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Outer Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

Name: Outer Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 3,191 km apart · Outer Regional Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Outer Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Outer Regional Australia are very different places. Major Cities of Australia is very walkable, with 36.2% of people born overseas and a typical resident aged 37. In contrast, Outer Regional Australia is mostly car-dependent, with residents who are far older, typically 45, and a much smaller share of overseas-born residents at 8.5%. Education and income also differ sharply; 62.1% of people in Major Cities of Australia finished Year 12 and 24.3% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, while those figures are 37.2% and 12.7% in Outer Regional Australia.

Both areas are remarkably similar in the proportion of children under 15, which sits around 18% to 19%. While they share this common family profile, other gaps are widening. The difference in age and the share of people without a religion have both grown since 2011. Similarly, the gap in university qualifications has increased, with adults in Major Cities of Australia now 14 percentage points more likely to have a bachelor degree or higher.

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Where they differ most

Population: 1,709,974 larger in Major Cities of Australia Born overseas: 27.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 24.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Other language: 16.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia PT commute: 4.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +1,709,974 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

377,693 75th pct 2,087,667 89th pct

Median age in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +8 yrs older in Outer Regional Australia gap widening

45 yrs 76th pct 37 yrs 25th pct

Age structure

21.0% Young adults (25–44) +7.9 pts ▸ 28.9%

27.6% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.3 pts 24.2%

23.4% Seniors (65+) ◂ +7.7 pts 15.8%

18.0% Children (0–14) +1.0 pts ▸ 19.0%

10.0% Youth (15–24) +2.0 pts ▸ 12.1%

Marital status

47.3% Married +0.3 pts ▸ 47.6%

32.7% Never married +3.4 pts ▸ 36.1%

9.5% Divorced ◂ +0.8 pts 8.7%

6.8% Widowed ◂ +2.4 pts 4.4%

3.7% Separated ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

Age & sex structure

Outer Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

81.4% Australia ◂ +22.1 pts 59.3%

1.8% England +6.2 pts ▸ 8.0%

0.9% New Zealand +1.9 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.8% India +2.0 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.3% South Africa +1.6 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.6% Philippines +0.9 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.2% China +1.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.1% Vietnam +0.8 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.4% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

41.0% Australian ◂ +13.1 pts 27.9%

39.0% English ◂ +2.0 pts 37.0%

11.1% Irish ◂ +2.3 pts 8.8%

10.0% Scottish ◂ +1.3 pts 8.7%

3.5% Italian +2.0 pts ▸ 5.5%

0.6% Chinese +4.7 pts ▸ 5.4%

4.2% German ◂ +1.4 pts 2.8%

0.6% Indian +2.9 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.0% Dutch +1.0 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.7% Filipino +1.2 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.1% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.3% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

Language

Language used at home

85.8% English only ◂ +11.9 pts 73.9%

0.3% Mandarin +2.1 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.6% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.1% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.4% Punjabi +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.1% Cantonese +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.1% Arabic +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Tagalog +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Hindi +0.5 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Religion

Religious affiliation

55.1% Christianity ◂ +13.2 pts 41.9%

31.8% No religion +10.4 pts ▸ 42.2%

11.0% Not stated ◂ +4.5 pts 6.5%

0.4% Islam +2.6 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.5% Buddhism +2.0 pts ▸ 2.5%

0.6% Hinduism +1.8 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.6% Other religions +0.7 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.0% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

37.2% Year 12 +24.8 pts ▸ 62.1%

30.1% Year 10 ◂ +12.5 pts 17.5%

14.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +7.8 pts 6.3%

7.1% Year 11 +1.0 pts ▸ 8.1%

Highest qualification level

35.1% Certificate III / IV ◂ +9.0 pts 26.2%

16.4% Bachelor degree +11.8 pts ▸ 28.2%

12.8% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.4 pts ▸ 15.2%

3.4% Postgraduate degree +5.8 pts ▸ 9.2%

2.5% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.4 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.6% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.3 pts 2.4%

Field of qualification

13.3% Management & commerce +5.7 pts ▸ 18.9%

14.7% Engineering & related +2.1 pts ▸ 16.8%

9.2% Society & culture +2.2 pts ▸ 11.4%

9.6% Health +1.3 pts ▸ 11.0%

8.5% Education ◂ +0.6 pts 7.9%

6.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +4.9 pts 1.5%

5.3% Architecture & building ◂ +0.3 pts 4.9%

4.9% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.3 pts ▸ 5.1%

1.5% Natural & physical sciences +2.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.9% Creative arts +1.6 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.0% Information technology +1.8 pts ▸ 2.8%

Income

Personal income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$183 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$677 34th pct $860 72nd pct

Household income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$587 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$1,278 22nd pct $1,865 74th pct

Family income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$615 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$1,645 30th pct $2,260 83rd pct

Household income distribution

31.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.7 pts 23.3%

26.1% $1,500–$2,999 +3.1 pts ▸ 29.1%

21.3% Under $650 ◂ +7.0 pts 14.3%

5.8% $4,000 or more +7.7 pts ▸ 13.5%

6.9% $3,000–$3,999 +3.9 pts ▸ 10.8%

Personal income distribution

42.8% Under $650 ◂ +4.4 pts 38.4%

30.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.6 pts 29.1%

12.5% $1,500–$2,999 +7.5 pts ▸ 20.0%

2.4% $3,000 or more +3.8 pts ▸ 6.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

11.8% Arthritis ◂ +4.4 pts 7.4%

9.6% Asthma ◂ +2.3 pts 7.3%

8.8% Mental health ◂ +0.4 pts 8.4%

7.3% Other condition +0.3 pts ▸ 7.6%

5.6% Diabetes ◂ +1.2 pts 4.3%

5.1% Heart disease ◂ +1.6 pts 3.5%

3.5% Cancer ◂ +0.8 pts 2.7%

2.7% Lung condition ◂ +1.2 pts 1.5%

1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.8% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

55.7% None +10.8 pts ▸ 66.5%

20.4% One condition ◂ +2.2 pts 18.2%

7.3% Two conditions ◂ +2.1 pts 5.3%

4.3% Three or more ◂ +1.8 pts 2.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +6,842 larger in Major Cities of Australia

33,964 86th pct 40,806 87th pct

Median age in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +1 yrs older in Outer Regional Australia

24 yrs 29th pct 23 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$75 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$525 50th pct $600 75th pct

Household income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$369 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$1,284 42nd pct $1,653 78th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +0.2 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap steady

2.4 43rd pct 2.6 77th pct

Family composition

50.1% Couples with children +9.9 pts ▸ 60.0%

33.9% Couples without children ◂ +8.4 pts 25.5%

14.9% One-parent families ◂ +1.6 pts 13.4%

1.1% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

37.8% 2 people ◂ +4.9 pts 32.9%

29.7% 1 person ◂ +4.7 pts 25.0%

11.0% 4 people +5.5 pts ▸ 16.5%

12.6% 3 people +3.8 pts ▸ 16.4%

5.9% 5 people +0.5 pts ▸ 6.4%

3.0% 6 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$100 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$250 45th pct $350 79th pct

Mortgage in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$607 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$1,300 36th pct $1,907 86th pct

People / bedroom in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia even gap steady

0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

43.6% Owned outright ◂ +15.2 pts 28.4%

27.8% Owned with a mortgage +14.0 pts ▸ 41.8%

22.4% Rented +4.4 pts ▸ 26.8%

3.9% Other tenure ◂ +2.1 pts 1.7%

2.3% Not stated ◂ +1.1 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

91.3% Separate house ◂ +13.8 pts 77.5%

4.1% Townhouse / semi-detached +10.2 pts ▸ 14.3%

3.0% Flat or apartment +4.8 pts ▸ 7.7%

1.0% Other dwelling ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

43.1% 3 bedrooms ◂ +6.3 pts 36.8%

26.9% 4 bedrooms +12.2 pts ▸ 39.1%

16.1% 2 bedrooms ◂ +3.5 pts 12.7%

6.9% 5 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 6.4%

4.0% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.4 pts 3.6%

0.7% Studio / none ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

47.2% $200–$349 ◂ +13.0 pts 34.2%

16.1% $350–$549 +27.2 pts ▸ 43.3%

28.1% Under $200 ◂ +17.7 pts 10.4%

1.1% $550–$749 +5.3 pts ▸ 6.4%

0.7% $750 or more +1.8 pts ▸ 2.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

36.1% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +5.6 pts 30.5%

18.1% $1,800–$2,999 +17.4 pts ▸ 35.5%

32.1% Under $1,000 ◂ +19.4 pts 12.7%

7.2% $3,000 or more +8.7 pts ▸ 15.9%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

62.4% Car (driver) ◂ +0.3 pts 62.1%

13.7% Worked at home ◂ +6.1 pts 7.6%

4.8% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.4 pts 4.4%

4.8% Walked ◂ +3.2 pts 1.6%

0.5% Bus +2.5 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.0% Train +2.2 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.3% Bicycle +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

Motor vehicles per home

37.5% 2 vehicles +2.4 pts ▸ 39.9%

32.8% 1 vehicle +2.4 pts ▸ 35.2%

15.3% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.4 pts 12.9%

9.6% 4 or more ◂ +2.6 pts 7.0%

4.8% No vehicle +0.2 pts ▸ 5.0%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

18.1% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +17.5 pts 0.7%

11.9% Health care & social assistance +2.2 pts ▸ 14.2%

8.2% Retail trade +0.7 pts ▸ 8.9%

7.3% Construction +1.6 pts ▸ 8.8%

8.4% Education & training +0.5 pts ▸ 8.8%

3.2% Professional & technical +4.7 pts ▸ 7.8%

3.2% Mining +3.4 pts ▸ 6.6%

6.5% Accommodation & food even 6.5%

6.1% Manufacturing ◂ +0.8 pts 5.3%

5.8% Public administration & safety +0.2 pts ▸ 6.0%

3.7% Transport & warehousing +0.8 pts ▸ 4.5%

3.5% Other services +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%

Occupations people work in

13.6% Professionals +10.2 pts ▸ 23.8%

20.1% Managers ◂ +8.3 pts 11.8%

13.1% Technicians & trades +1.5 pts ▸ 14.6%

13.9% Labourers ◂ +5.2 pts 8.7%

10.1% Clerical & administrative +2.4 pts ▸ 12.5%

11.2% Community & personal service +0.8 pts ▸ 12.0%

8.6% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +1.7 pts 6.9%

7.3% Sales workers +0.7 pts ▸ 8.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2.8 higher in Major Cities of Australia

3.3 38th pct 6.1 86th pct

Types ≤15 min in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2.4 more in Major Cities of Australia

3.4 39th pct 5.8 87th pct

15-min city in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +31.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

40.9% 43rd pct 72.7% 87th pct

Walk to shops in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +32.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

36.4% 23rd pct 69.0% 85th pct

Walk to transit in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +54.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

39.5% 49th pct 94.1% 96th pct

Walk to school in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +36.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

43.4% 40th pct 80.0% 93rd pct

Walk to a park in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +39.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

56.8% 28th pct 96.1% 91st pct

Walk to health in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +23.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

31.9% 42nd pct 54.8% 83rd pct

Amenities/1k in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +5.2 more in Outer Regional Australia

20.6 50th pct 15.4 27th pct

Intersections/km² in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +104 higher in Major Cities of Australia

0 34th pct 104 91st pct

Mean slope in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +0.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

6.0% 71st pct 6.1% 73rd pct

Compare Outer Regional Australia with nearby areas

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

Compare Major Cities of Australia with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Outer Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA12/outer-regional-australia/vs/RA50/major-cities-of-australia