts ▸ 14.8%

14.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.1 pts 10.2%

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 ◂ +5.5 pts 19.2%

11.9% Engineering & related +2.2 pts ▸ 14.1%

12.2% Society & culture +1.5 pts ▸ 13.7%

8.8% Health +3.8 pts ▸ 12.5%

6.7% Education +1.3 pts ▸ 8.0%

5.2% Information technology ◂ +2.0 pts 3.2%

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

4.9% Architecture & building ◂ +0.1 pts 4.8%

4.8% Creative arts ◂ +1.2 pts 3.6%

3.4% Natural & physical sciences even 3.4%

1.1% Agriculture & environment +0.6 pts ▸ 1.7%

Income

Personal income in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +$119 higher in Greater Sydney gap widening

$881 58th pct $762 27th pct

Household income in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +$529 higher in Greater Sydney gap widening

$2,077 79th pct $1,548 36th pct

Family income in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +$386 higher in Greater Sydney gap narrowing

$2,374 81st pct $1,988 55th pct

Household income distribution

29.2% $1,500–$2,999 +0.7 pts ▸ 29.8%

21.7% $650–$1,499 +6.9 pts ▸ 28.6%

18.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +9.5 pts 9.0%

13.3% Under $650 +3.9 pts ▸ 17.2%

11.7% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.5 pts 9.2%

Personal income distribution

37.3% Under $650 +4.7 pts ▸ 42.0%

29.4% $650–$1,499 +3.7 pts ▸ 33.1%

19.7% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.2 pts 16.4%

7.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.6 pts 3.5%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

6.6% Mental health +3.2 pts ▸ 9.8%

6.7% Arthritis +2.8 pts ▸ 9.5%

7.4% Other condition +1.5 pts ▸ 8.9%

6.8% Asthma +2.0 pts ▸ 8.7%

4.6% Diabetes +0.9 pts ▸ 5.4%

3.4% Heart disease +1.0 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.4% Cancer +0.7 pts ▸ 3.1%

1.2% Lung condition +0.6 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.7% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.7% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

69.1% None ◂ +5.4 pts 63.6%

16.7% One condition +3.4 pts ▸ 20.0%

4.6% Two conditions +2.0 pts ▸ 6.6%

2.3% Three or more +1.3 pts ▸ 3.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +67,178 larger in Greater Sydney

90,939 90th pct 23,761 73rd pct

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

24 yrs 29th pct 23 yrs 0th pct

Median income in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +$122 higher in Greater Sydney

$674 76th pct $552 55th pct

Household income in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +$397 higher in Greater Sydney

$1,779 78th pct $1,382 35th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +0.2 larger in Greater Sydney gap narrowing

2.7 90th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

62.5% Couples with children ◂ +5.7 pts 56.8%

23.3% Couples without children +3.7 pts ▸ 27.0%

13.1% One-parent families +1.9 pts ▸ 15.0%

1.2% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

30.7% 2 people +2.8 pts ▸ 33.5%

23.2% 1 person +4.5 pts ▸ 27.7%

17.3% 4 people ◂ +2.4 pts 14.9%

17.2% 3 people ◂ +1.4 pts 15.9%

7.3% 5 people ◂ +1.9 pts 5.5%

4.2% 6 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 2.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +$150 higher in Greater Sydney gap steady

$470 100th pct $320 42nd pct

Mortgage in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +$865 higher in Greater Sydney gap widening

$2,427 100th pct $1,562 31st pct

People / bedroom in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +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 +3.8 pts ▸ 37.1%

35.9% Rented ◂ +7.5 pts 28.4%

27.8% Owned outright +3.1 pts ▸ 30.9%

1.7% Other tenure +0.7 pts ▸ 2.4%

1.3% Not stated ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

55.8% Separate house +19.2 pts ▸ 75.0%

30.7% Flat or apartment ◂ +22.6 pts 8.2%

12.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +3.5 pts ▸ 16.3%

0.4% Other dwelling ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

30.9% 3 bedrooms +20.4 pts ▸ 51.3%

25.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +7.0 pts 18.7%

24.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.9 pts 21.2%

9.0% 5 or more ◂ +4.9 pts 4.1%

8.1% 1 bedroom ◂ +4.7 pts 3.3%

0.9% Studio / none ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

43.0% $350–$549 ◂ +8.7 pts 34.3%

12.6% $200–$349 +28.9 pts ▸ 41.5%

22.1% $550–$749 ◂ +18.6 pts 3.5%

8.1% Under $200 +8.5 pts ▸ 16.6%

10.9% $750 or more ◂ +9.9 pts 1.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

16.4% $1,000–$1,799 +22.9 pts ▸ 39.4%

33.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +23.6 pts 10.1%

32.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +5.9 pts 26.5%

10.9% Under $1,000 +8.4 pts ▸ 19.2%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +19,395 more in Greater Sydney

26,948 100th pct 7,553 63rd pct

Stops/1k in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +0.29 more in Greater Adelaide

5.15 66th pct 5.44 75th pct

Departures/1k in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +75.2 more in Greater Sydney

1,738.2 91st pct 1,663.0 87th pct

PT routes in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +368 more in Greater Sydney

809 100th pct 441 69th pct

How people get to work

34.2% Car (driver) +29.1 pts ▸ 63.3%

38.9% Worked at home ◂ +29.1 pts 9.8%

2.6% Car (passenger) +1.6 pts ▸ 4.2%

1.2% Bus +2.6 pts ▸ 3.8%

2.5% Train ◂ +1.7 pts 0.8%

2.3% Walked ◂ +0.4 pts 1.9%

0.4% Bicycle +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%

Motor vehicles per home

40.0% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.9 pts 37.1%

32.8% 2 vehicles +4.2 pts ▸ 36.9%

10.1% 3 vehicles +1.8 pts ▸ 11.8%

11.3% No vehicle ◂ +3.6 pts 7.7%

5.8% 4 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 6.5%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

13.4% Health care & social assistance +3.7 pts ▸ 17.1%

10.9% Professional & technical ◂ +3.8 pts 7.1%

8.8% Retail trade +0.9 pts ▸ 9.7%

8.5% Education & training +0.5 pts ▸ 9.0%

8.2% Construction +0.2 pts ▸ 8.4%

5.5% Public administration & safety +1.7 pts ▸ 7.1%

7.0% Finance & insurance ◂ +3.8 pts 3.2%

5.4% Manufacturing +1.4 pts ▸ 6.8%

5.5% Accommodation & food +1.1 pts ▸ 6.6%

5.1% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.9 pts 4.1%

3.2% Other services +0.8 pts ▸ 4.0%

3.2% Administrative & support +0.6 pts ▸ 3.8%

Occupations people work in

29.3% Professionals ◂ +5.7 pts 23.6%

15.2% Managers ◂ +3.1 pts 12.1%

13.8% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.6 pts 13.2%

9.3% Community & personal service +3.9 pts ▸ 13.2%

10.5% Technicians & trades +2.4 pts ▸ 12.9%

6.8% Labourers +2.6 pts ▸ 9.3%

7.8% Sales workers +0.7 pts ▸ 8.5%

5.6% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.1 pts 5.5%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +4,147,815 higher in Greater Sydney

5,638,830 100th pct 1,491,015 56th pct

Growth in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +0.8 pts higher in Greater Sydney

7.2% 72nd pct 6.4% 52nd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +73 higher in Greater Adelaide

1,031 86th pct 1,104 88th pct

Max temp in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +6.2 higher in Greater Sydney

25.3 57th pct 19.1 14th pct

Min temp in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +0.9 higher in Greater Sydney

10.7 46th pct 9.7 29th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +0.7 higher in Greater Sydney

7.2 100th pct 6.6 82nd pct

Types ≤15 min in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +0.4 more in Greater Sydney

6.7 100th pct 6.3 83rd pct

15-min city in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +4.0 pts higher in Greater Sydney

84.1% 100th pct 80.1% 84th pct

Walk to shops in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +3.8 pts higher in Greater Sydney

80.2% 94th pct 76.4% 82nd pct

Walk to transit in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +3.8 pts higher in Greater Sydney

96.0% 97th pct 92.2% 85th pct

Walk to school in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +6.7 pts higher in Greater Sydney

88.0% 100th pct 81.4% 81st pct

Walk to a park in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +1.0 pts higher in Greater Sydney

96.7% 88th pct 95.8% 83rd pct

Walk to health in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +6.3 pts higher in Greater Sydney

69.0% 95th pct 62.7% 84th pct

Amenities/1k in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +1.0 more in Greater Adelaide

13.5 10th pct 14.5 26th pct

Intersections/km² in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +22 higher in Greater Adelaide

32 75th pct 54 90th pct

Mean slope in Greater Sydney in Greater Adelaide +2.4 pts higher in Greater Sydney

7.1% 81st pct 4.7% 41st 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 Adelaide with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Greater Sydney vs Greater Adelaide [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/gccsa/1GSYD/greater-sydney/vs/4GADE/greater-adelaide