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Inner Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 132 km apart · Inner Regional Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

Inner Regional Australia and Major Cities of Australia differ sharply in age, wealth, and diversity. Residents in Inner Regional Australia are far older, with a typical age of 44 compared to 35 in Major Cities of Australia. The two areas also vary in how people live; separate houses are far more common in Inner Regional Australia, where 39.2% of homes are owned outright. In contrast, Major Cities of Australia is far more diverse, with a much higher share of people born overseas (28.8% versus 11.6%) and far more adults holding a bachelor degree or higher (43.0% versus 17.3%).

Everyday life shares some common ground, as both areas have almost the same proportion of children under 15 and similar typical home sizes. However, the gaps in income and education have generally widened since 2011. Major Cities of Australia remains very walkable with a score of 7.0, while Inner Regional Australia is only somewhat walkable at 4.2. The divide in wealth is also growing, with the typical weekly household income in Major Cities of Australia now $972 higher than in Inner Regional Australia.

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Where they differ most

Year 12: 33.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Bachelor+: 25.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Separate houses: 22.1 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia Other language: 19.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Population: 1,116,539 larger in Inner Regional Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1,116,539 larger in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
1,569,737 88th pct 453,198 77th pct
Median age in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9 yrs older in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
44 yrs 72nd pct 35 yrs 7th pct
First Nations in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.4 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
6.4% 50th pct 2.0% 16th pct
Aged 65+ in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.7 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
23.4% 85th pct 13.7% 36th pct
Under 15 in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
17.8% 53rd pct 18.3% 61st pct
De facto in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
12.3% 30th pct 12.5% 37th pct

Age structure

21.9% Young adults (25–44) +10.5 pts ▸ 32.4%
26.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.8 pts 22.3%
23.4% Seniors (65+) ◂ +9.7 pts 13.7%
17.8% Children (0–14) +0.5 pts ▸ 18.3%
10.8% Youth (15–24) +2.5 pts ▸ 13.3%

Marital status

46.3% Married +0.5 pts ▸ 46.8%
33.2% Never married +6.0 pts ▸ 39.2%
10.4% Divorced ◂ +2.7 pts 7.7%
6.4% Widowed ◂ +2.7 pts 3.7%
3.6% Separated ◂ +1.1 pts 2.5%

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 +17.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
11.6% 32nd pct 28.8% 87th pct

Country of birth

81.7% Australia ◂ +14.2 pts 67.5%
0.6% India +3.1 pts ▸ 3.8%
3.0% England even 2.9%
0.3% China +2.4 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.2% Nepal +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%
1.2% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%
0.5% Philippines +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Vietnam +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.4% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.2% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

Ancestry

41.8% English ◂ +9.8 pts 32.0%
40.8% Australian ◂ +9.2 pts 31.5%
12.4% Irish ◂ +0.8 pts 11.6%
10.8% Scottish ◂ +0.8 pts 10.0%
0.9% Chinese +4.9 pts ▸ 5.7%
0.7% Indian +3.8 pts ▸ 4.5%
4.3% German ◂ +0.1 pts 4.2%
2.4% Italian +1.0 pts ▸ 3.4%
1.4% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.7% Filipino +0.9 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.1% Vietnamese +1.2 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.5% Greek +0.7 pts ▸ 1.2%

Language

Other language in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +19.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
5.5% 28th pct 24.6% 86th pct
Limited English in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
0.7% 37th pct 2.5% 78th pct

Language used at home

87.8% English only ◂ +16.6 pts 71.2%
0.3% Mandarin +2.9 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.1% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.3% Punjabi +0.8 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Hindi +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Cantonese +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.2% Arabic +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.3% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.1% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Religion

No religion in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +6.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
37.5% 39th pct 44.2% 66th pct

Religious affiliation

51.5% Christianity ◂ +13.4 pts 38.1%
37.5% No religion +6.7 pts ▸ 44.2%
8.2% Not stated ◂ +2.6 pts 5.6%
0.7% Hinduism +3.9 pts ▸ 4.5%
0.4% Islam +2.8 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.8% Buddhism +2.0 pts ▸ 2.8%
0.8% Other religions +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.1% Judaism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +33.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
43.7% 64th pct 77.1% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +25.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
17.3% 74th pct 43.0% 100th pct

Highest year of school

43.7% Year 12 +33.3 pts ▸ 77.1%
29.3% Year 10 ◂ +18.8 pts 10.5%
11.9% Year 9 or below ◂ +7.6 pts 4.2%
6.9% Year 11 ◂ +3.4 pts 3.5%

Highest qualification level

34.5% Certificate III / IV ◂ +19.5 pts 15.0%
19.3% Bachelor degree +14.6 pts ▸ 33.9%
5.6% Postgraduate degree +14.3 pts ▸ 19.9%
14.5% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.5 pts 13.0%
3.2% Graduate diploma / certificate +3.1 pts ▸ 6.3%
2.4% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.1 pts 1.3%

Field of qualification

11.3% Society & culture +8.8 pts ▸ 20.1%
15.9% Management & commerce +4.2 pts ▸ 20.1%
14.3% Engineering & related ◂ +5.9 pts 8.4%
11.0% Health ◂ +2.3 pts 8.7%
9.1% Education ◂ +2.2 pts 6.9%
1.4% Information technology +6.1 pts ▸ 7.6%
6.5% Architecture & building ◂ +2.6 pts 3.9%
2.0% Natural & physical sciences +3.6 pts ▸ 5.6%
5.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.1 pts 3.3%
3.0% Creative arts +1.3 pts ▸ 4.2%
3.3% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.7 pts 1.6%

Income

Personal income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$494 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$710 42nd pct $1,204 86th pct
Household income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$972 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,400 37th pct $2,372 89th pct
Family income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$1,076 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
$1,796 48th pct $2,872 99th pct
High earners in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +13.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
8.7% 51st pct 22.1% 92nd pct
High-income homes in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +20.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
15.8% 50th pct 36.4% 97th pct

Household income distribution

27.4% $1,500–$2,999 +5.2 pts ▸ 32.6%
30.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +13.0 pts 17.5%
7.8% $4,000 or more +14.1 pts ▸ 21.9%
18.9% Under $650 ◂ +10.4 pts 8.6%
8.0% $3,000–$3,999 +6.4 pts ▸ 14.5%

Personal income distribution

42.6% Under $650 ◂ +14.7 pts 27.9%
31.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.1 pts 29.7%
14.3% $1,500–$2,999 +15.5 pts ▸ 29.7%
3.0% $3,000 or more +4.8 pts ▸ 7.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5.4 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
33.5% 87th pct 28.1% 57th pct
Mental health in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.4 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
10.4% 73rd pct 10.0% 67th pct
Needs assistance in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.2 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
6.8% 86th pct 4.6% 39th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.9% Arthritis ◂ +4.2 pts 7.7%
10.4% Mental health ◂ +0.4 pts 10.0%
8.5% Other condition +1.2 pts ▸ 9.7%
9.5% Asthma ◂ +0.5 pts 9.0%
5.2% Diabetes ◂ +1.4 pts 3.9%
5.1% Heart disease ◂ +2.0 pts 3.1%
3.8% Cancer ◂ +1.1 pts 2.7%
2.6% Lung condition ◂ +1.3 pts 1.3%
1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%
1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.0% None +8.9 pts ▸ 66.0%
21.5% One condition ◂ +1.7 pts 19.8%
7.6% Two conditions ◂ +1.8 pts 5.8%
4.3% Three or more ◂ +1.9 pts 2.5%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
16.2% 50th pct 18.4% 69th pct
Unpaid carers in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.2 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
13.2% 87th pct 12.0% 65th pct
Unpaid child care in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
25.1% 58th pct 28.3% 87th pct
Defence service in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
3.9% 79th pct 6.0% 94th pct
Housework 15h+ in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.4 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap narrowing
23.6% 81st pct 19.3% 46th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +91,561 larger in Inner Regional Australia
100,448 95th pct 8,887 60th pct
Median age in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1 yrs older in Major Cities of Australia
23 yrs 14th pct 24 yrs 29th pct
Year 12 in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +27.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
31.7% 56th pct 58.9% 100th pct
Unemployment in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.2 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
10.5% 24th pct 7.2% 0th pct
Median income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$433 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$570 69th pct $1,003 89th pct
Household income in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$834 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$1,455 63rd pct $2,289 92nd pct
Indigenous language in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
4.0% 29th pct 7.5% 55th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.1 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
2.4 43rd pct 2.5 67th pct
One-parent in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.7 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
15.6% 65th pct 11.9% 14th pct
Living alone in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.1 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
27.9% 46th pct 25.8% 28th pct

Family composition

51.5% Couples with children +8.4 pts ▸ 59.8%
32.0% Couples without children ◂ +4.7 pts 27.2%
15.6% One-parent families ◂ +3.7 pts 11.9%
1.0% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.1%

Household size

37.1% 2 people ◂ +4.4 pts 32.7%
27.9% 1 person ◂ +2.1 pts 25.8%
13.6% 3 people +2.9 pts ▸ 16.5%
12.4% 4 people +4.0 pts ▸ 16.4%
5.9% 5 people +0.2 pts ▸ 6.0%
3.1% 6 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 2.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$130 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$320 73rd pct $450 100th pct
Mortgage in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$380 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$1,700 71st pct $2,080 92nd 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 +5.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
25.6% 30th pct 30.7% 57th pct
Owned outright in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +12.5 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
39.2% 71st pct 26.6% 26th pct
Separate houses in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +22.1 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
85.3% 45th pct 63.2% 3rd pct
3+ bedrooms in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5.0 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap widening
78.0% 72nd pct 73.0% 40th pct

How homes are owned or rented

31.2% Owned with a mortgage +9.0 pts ▸ 40.2%
39.2% Owned outright ◂ +12.5 pts 26.6%
25.6% Rented +5.1 pts ▸ 30.7%
2.2% Other tenure ◂ +0.6 pts 1.6%
1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.9 pts 0.9%

Types of homes

85.3% Separate house ◂ +22.1 pts 63.2%
4.4% Flat or apartment +15.0 pts ▸ 19.4%
8.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +8.4 pts ▸ 17.2%
1.2% Other dwelling ◂ +1.1 pts 0.1%

Bedrooms per home

40.3% 3 bedrooms ◂ +3.1 pts 37.1%
30.0% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.2 pts 28.8%
16.2% 2 bedrooms +1.3 pts ▸ 17.5%
3.6% 1 bedroom +4.9 pts ▸ 8.4%
7.7% 5 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 7.1%
0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

35.9% $350–$549 +9.9 pts ▸ 45.8%
39.4% $200–$349 ◂ +26.9 pts 12.4%
5.4% $550–$749 +15.8 pts ▸ 21.2%
14.0% Under $200 ◂ +1.5 pts 12.5%
1.5% $750 or more +3.5 pts ▸ 5.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

28.9% $1,800–$2,999 +9.6 pts ▸ 38.5%
34.4% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +8.8 pts 25.6%
12.4% $3,000 or more +8.5 pts ▸ 20.9%
18.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +7.6 pts 11.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
5.0% 43rd pct 5.6% 51st pct
Work from home in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.1 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap steady
14.1% 75th pct 10.9% 58th pct
PT commute in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
0.4% 18th pct 4.6% 83rd pct

How people get to work

62.3% Car (driver) ◂ +3.3 pts 59.0%
14.1% Worked at home ◂ +3.1 pts 10.9%
4.5% Car (passenger) +0.5 pts ▸ 5.0%
3.0% Walked +1.0 pts ▸ 4.0%
0.3% Bus +3.4 pts ▸ 3.6%
0.4% Bicycle +1.7 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.1% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

35.4% 1 vehicle +3.8 pts ▸ 39.2%
37.7% 2 vehicles +1.0 pts ▸ 38.7%
13.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.5 pts 10.9%
8.4% 4 or more ◂ +2.8 pts 5.5%
5.0% No vehicle +0.6 pts ▸ 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +7.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
38.5% 56th pct 46.1% 83rd pct
Recent arrivals in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
12.1% 26th pct 16.7% 58th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.6 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia gap narrowing
4.4% 33rd pct 3.8% 16th pct
Participation in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +14.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
55.3% 46th pct 69.6% 99th pct
Full-time in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
56.3% 29th pct 65.8% 76th pct

Industries people work in

7.1% Public administration & safety +22.7 pts ▸ 29.8%
16.1% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.6 pts 11.5%
4.7% Professional & technical +6.3 pts ▸ 10.9%
10.1% Construction ◂ +3.5 pts 6.6%
9.8% Retail trade ◂ +3.3 pts 6.5%
9.3% Education & training +0.1 pts ▸ 9.4%
7.7% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.4 pts 6.3%
5.7% Manufacturing ◂ +4.0 pts 1.7%
4.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +4.1 pts 0.2%
4.0% Other services ◂ +1.1 pts 2.9%
3.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.5 pts 2.1%
3.3% Administrative & support ◂ +0.7 pts 2.6%

Occupations people work in

18.4% Professionals +13.0 pts ▸ 31.5%
13.1% Managers +4.8 pts ▸ 17.9%
15.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +5.5 pts 9.6%
11.6% Clerical & administrative +2.9 pts ▸ 14.5%
13.4% Community & personal service ◂ +2.5 pts 10.9%
11.1% Labourers ◂ +6.2 pts 5.0%
8.8% Sales workers ◂ +2.6 pts 6.1%
6.6% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +4.2 pts 2.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.7 higher in Major Cities of Australia
4.2 74th pct 7.0 98th pct
Types ≤15 min in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.4 more in Major Cities of Australia
4.1 73rd pct 6.5 98th pct
15-min city in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +34.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
47.2% 69th pct 82.1% 99th pct
Walk to shops in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +36.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
44.1% 51st pct 80.1% 99th pct
Walk to transit in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +30.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
67.0% 78th pct 97.7% 100th pct
Walk to school in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +35.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
50.1% 58th pct 85.5% 98th pct
Walk to a park in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +25.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
73.7% 72nd pct 99.5% 100th pct
Walk to health in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +29.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
34.8% 52nd pct 64.4% 95th pct
Amenities/1k in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.3 more in Major Cities of Australia
17.7 37th pct 19.1 43rd pct
Intersections/km² in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +169 higher in Major Cities of Australia
2 61st pct 171 100th pct
Mean slope in Inner Regional Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.9 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia
6.4% 79th pct 5.5% 61st 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 Inner Regional Australia Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia Remote Australia Outer Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Very Remote Australia Very Remote Australia Outer Regional Australia Outer 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/RA80/major-cities-of-australia