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Very Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 673 km apart · Very Remote Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Very Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Very Remote Australia are two very different worlds. Major Cities of Australia is a hub of high qualifications and income, where 43% of adults hold a bachelor degree and typical weekly household income is $2,372. In contrast, Very Remote Australia is more sparsely populated with a much stronger First Nations presence, accounting for 31.9% of the population. Education levels are also much lower in Very Remote Australia, where only 31.6% of people completed Year 12, compared to 77.1% in Major Cities of Australia.

Many of these gaps have widened since 2011, such as the difference in typical weekly household income and the share of people born overseas. Despite these growing divides, some things remain similar; for instance, the typical number of people per home is almost identical at around 2.5. Both areas also sit near the national figure for unemployment, with rates of 3.8% in Major Cities of Australia and 4.5% in Very Remote Australia.

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Where they differ most

Population: 446,490 larger in Major Cities of Australia First Nations: 29.9 pts higher in Very Remote Australia Year 12: 45.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Bachelor+: 32.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Rent: $285 higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +446,490 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
6,708 36th pct 453,198 77th pct
Median age in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5 yrs older in Very Remote Australia gap widening
40 yrs 43rd pct 35 yrs 7th pct
First Nations in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +29.9 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap narrowing
31.9% 87th pct 2.0% 16th pct
Aged 65+ in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.1 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap widening
17.8% 58th pct 13.7% 36th pct
Under 15 in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.4 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap narrowing
19.6% 81st pct 18.3% 61st pct
De facto in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.9 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap steady
16.5% 85th pct 12.5% 37th pct

Age structure

24.3% Young adults (25–44) +8.0 pts ▸ 32.4%
27.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +5.1 pts 22.3%
19.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.4 pts 18.3%
17.8% Seniors (65+) ◂ +4.1 pts 13.7%
10.8% Youth (15–24) +2.5 pts ▸ 13.3%

Marital status

37.3% Married +9.5 pts ▸ 46.8%
46.1% Never married ◂ +6.9 pts 39.2%
7.6% Divorced +0.1 pts ▸ 7.7%
5.4% Widowed ◂ +1.7 pts 3.7%
3.7% Separated ◂ +1.1 pts 2.5%

Age & sex structure

Very Remote 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 Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +23.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
5.3% 0th pct 28.8% 87th pct

Country of birth

77.3% Australia ◂ +9.8 pts 67.5%
0.6% India +3.2 pts ▸ 3.8%
0.7% England +2.2 pts ▸ 2.9%
0.1% China +2.6 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.3% Nepal +0.9 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.8% New Zealand +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.2% Philippines +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.0% Vietnam +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.1% South Africa +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.0% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%

Ancestry

28.0% English +4.0 pts ▸ 32.0%
31.0% Australian +0.5 pts ▸ 31.5%
8.8% Irish +2.8 pts ▸ 11.6%
6.7% Scottish +3.3 pts ▸ 10.0%
0.7% Chinese +5.0 pts ▸ 5.7%
0.4% Indian +4.0 pts ▸ 4.5%
2.9% German +1.3 pts ▸ 4.2%
0.8% Italian +2.6 pts ▸ 3.4%
0.5% Dutch +1.2 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.2% Filipino +1.4 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.0% Vietnamese +1.3 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.3% Greek +0.9 pts ▸ 1.2%

Language

Other language in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +21.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
3.2% 2nd pct 24.6% 86th pct
Limited English in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
0.3% 15th pct 2.5% 78th pct

Language used at home

80.6% English only ◂ +9.4 pts 71.2%
0.2% Mandarin +3.0 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.1% Vietnamese +1.1 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.2% Punjabi +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Hindi +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Cantonese +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.0% Arabic +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.0% Italian +0.6 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.1% Greek +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.1% Tagalog +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

Religion

No religion in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +13.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
31.1% 22nd pct 44.2% 66th pct

Religious affiliation

49.5% Christianity ◂ +11.4 pts 38.1%
31.1% No religion +13.1 pts ▸ 44.2%
17.9% Not stated ◂ +12.3 pts 5.6%
0.7% Hinduism +3.9 pts ▸ 4.5%
0.2% Islam +3.0 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.4% Buddhism +2.4 pts ▸ 2.8%
0.3% Other religions +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.0% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +45.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
31.6% 18th pct 77.1% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +32.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
10.8% 27th pct 43.0% 100th pct

Highest year of school

31.6% Year 12 +45.5 pts ▸ 77.1%
24.4% Year 10 ◂ +13.9 pts 10.5%
17.8% Year 9 or below ◂ +13.6 pts 4.2%
7.3% Year 11 ◂ +3.7 pts 3.5%

Highest qualification level

14.6% Bachelor degree +19.4 pts ▸ 33.9%
26.9% Certificate III / IV ◂ +11.9 pts 15.0%
3.5% Postgraduate degree +16.4 pts ▸ 19.9%
11.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.9 pts ▸ 13.0%
1.8% Graduate diploma / certificate +4.6 pts ▸ 6.3%
2.8% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.5 pts 1.3%

Field of qualification

7.7% Society & culture +12.4 pts ▸ 20.1%
9.1% Management & commerce +11.0 pts ▸ 20.1%
10.2% Engineering & related ◂ +1.8 pts 8.4%
9.1% Education ◂ +2.2 pts 6.9%
8.0% Health +0.6 pts ▸ 8.7%
0.7% Information technology +6.9 pts ▸ 7.6%
6.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +4.5 pts 1.6%
1.2% Natural & physical sciences +4.5 pts ▸ 5.6%
4.6% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.3 pts 3.3%
1.3% Creative arts +3.0 pts ▸ 4.2%
3.6% Architecture & building +0.3 pts ▸ 3.9%

Income

Personal income in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$510 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$694 38th pct $1,204 86th pct
Household income in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$1,160 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,212 14th pct $2,372 89th pct
Family income in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$1,344 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,528 18th pct $2,872 99th pct
High earners in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +13.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
8.2% 43rd pct 22.1% 92nd pct
High-income homes in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +22.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
13.6% 32nd pct 36.4% 97th pct

Household income distribution

22.8% $1,500–$2,999 +9.8 pts ▸ 32.6%
27.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +10.0 pts 17.5%
23.3% Under $650 ◂ +14.7 pts 8.6%
6.7% $4,000 or more +15.2 pts ▸ 21.9%
6.9% $3,000–$3,999 +7.6 pts ▸ 14.5%

Personal income distribution

38.8% Under $650 ◂ +10.9 pts 27.9%
12.4% $1,500–$2,999 +17.4 pts ▸ 29.7%
26.6% $650–$1,499 +3.0 pts ▸ 29.7%
3.3% $3,000 or more +4.6 pts ▸ 7.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
24.2% 36th pct 28.1% 57th pct
Mental health in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
5.7% 26th pct 10.0% 67th pct
Needs assistance in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
4.2% 32nd pct 4.6% 39th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

5.7% Mental health +4.3 pts ▸ 10.0%
4.7% Other condition +5.0 pts ▸ 9.7%
7.8% Asthma +1.2 pts ▸ 9.0%
7.5% Arthritis +0.2 pts ▸ 7.7%
5.9% Diabetes ◂ +2.0 pts 3.9%
4.6% Heart disease ◂ +1.5 pts 3.1%
2.2% Cancer +0.4 pts ▸ 2.7%
1.8% Lung condition ◂ +0.4 pts 1.3%
1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%
0.5% Dementia even 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.7% None +9.3 pts ▸ 66.0%
15.9% One condition +3.9 pts ▸ 19.8%
4.6% Two conditions +1.2 pts ▸ 5.8%
3.7% Three or more ◂ +1.2 pts 2.5%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
16.8% 54th pct 18.4% 69th pct
Unpaid carers in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
9.0% 29th pct 12.0% 65th pct
Unpaid child care in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
18.9% 30th pct 28.3% 87th pct
Defence service in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
2.0% 16th pct 6.0% 94th pct
Housework 15h+ in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
17.1% 34th pct 19.3% 46th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +6,750 larger in Major Cities of Australia
2,137 45th pct 8,887 60th pct
Median age in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +7 yrs older in Very Remote Australia
31 yrs 71st pct 24 yrs 29th pct
Year 12 in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +40.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
18.4% 15th pct 58.9% 100th pct
Unemployment in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.7 pts higher in Very Remote Australia
10.9% 27th pct 7.2% 0th pct
Median income in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$532 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$471 36th pct $1,003 89th pct
Household income in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$1,322 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$967 0th pct $2,289 92nd pct
Indigenous language in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
2.8% 14th pct 7.5% 55th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Very Remote 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 Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +10.5 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap widening
22.3% 91st pct 11.9% 14th pct
Living alone in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.7 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap steady
35.5% 94th pct 25.8% 28th pct

Family composition

47.6% Couples with children +12.3 pts ▸ 59.8%
28.2% Couples without children ◂ +1.0 pts 27.2%
22.3% One-parent families ◂ +10.5 pts 11.9%
2.0% Other families ◂ +0.9 pts 1.1%

Household size

35.5% 1 person ◂ +9.7 pts 25.8%
31.3% 2 people +1.4 pts ▸ 32.7%
12.6% 3 people +4.0 pts ▸ 16.5%
10.1% 4 people +6.4 pts ▸ 16.4%
5.4% 5 people +0.6 pts ▸ 6.0%
4.9% 6 or more ◂ +2.4 pts 2.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$285 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$165 21st pct $450 100th pct
Mortgage in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$1,080 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$1,000 13th pct $2,080 92nd pct
People / bedroom in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia even gap steady
0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct
Renting in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.8 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap narrowing
34.5% 69th pct 30.7% 57th pct
Owned outright in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.3 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap widening
36.0% 58th pct 26.6% 26th pct
Separate houses in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +21.9 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap widening
85.1% 45th pct 63.2% 3rd pct
3+ bedrooms in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
68.7% 16th pct 73.0% 40th pct

How homes are owned or rented

15.7% Owned with a mortgage +24.6 pts ▸ 40.2%
36.0% Owned outright ◂ +9.3 pts 26.6%
34.5% Rented ◂ +3.8 pts 30.7%
8.3% Other tenure ◂ +6.7 pts 1.6%
5.6% Not stated ◂ +4.7 pts 0.9%

Types of homes

85.1% Separate house ◂ +21.9 pts 63.2%
1.3% Flat or apartment +18.1 pts ▸ 19.4%
3.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +13.4 pts ▸ 17.2%
4.1% Other dwelling ◂ +4.0 pts 0.1%

Bedrooms per home

36.5% 3 bedrooms +0.6 pts ▸ 37.1%
24.7% 4 bedrooms +4.1 pts ▸ 28.8%
16.6% 2 bedrooms +0.9 pts ▸ 17.5%
8.1% 1 bedroom +0.3 pts ▸ 8.4%
7.5% 5 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 7.1%
1.2% Studio / none ◂ +1.0 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

57.9% Under $200 ◂ +45.5 pts 12.5%
4.8% $350–$549 +41.0 pts ▸ 45.8%
24.7% $200–$349 ◂ +12.3 pts 12.4%
1.1% $550–$749 +20.1 pts ▸ 21.2%
0.9% $750 or more +4.1 pts ▸ 5.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

44.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +33.6 pts 11.0%
10.5% $1,800–$2,999 +28.0 pts ▸ 38.5%
25.8% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.2 pts 25.6%
9.4% $3,000 or more +11.4 pts ▸ 20.9%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.4 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap narrowing
13.9% 89th pct 5.6% 51st pct
Work from home in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +6.1 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap narrowing
17.1% 86th pct 10.9% 58th pct
PT commute in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
0.3% 14th pct 4.6% 83rd pct

How people get to work

45.5% Car (driver) +13.5 pts ▸ 59.0%
17.1% Worked at home ◂ +6.1 pts 10.9%
14.7% Walked ◂ +10.7 pts 4.0%
5.2% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.2 pts 5.0%
0.3% Bus +3.4 pts ▸ 3.6%
2.2% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 2.1%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.9% 1 vehicle +1.3 pts ▸ 39.2%
27.4% 2 vehicles +11.3 pts ▸ 38.7%
13.9% No vehicle ◂ +8.4 pts 5.6%
11.3% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.3 pts 10.9%
9.7% 4 or more ◂ +4.2 pts 5.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +20.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
25.4% 7th pct 46.1% 83rd pct
Recent arrivals in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.7 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap widening
19.5% 71st pct 16.7% 58th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.7 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap narrowing
4.5% 34th pct 3.8% 16th pct
Participation in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +19.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
50.4% 29th pct 69.6% 99th pct
Full-time in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.6 pts higher in Very Remote Australia gap steady
68.4% 86th pct 65.8% 76th pct

Industries people work in

13.1% Public administration & safety +16.7 pts ▸ 29.8%
24.4% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +24.1 pts 0.2%
13.0% Education & training ◂ +3.6 pts 9.4%
9.6% Health care & social assistance +1.9 pts ▸ 11.5%
1.5% Professional & technical +9.4 pts ▸ 10.9%
8.2% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.9 pts 6.3%
4.7% Construction +1.9 pts ▸ 6.6%
5.2% Retail trade +1.3 pts ▸ 6.5%
3.1% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.0 pts 2.1%
2.9% Administrative & support ◂ +0.3 pts 2.6%
2.4% Other services +0.4 pts ▸ 2.9%
2.6% Mining ◂ +2.6 pts 0.1%

Occupations people work in

13.6% Professionals +17.9 pts ▸ 31.5%
27.5% Managers ◂ +9.7 pts 17.9%
9.6% Clerical & administrative +5.0 pts ▸ 14.5%
14.2% Labourers ◂ +9.2 pts 5.0%
13.5% Community & personal service ◂ +2.6 pts 10.9%
9.0% Technicians & trades +0.6 pts ▸ 9.6%
6.4% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.9 pts 2.4%
3.5% Sales workers +2.6 pts ▸ 6.1%

Walkability

Walk score in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.5 higher in Major Cities of Australia
3.5 60th pct 7.0 98th pct
Types ≤15 min in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.5 more in Major Cities of Australia
4.0 72nd pct 6.5 98th pct
15-min city in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +30.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
52.0% 74th pct 82.1% 99th pct
Walk to shops in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +34.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
46.1% 60th pct 80.1% 99th pct
Walk to transit in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +69.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
28.4% 37th pct 97.7% 100th pct
Walk to school in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +34.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
50.9% 60th pct 85.5% 98th pct
Walk to a park in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +39.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
60.0% 40th pct 99.5% 100th pct
Walk to health in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +19.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
45.2% 73rd pct 64.4% 95th pct
Amenities/1k in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +27.0 more in Very Remote Australia
46.1 79th pct 19.1 43rd pct
Intersections/km² in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +171 higher in Major Cities of Australia
0 2nd pct 171 100th pct
Mean slope in Very Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
2.9% 9th pct 5.5% 61st pct

Compare Very Remote Australia with nearby areas

Remote Australia Remote Australia Outer Regional Australia Remote Australia Inner Regional Australia Outer Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Outer Regional Australia Inner Regional Australia Remote Australia Inner Regional 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). Very Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA14/very-remote-australia/vs/RA80/major-cities-of-australia