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Inner Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 822 km apart · Inner Regional Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Inner Regional Australia are very different in their layout and people. Major Cities of Australia is far more walkable, with 73% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries compared to 44.1% in Inner Regional Australia. The cities are also much more diverse, with 27.6% of people born overseas and 16.5% using another language at home, while these figures are 11.6% and 5.5% in Inner Regional Australia. Education levels are higher in the cities, where 63.3% of people finished Year 12, compared to 43.7% in the inner regional areas.

Both areas have a similar share of children under 15, which sits close to the national figure. However, other gaps are widening; the typical resident in Inner Regional Australia is now 7 years older than those in Major Cities of Australia. Homes in Inner Regional Australia are also more likely to be separate houses, with a gap that has grown to 16.2 percentage points since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Population: 1,761,400 larger in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 19.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Separate houses: 16.2 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia Born overseas: 16.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia PT commute: 3.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1,761,400 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
1,569,737 88th pct 3,331,137 92nd pct
Median age in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +7 yrs older in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
44 yrs 72nd pct 37 yrs 25th pct
First Nations in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.7 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
6.4% 50th pct 2.7% 25th pct
Aged 65+ in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +7.7 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
23.4% 85th pct 15.7% 47th pct
Under 15 in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
17.8% 53rd pct 18.8% 73rd pct
De facto in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
12.3% 30th pct 12.8% 43rd pct

Age structure

21.9% Young adults (25–44) +6.7 pts ▸ 28.6%
26.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.0 pts 24.1%
23.4% Seniors (65+) ◂ +7.7 pts 15.7%
17.8% Children (0–14) +1.0 pts ▸ 18.8%
10.8% Youth (15–24) +2.1 pts ▸ 12.9%

Marital status

46.3% Married ◂ +1.4 pts 44.9%
33.2% Never married +4.6 pts ▸ 37.9%
10.4% Divorced ◂ +1.1 pts 9.4%
6.4% Widowed ◂ +2.0 pts 4.4%
3.6% Separated ◂ +0.2 pts 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +16.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
11.6% 32nd pct 27.6% 85th pct

Country of birth

81.7% Australia ◂ +13.9 pts 67.8%
1.2% New Zealand +3.8 pts ▸ 5.0%
3.0% England +1.2 pts ▸ 4.2%
0.6% India +1.2 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.3% China +1.3 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.4% South Africa +0.8 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.5% Philippines +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.1% Vietnam +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.2% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Nepal even 0.3%

Ancestry

41.8% English ◂ +4.0 pts 37.7%
40.8% Australian ◂ +9.4 pts 31.4%
12.4% Irish ◂ +1.3 pts 11.1%
10.8% Scottish ◂ +0.6 pts 10.3%
4.3% German +1.2 pts ▸ 5.4%
0.9% Chinese +3.4 pts ▸ 4.2%
2.4% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 2.9%
0.7% Indian +1.7 pts ▸ 2.4%
1.4% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.7% Filipino +0.8 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.5% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

Language

Other language in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +11.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
5.5% 28th pct 16.5% 73rd pct
Limited English in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
0.7% 37th pct 2.2% 74th pct

Language used at home

87.8% English only ◂ +9.4 pts 78.5%
0.3% Mandarin +2.0 pts ▸ 2.3%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.3% Punjabi +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Cantonese +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Hindi +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% Arabic +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Tagalog +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Religion

No religion in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
37.5% 39th pct 42.8% 59th pct

Religious affiliation

51.5% Christianity ◂ +7.4 pts 44.1%
37.5% No religion +5.3 pts ▸ 42.8%
8.2% Not stated ◂ +1.4 pts 6.8%
0.7% Hinduism +1.1 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.8% Buddhism +1.0 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.4% Islam +1.2 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.8% Other religions +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +19.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
43.7% 64th pct 63.3% 93rd pct
Bachelor+ in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
17.3% 74th pct 26.2% 86th pct

Highest year of school

43.7% Year 12 +19.6 pts ▸ 63.3%
29.3% Year 10 ◂ +11.5 pts 17.8%
11.9% Year 9 or below ◂ +5.1 pts 6.8%
6.9% Year 11 ◂ +0.8 pts 6.1%

Highest qualification level

34.5% Certificate III / IV ◂ +7.5 pts 27.0%
19.3% Bachelor degree +8.0 pts ▸ 27.3%
14.5% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.4 pts ▸ 15.9%
5.6% Postgraduate degree +3.6 pts ▸ 9.2%
3.2% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.7 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.4% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.4 pts 2.0%

Field of qualification

15.9% Management & commerce +4.7 pts ▸ 20.5%
14.3% Engineering & related ◂ +1.1 pts 13.2%
11.3% Society & culture +1.2 pts ▸ 12.5%
11.0% Health +0.2 pts ▸ 11.2%
9.1% Education ◂ +1.5 pts 7.6%
6.5% Architecture & building ◂ +0.7 pts 5.8%
5.4% Food, hospitality & personal services even 5.5%
3.0% Creative arts +1.0 pts ▸ 4.0%
3.3% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.9 pts 1.4%
1.4% Information technology +1.7 pts ▸ 3.1%
2.0% Natural & physical sciences +0.8 pts ▸ 2.8%

Income

Personal income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$122 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
$710 42nd pct $832 68th pct
Household income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$418 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,400 37th pct $1,818 71st pct
Family income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$346 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
$1,796 48th pct $2,142 78th pct
High earners in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
8.7% 51st pct 12.2% 72nd pct
High-income homes in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +7.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
15.8% 50th pct 22.9% 80th pct

Household income distribution

27.4% $1,500–$2,999 +3.8 pts ▸ 31.2%
30.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.9 pts 25.6%
18.9% Under $650 ◂ +5.2 pts 13.7%
7.8% $4,000 or more +4.4 pts ▸ 12.2%
8.0% $3,000–$3,999 +2.6 pts ▸ 10.7%

Personal income distribution

42.6% Under $650 ◂ +4.5 pts 38.1%
31.7% $650–$1,499 +0.9 pts ▸ 32.6%
14.3% $1,500–$2,999 +3.9 pts ▸ 18.2%
3.0% $3,000 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 4.7%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5.5 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
33.5% 87th pct 28.0% 57th pct
Mental health in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.8 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
10.4% 73rd pct 9.6% 63rd pct
Needs assistance in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.2 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
6.8% 86th pct 5.6% 60th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.9% Arthritis ◂ +3.8 pts 8.1%
10.4% Mental health ◂ +0.8 pts 9.6%
9.5% Asthma ◂ +1.0 pts 8.5%
8.5% Other condition +0.1 pts ▸ 8.6%
5.2% Diabetes ◂ +1.1 pts 4.1%
5.1% Heart disease ◂ +1.3 pts 3.8%
3.8% Cancer ◂ +0.8 pts 3.0%
2.6% Lung condition ◂ +0.8 pts 1.8%
1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.3 pts 0.9%
1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.0% None +7.3 pts ▸ 64.3%
21.5% One condition ◂ +2.3 pts 19.2%
7.6% Two conditions ◂ +1.8 pts 5.9%
4.3% Three or more ◂ +1.3 pts 3.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.6 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
16.2% 50th pct 13.5% 37th pct
Unpaid carers in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.9 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
13.2% 87th pct 11.2% 55th pct
Unpaid child care in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
25.1% 58th pct 27.5% 86th pct
Defence service in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.4 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
3.9% 79th pct 3.5% 69th pct
Housework 15h+ in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.6 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap narrowing
23.6% 81st pct 20.1% 56th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9,618 larger in Inner Regional Australia
100,448 95th pct 90,830 94th pct
Median age in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia even
23 yrs 14th pct 23 yrs 14th pct
Year 12 in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +19.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
31.7% 56th pct 51.1% 98th pct
Unemployment in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
10.5% 24th pct 11.2% 30th pct
Median income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$75 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$570 69th pct $645 80th pct
Household income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$251 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$1,455 63rd pct $1,706 81st pct
Indigenous language in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
4.0% 29th pct 5.4% 41st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.2 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
2.4 43rd pct 2.6 77th pct
One-parent in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.7 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
15.6% 65th pct 14.9% 54th pct
Living alone in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.2 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
27.9% 46th pct 23.7% 14th pct

Family composition

51.5% Couples with children +5.9 pts ▸ 57.4%
32.0% Couples without children ◂ +5.5 pts 26.4%
15.6% One-parent families ◂ +0.7 pts 14.9%
1.0% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

37.1% 2 people ◂ +3.0 pts 34.1%
27.9% 1 person ◂ +4.2 pts 23.7%
13.6% 3 people +3.0 pts ▸ 16.7%
12.4% 4 people +3.4 pts ▸ 15.9%
5.9% 5 people +0.5 pts ▸ 6.3%
3.1% 6 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 3.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$80 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$320 73rd pct $400 89th pct
Mortgage in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$207 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$1,700 71st pct $1,907 86th pct
People / bedroom in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia even gap steady
0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct
Renting in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
25.6% 30th pct 34.9% 70th pct
Owned outright in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +12.6 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
39.2% 71st pct 26.5% 26th pct
Separate houses in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +16.2 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
85.3% 45th pct 69.1% 13th pct
3+ bedrooms in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.1 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
78.0% 72nd pct 75.9% 57th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.2% Owned outright ◂ +12.6 pts 26.5%
31.2% Owned with a mortgage +4.4 pts ▸ 35.7%
25.6% Rented +9.2 pts ▸ 34.9%
2.2% Other tenure ◂ +0.6 pts 1.6%
1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%

Types of homes

85.3% Separate house ◂ +16.2 pts 69.1%
4.4% Flat or apartment +12.2 pts ▸ 16.5%
8.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +4.9 pts ▸ 13.8%
1.2% Other dwelling ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%

Bedrooms per home

40.3% 3 bedrooms ◂ +4.5 pts 35.7%
30.0% 4 bedrooms +1.5 pts ▸ 31.5%
16.2% 2 bedrooms +1.2 pts ▸ 17.4%
7.7% 5 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 8.7%
3.6% 1 bedroom +1.4 pts ▸ 5.0%
0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

35.9% $350–$549 +17.3 pts ▸ 53.2%
39.4% $200–$349 ◂ +17.0 pts 22.3%
14.0% Under $200 ◂ +6.5 pts 7.5%
5.4% $550–$749 +5.6 pts ▸ 10.9%
1.5% $750 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 3.1%

Monthly mortgage distribution

28.9% $1,800–$2,999 +6.9 pts ▸ 35.8%
34.4% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +4.3 pts 30.2%
18.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +5.7 pts 12.8%
12.4% $3,000 or more +3.1 pts ▸ 15.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
5.0% 43rd pct 6.0% 58th pct
Work from home in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
14.1% 75th pct 16.7% 86th pct
PT commute in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
0.4% 18th pct 3.9% 75th pct

How people get to work

62.3% Car (driver) ◂ +5.3 pts 57.0%
14.1% Worked at home +2.6 pts ▸ 16.7%
4.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.5 pts 4.0%
3.0% Walked ◂ +0.8 pts 2.2%
0.3% Bus +1.8 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.1% Train +1.6 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.4% Bicycle +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

Motor vehicles per home

37.7% 2 vehicles +0.6 pts ▸ 38.3%
35.4% 1 vehicle +1.0 pts ▸ 36.5%
13.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.0 pts 12.4%
8.4% 4 or more ◂ +1.6 pts 6.8%
5.0% No vehicle +1.0 pts ▸ 6.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
38.5% 56th pct 47.3% 86th pct
Recent arrivals in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
12.1% 26th pct 13.8% 36th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
4.4% 33rd pct 5.4% 57th pct
Participation in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
55.3% 46th pct 64.2% 86th pct
Full-time in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
56.3% 29th pct 58.3% 48th pct

Industries people work in

16.1% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.4 pts 15.6%
10.1% Construction ◂ +0.8 pts 9.3%
9.8% Retail trade ◂ +0.4 pts 9.4%
9.3% Education & training ◂ +0.5 pts 8.8%
4.7% Professional & technical +3.5 pts ▸ 8.1%
7.7% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.5 pts 7.2%
7.1% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.2 pts 5.9%
5.7% Manufacturing even 5.7%
3.7% Transport & warehousing +1.1 pts ▸ 4.8%
4.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +3.7 pts 0.6%
4.0% Other services ◂ +0.1 pts 3.8%
3.3% Administrative & support +0.2 pts ▸ 3.5%

Occupations people work in

18.4% Professionals +5.6 pts ▸ 24.0%
15.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +2.4 pts 12.7%
13.4% Community & personal service ◂ +1.4 pts 12.0%
11.6% Clerical & administrative +1.6 pts ▸ 13.3%
13.1% Managers ◂ +0.4 pts 12.6%
11.1% Labourers ◂ +2.3 pts 8.9%
8.8% Sales workers even 8.8%
6.6% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.8 pts 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.0 higher in Major Cities of Australia
4.2 74th pct 6.2 87th pct
Types ≤15 min in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.7 more in Major Cities of Australia
4.1 73rd pct 5.8 86th pct
15-min city in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +24.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
47.2% 69th pct 72.0% 86th pct
Walk to shops in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +28.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
44.1% 51st pct 73.0% 90th pct
Walk to transit in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +18.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
67.0% 78th pct 85.3% 85th pct
Walk to school in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +21.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
50.1% 58th pct 71.9% 85th pct
Walk to a park in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +21.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
73.7% 72nd pct 95.3% 87th pct
Walk to health in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +23.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
34.8% 52nd pct 58.6% 88th pct
Amenities/1k in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.2 more in Inner Regional Australia
17.7 37th pct 13.6 9th pct
Intersections/km² in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +70 higher in Major Cities of Australia
2 61st pct 73 85th pct
Mean slope in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.3 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
6.4% 79th pct 6.1% 73rd pct

Compare Inner Regional Australia with nearby areas

Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Outer Regional Australia Remote Australia Very Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Very Remote Australia Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

Compare Major Cities of Australia with nearby areas

Inner Regional Australia Outer Regional Australia Remote Australia Outer Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Inner Regional Australia Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Very Remote Australia Inner Regional Australia

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Inner Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA11/inner-regional-australia/vs/RA30/major-cities-of-australia