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Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 267 km apart · Remote Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Remote Australia are vastly different in scale and makeup. Major Cities of Australia is much more diverse, with 28.0% of people born overseas and 21.9% using another language at home, compared to just 7.3% and 3.0% in Remote Australia. Education and income levels are also far higher in Major Cities of Australia, where 26.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree and 18.1% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly. In contrast, Remote Australia has a much older population, with a typical age of 55 and 30.7% of residents aged 65 and over.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the share of people who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. While they share similar unemployment rates and proportions of people needing daily help, other gaps have widened since 2011. This includes the difference in home ownership, with homes owned outright being far higher in Remote Australia, and the gap in typical weekly rents, which is now $200 higher in Major Cities of Australia.

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Where they differ most

Population: 1,340,895 larger in Major Cities of Australia Median age: 16 yrs older in Remote Australia Rent: $200 higher in Major Cities of Australia Mortgage: $910 higher in Major Cities of Australia Owned outright: 31.0 pts higher in Remote Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1,340,895 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
3,305 29th pct 1,344,200 87th pct
Median age in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +16 yrs older in Remote Australia gap widening
55 yrs 98th pct 39 yrs 38th pct
First Nations in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
1.6% 13th pct 1.7% 14th pct
Aged 65+ in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +12.0 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
30.7% 100th pct 18.6% 64th pct
Under 15 in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
14.6% 28th pct 17.1% 45th pct
De facto in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
9.8% 5th pct 10.8% 14th pct

Age structure

30.7% Seniors (65+) ◂ +12.0 pts 18.6%
30.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +5.6 pts 24.6%
18.2% Young adults (25–44) +9.3 pts ▸ 27.5%
14.6% Children (0–14) +2.5 pts ▸ 17.1%
6.4% Youth (15–24) +5.8 pts ▸ 12.2%

Marital status

51.7% Married ◂ +6.2 pts 45.4%
26.2% Never married +10.4 pts ▸ 36.6%
10.6% Divorced ◂ +1.3 pts 9.4%
7.7% Widowed ◂ +2.2 pts 5.5%
3.8% Separated ◂ +0.7 pts 3.1%

Age & sex structure

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 Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +20.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
7.3% 10th pct 28.0% 86th pct

Country of birth

83.4% Australia ◂ +15.1 pts 68.3%
1.9% England +3.7 pts ▸ 5.6%
0.5% India +2.7 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.0% China +1.8 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.0% Vietnam +1.2 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.1% Italy +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.3% Philippines +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.9% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%
0.1% Nepal +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.2% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Ancestry

42.2% English ◂ +5.7 pts 36.5%
42.1% Australian ◂ +12.2 pts 29.9%
11.5% German ◂ +4.9 pts 6.6%
10.9% Scottish ◂ +2.8 pts 8.1%
10.7% Irish ◂ +3.0 pts 7.6%
1.3% Italian +5.6 pts ▸ 6.9%
0.6% Chinese +3.6 pts ▸ 4.2%
0.5% Indian +2.6 pts ▸ 3.1%
0.5% Greek +2.3 pts ▸ 2.8%
0.0% Vietnamese +1.6 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.1% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.6% Filipino +0.7 pts ▸ 1.3%

Language

Other language in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +18.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
3.0% 0th pct 21.9% 83rd pct
Limited English in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
0.4% 19th pct 3.3% 86th pct

Language used at home

88.7% English only ◂ +14.4 pts 74.3%
0.1% Mandarin +2.2 pts ▸ 2.3%
0.1% Italian +1.5 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.1% Vietnamese +1.5 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.1% Greek +1.4 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.0% Punjabi +1.4 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.1% Arabic +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.0% Cantonese +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.0% Hindi +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.2% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Religion

No religion in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
40.2% 48th pct 44.9% 69th pct

Religious affiliation

48.1% Christianity ◂ +8.2 pts 39.9%
40.2% No religion +4.7 pts ▸ 44.9%
10.4% Not stated ◂ +4.9 pts 5.5%
0.2% Islam +2.7 pts ▸ 2.9%
0.2% Hinduism +2.5 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.4% Buddhism +1.9 pts ▸ 2.3%
0.5% Other religions +1.3 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +25.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
34.4% 29th pct 59.4% 87th pct
Bachelor+ in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +16.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
9.7% 14th pct 26.1% 86th pct

Highest year of school

34.4% Year 12 +25.0 pts ▸ 59.4%
21.0% Year 10 ◂ +8.3 pts 12.7%
17.8% Year 11 ◂ +3.2 pts 14.7%
17.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +8.4 pts 8.6%

Highest qualification level

37.5% Certificate III / IV ◂ +10.5 pts 27.1%
14.8% Bachelor degree +13.7 pts ▸ 28.5%
13.9% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.9 pts ▸ 14.8%
2.4% Postgraduate degree +7.9 pts ▸ 10.3%
2.2% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.9 pts ▸ 4.1%
2.6% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 2.1%

Field of qualification

7.3% Management & commerce +12.0 pts ▸ 19.3%
12.5% Engineering & related +1.5 pts ▸ 14.0%
9.8% Society & culture +3.9 pts ▸ 13.7%
11.0% Health +1.5 pts ▸ 12.6%
10.7% Agriculture & environment ◂ +9.1 pts 1.6%
10.3% Education ◂ +2.3 pts 8.0%
6.8% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.8 pts 5.0%
3.5% Architecture & building +1.3 pts ▸ 4.8%
2.3% Creative arts +1.3 pts ▸ 3.6%
1.4% Natural & physical sciences +1.9 pts ▸ 3.4%
0.7% Information technology +2.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

Income

Personal income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$163 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$597 24th pct $760 56th pct
Household income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$489 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,050 1st pct $1,539 58th pct
Family income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$554 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,429 11th pct $1,983 71st pct
High earners in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
5.3% 18th pct 9.8% 61st pct
High-income homes in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +10.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
7.9% 0th pct 18.1% 66th pct

Household income distribution

33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.8 pts 28.7%
23.5% $1,500–$2,999 +6.2 pts ▸ 29.8%
26.3% Under $650 ◂ +9.0 pts 17.3%
4.1% $3,000–$3,999 +5.0 pts ▸ 9.2%
3.8% $4,000 or more +5.2 pts ▸ 8.9%

Personal income distribution

47.6% Under $650 ◂ +5.5 pts 42.1%
28.5% $650–$1,499 +4.6 pts ▸ 33.1%
11.1% $1,500–$2,999 +5.3 pts ▸ 16.4%
2.0% $3,000 or more +1.5 pts ▸ 3.5%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5.9 pts higher in Remote Australia
36.0% 100th pct 30.2% 66th pct
Mental health in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.6 pts higher in Remote Australia
10.4% 72nd pct 9.8% 65th pct
Needs assistance in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.5 pts higher in Remote Australia gap steady
7.1% 90th pct 6.6% 82nd pct

Long-term health conditions reported

14.0% Arthritis ◂ +4.5 pts 9.5%
10.4% Mental health ◂ +0.6 pts 9.8%
10.2% Asthma ◂ +1.4 pts 8.7%
8.0% Other condition +0.9 pts ▸ 9.0%
6.1% Diabetes ◂ +0.7 pts 5.5%
5.7% Heart disease ◂ +1.3 pts 4.4%
4.3% Cancer ◂ +1.3 pts 3.1%
3.5% Lung condition ◂ +1.7 pts 1.8%
1.6% Stroke ◂ +0.6 pts 1.0%
0.6% Dementia +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

52.9% None +10.7 pts ▸ 63.7%
22.7% One condition ◂ +2.7 pts 20.0%
8.3% Two conditions ◂ +1.7 pts 6.6%
5.1% Three or more ◂ +1.5 pts 3.6%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +18.2 pts higher in Remote Australia gap narrowing
33.5% 100th pct 15.3% 45th pct
Unpaid carers in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.2 pts higher in Remote Australia gap steady
15.3% 100th pct 13.1% 86th pct
Unpaid child care in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
18.4% 28th pct 27.1% 82nd pct
Defence service in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.5 pts higher in Remote Australia
3.7% 74th pct 3.1% 47th pct
Housework 15h+ in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.2 pts higher in Remote Australia gap narrowing
28.6% 100th pct 20.5% 59th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +23,218 larger in Major Cities of Australia
54 18th pct 23,272 78th pct
Median age in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +26 yrs older in Remote Australia
49 yrs 96th pct 23 yrs 14th pct
Year 12 in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.3 pts higher in Remote Australia
42.1% 87th pct 41.8% 87th pct
Unemployment in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +7.4 pts higher in Remote Australia
21.7% 73rd pct 14.3% 49th pct
Median income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$84 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$466 35th pct $550 59th pct
Household income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$403 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$966 0th pct $1,369 53rd pct
Indigenous language in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
5.6% 43rd pct 8.4% 59th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.3 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
2.1 11th pct 2.4 43rd pct
One-parent in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
10.5% 4th pct 15.2% 58th pct
Living alone in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.4 pts higher in Remote Australia gap steady
36.4% 97th pct 28.0% 47th pct

Family composition

43.7% Couples with children +12.9 pts ▸ 56.6%
45.0% Couples without children ◂ +18.1 pts 26.9%
10.5% One-parent families +4.6 pts ▸ 15.2%
1.0% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

41.6% 2 people ◂ +8.2 pts 33.4%
36.4% 1 person ◂ +8.4 pts 28.0%
9.2% 3 people +6.7 pts ▸ 15.9%
6.4% 4 people +8.4 pts ▸ 14.9%
4.8% 5 people +0.6 pts ▸ 5.4%
1.7% 6 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 2.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$200 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$120 9th pct $320 73rd pct
Mortgage in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$910 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$650 0th pct $1,560 60th pct
People / bedroom in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.10 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
0.70 0th pct 0.80 43rd pct
Renting in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +15.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
13.6% 0th pct 28.9% 51st pct
Owned outright in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +31.0 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
61.7% 100th pct 30.7% 41st pct
Separate houses in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +21.6 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
96.0% 94th pct 74.4% 20th pct
3+ bedrooms in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
75.7% 56th pct 76.3% 60th pct

How homes are owned or rented

61.7% Owned outright ◂ +31.0 pts 30.7%
16.4% Owned with a mortgage +20.4 pts ▸ 36.8%
13.6% Rented +15.4 pts ▸ 28.9%
6.3% Other tenure ◂ +3.8 pts 2.4%
2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.9 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

96.0% Separate house ◂ +21.6 pts 74.4%
1.6% Townhouse / semi-detached +15.1 pts ▸ 16.8%
0.5% Flat or apartment +7.9 pts ▸ 8.4%
1.4% Other dwelling ◂ +1.1 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

50.9% 3 bedrooms +0.6 pts ▸ 51.5%
22.2% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.4 pts 20.8%
17.0% 2 bedrooms +2.0 pts ▸ 19.0%
4.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.2 pts 3.4%
2.6% 5 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 4.0%
0.9% Studio / none ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

65.3% Under $200 ◂ +48.6 pts 16.6%
14.2% $200–$349 +27.2 pts ▸ 41.4%
0.0% $350–$549 +34.3 pts ▸ 34.3%
0.0% $550–$749 +3.5 pts ▸ 3.5%
0.0% $750 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 1.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

67.0% Under $1,000 ◂ +47.7 pts 19.3%
16.1% $1,000–$1,799 +23.4 pts ▸ 39.5%
3.5% $1,800–$2,999 +22.9 pts ▸ 26.4%
1.3% $3,000 or more +8.7 pts ▸ 10.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
4.1% 13th pct 7.8% 74th pct
Work from home in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.5 pts higher in Remote Australia gap narrowing
19.1% 89th pct 9.7% 49th pct
PT commute in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
0.2% 12th pct 5.0% 86th pct

How people get to work

54.5% Car (driver) +8.7 pts ▸ 63.3%
19.1% Worked at home ◂ +9.5 pts 9.7%
10.0% Walked ◂ +8.1 pts 1.9%
2.7% Car (passenger) +1.5 pts ▸ 4.3%
0.2% Bus +3.6 pts ▸ 3.9%
0.3% Bicycle +0.7 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.0% Train +0.8 pts ▸ 0.8%

Motor vehicles per home

29.3% 1 vehicle +8.3 pts ▸ 37.6%
35.6% 2 vehicles +1.2 pts ▸ 36.8%
18.4% 3 vehicles ◂ +6.8 pts 11.6%
12.6% 4 or more ◂ +6.4 pts 6.2%
4.1% No vehicle +3.7 pts ▸ 7.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +14.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
24.0% 2nd pct 38.3% 56th pct
Recent arrivals in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +10.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
5.0% 1st pct 15.8% 51st pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
5.2% 51st pct 5.6% 60th pct
Participation in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +11.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
50.5% 29th pct 61.6% 77th pct
Full-time in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
56.7% 35th pct 57.5% 43rd pct

Industries people work in

41.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +40.3 pts 1.0%
12.8% Health care & social assistance +4.4 pts ▸ 17.2%
4.5% Retail trade +5.2 pts ▸ 9.7%
8.4% Education & training +0.7 pts ▸ 9.1%
3.4% Construction +4.9 pts ▸ 8.3%
4.8% Public administration & safety +2.3 pts ▸ 7.2%
1.6% Professional & technical +5.6 pts ▸ 7.1%
2.0% Manufacturing +4.7 pts ▸ 6.7%
4.2% Accommodation & food +2.4 pts ▸ 6.6%
4.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.5 pts 4.1%
1.9% Other services +2.1 pts ▸ 4.0%
1.4% Administrative & support +2.4 pts ▸ 3.8%

Occupations people work in

35.6% Managers ◂ +23.6 pts 12.0%
11.8% Professionals +12.0 pts ▸ 23.8%
13.3% Labourers ◂ +4.0 pts 9.3%
9.8% Community & personal service +3.5 pts ▸ 13.2%
8.2% Clerical & administrative +5.0 pts ▸ 13.2%
6.3% Technicians & trades +6.5 pts ▸ 12.8%
8.7% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.2 pts 5.5%
4.1% Sales workers +4.5 pts ▸ 8.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.3 higher in Major Cities of Australia
3.4 58th pct 6.7 95th pct
Types ≤15 min in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.7 more in Major Cities of Australia
3.7 58th pct 6.4 97th pct
15-min city in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +34.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
48.2% 71st pct 82.2% 99th pct
Walk to shops in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +35.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
43.0% 43rd pct 78.3% 97th pct
Walk to transit in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +50.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
43.5% 57th pct 94.3% 97th pct
Walk to school in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +38.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
44.7% 43rd pct 83.2% 96th pct
Walk to a park in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +44.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
53.6% 21st pct 97.7% 96th pct
Walk to health in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +24.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
40.1% 64th pct 64.5% 95th pct
Amenities/1k in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +99.2 more in Remote Australia
113.8 100th pct 14.5 18th pct
Intersections/km² in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +110 higher in Major Cities of Australia
0 32nd pct 110 92nd pct
Mean slope in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.2 pts higher in Remote Australia
5.9% 68th pct 4.6% 41st pct

Compare Remote Australia with nearby areas

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

Compare Major Cities of Australia with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA23/remote-australia/vs/RA40/major-cities-of-australia