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Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 3,298 km apart · Remote Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Remote Australia are far apart in every sense, from their geography to their demographics. Major Cities of Australia is very walkable, with 94.1% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport, while Remote Australia is car-dependent and has no homes within that distance. There are also stark differences in backgrounds and education: 36.2% of people in Major Cities of Australia were born overseas compared to 10.6% in Remote Australia, and 62.1% of residents in Major Cities of Australia finished Year 12 compared to 41.7% in Remote Australia. In contrast, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is far higher in Remote Australia at 17.2%, while it is just 2.0% in Major Cities of Australia.

The gap in education is widening, with the difference in Year 12 completion rates increasing since 2011. However, some aspects of life remain similar across these distant areas, such as a typical resident age of 37 and nearly identical rates of people who served in the Defence Force. While typical weekly rents are far higher in Major Cities of Australia at $350 compared to $200 in Remote Australia, this particular gap has narrowed over time.

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Where they differ most

Population: 2,016,316 larger in Major Cities of Australia Born overseas: 25.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 20.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Rent: $150 higher in Major Cities of Australia 3+ bedrooms: 12.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2,016,316 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
71,351 59th pct 2,087,667 89th pct
Median age in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia even gap narrowing
37 yrs 25th pct 37 yrs 25th pct
First Nations in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +15.2 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
17.2% 76th pct 2.0% 16th pct
Aged 65+ in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
14.8% 42nd pct 15.8% 47th pct
Under 15 in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.2 pts higher in Remote Australia gap narrowing
20.2% 86th pct 19.0% 75th pct
De facto in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.9 pts higher in Remote Australia gap steady
16.4% 84th pct 11.5% 21st pct

Age structure

27.2% Young adults (25–44) +1.7 pts ▸ 28.9%
26.4% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.1 pts 24.2%
20.2% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.2 pts 19.0%
14.8% Seniors (65+) +0.9 pts ▸ 15.8%
11.4% Youth (15–24) +0.7 pts ▸ 12.1%

Marital status

41.9% Married +5.7 pts ▸ 47.6%
41.6% Never married ◂ +5.5 pts 36.1%
8.6% Divorced +0.1 pts ▸ 8.7%
4.3% Widowed +0.1 pts ▸ 4.4%
3.6% Separated ◂ +0.4 pts 3.2%

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 +25.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
10.6% 26th pct 36.2% 100th pct

Country of birth

76.7% Australia ◂ +17.4 pts 59.3%
1.4% England +6.6 pts ▸ 8.0%
2.3% New Zealand +0.5 pts ▸ 2.8%
0.3% India +2.4 pts ▸ 2.8%
0.6% South Africa +1.3 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.2% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.2% China +1.1 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.1% Vietnam +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.2% Italy +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

31.8% English +5.2 pts ▸ 37.0%
35.3% Australian ◂ +7.4 pts 27.9%
9.4% Irish ◂ +0.6 pts 8.8%
8.2% Scottish +0.5 pts ▸ 8.7%
3.1% Italian +2.4 pts ▸ 5.5%
0.9% Chinese +4.5 pts ▸ 5.4%
4.9% German ◂ +2.1 pts 2.8%
0.4% Indian +3.1 pts ▸ 3.5%
1.0% Dutch +1.0 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.6% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.1% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.2% Greek +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%

Language

Other language in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +13.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
7.9% 44th pct 21.1% 82nd pct
Limited English in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
0.6% 28th pct 2.7% 80th pct

Language used at home

79.6% English only ◂ +5.7 pts 73.9%
0.2% Mandarin +2.2 pts ▸ 2.4%
0.3% Italian +0.8 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.1% Punjabi +0.8 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.1% Cantonese +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.0% Arabic +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.4% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.1% Hindi +0.5 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Religion

No religion in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
33.4% 30th pct 42.2% 56th pct

Religious affiliation

51.0% Christianity ◂ +9.1 pts 41.9%
33.4% No religion +8.8 pts ▸ 42.2%
14.2% Not stated ◂ +7.7 pts 6.5%
0.2% Islam +2.8 pts ▸ 3.0%
0.5% Buddhism +2.0 pts ▸ 2.5%
0.3% Hinduism +2.1 pts ▸ 2.4%
0.3% Other religions +0.9 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.0% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +20.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
41.7% 56th pct 62.1% 91st pct
Bachelor+ in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +15.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
11.3% 32nd pct 26.7% 87th pct

Highest year of school

41.7% Year 12 +20.4 pts ▸ 62.1%
24.9% Year 10 ◂ +7.4 pts 17.5%
11.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +4.8 pts 6.3%
7.3% Year 11 +0.8 pts ▸ 8.1%

Highest qualification level

35.3% Certificate III / IV ◂ +9.2 pts 26.2%
15.0% Bachelor degree +13.2 pts ▸ 28.2%
10.9% Advanced diploma / diploma +4.3 pts ▸ 15.2%
2.8% Postgraduate degree +6.4 pts ▸ 9.2%
2.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.9 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.7% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.3 pts 2.4%

Field of qualification

10.9% Management & commerce +8.0 pts ▸ 18.9%
18.7% Engineering & related ◂ +1.9 pts 16.8%
7.0% Society & culture +4.4 pts ▸ 11.4%
8.1% Health +2.9 pts ▸ 11.0%
7.5% Education +0.4 pts ▸ 7.9%
5.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.2 pts 5.1%
4.5% Architecture & building +0.4 pts ▸ 4.9%
4.6% Agriculture & environment ◂ +3.2 pts 1.5%
1.4% Natural & physical sciences +2.4 pts ▸ 3.8%
1.3% Creative arts +2.2 pts ▸ 3.5%
0.7% Information technology +2.1 pts ▸ 2.8%

Income

Personal income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$34 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$826 67th pct $860 72nd pct
Household income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$276 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,589 60th pct $1,865 74th pct
Family income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$279 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
$1,981 71st pct $2,260 83rd pct
High earners in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
12.5% 73rd pct 15.2% 81st pct
High-income homes in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
18.8% 70th pct 24.3% 83rd pct

Household income distribution

27.1% $1,500–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 29.1%
24.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.2 pts 23.3%
17.8% Under $650 ◂ +3.5 pts 14.3%
9.6% $4,000 or more +3.9 pts ▸ 13.5%
9.2% $3,000–$3,999 +1.6 pts ▸ 10.8%

Personal income distribution

35.0% Under $650 +3.4 pts ▸ 38.4%
27.2% $650–$1,499 +1.9 pts ▸ 29.1%
18.0% $1,500–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 20.0%
4.3% $3,000 or more +1.9 pts ▸ 6.2%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
23.0% 31st pct 26.0% 43rd pct
Mental health in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
5.8% 27th pct 8.4% 44th pct
Needs assistance in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
3.9% 28th pct 4.6% 40th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

5.8% Mental health +2.6 pts ▸ 8.4%
5.4% Other condition +2.2 pts ▸ 7.6%
6.6% Arthritis +0.8 pts ▸ 7.4%
6.9% Asthma +0.4 pts ▸ 7.3%
4.8% Diabetes ◂ +0.4 pts 4.3%
3.7% Heart disease ◂ +0.2 pts 3.5%
2.3% Cancer +0.4 pts ▸ 2.7%
1.8% Lung condition ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%
0.8% Stroke even 0.8%
0.5% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.9% None +4.6 pts ▸ 66.5%
15.7% One condition +2.6 pts ▸ 18.2%
4.8% Two conditions +0.4 pts ▸ 5.3%
2.5% Three or more even 2.5%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.5 pts higher in Remote Australia gap narrowing
17.7% 61st pct 15.1% 44th pct
Unpaid carers in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
8.9% 27th pct 10.9% 45th pct
Unpaid child care in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
24.4% 52nd pct 29.2% 89th pct
Defence service in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia even
2.8% 36th pct 2.8% 36th pct
Housework 15h+ in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
19.3% 46th pct 19.7% 52nd pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +28,554 larger in Major Cities of Australia
12,252 67th pct 40,806 87th pct
Median age in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2 yrs older in Remote Australia
25 yrs 43rd pct 23 yrs 14th pct
Year 12 in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
31.2% 54th pct 40.6% 85th pct
Unemployment in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.6 pts higher in Remote Australia
15.8% 59th pct 15.1% 55th pct
Median income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$140 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$460 33rd pct $600 75th pct
Household income in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$437 higher in Major Cities of Australia
$1,216 32nd pct $1,653 78th pct
Indigenous language in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.2 pts higher in Remote Australia
17.5% 75th pct 8.3% 59th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.1 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
2.5 67th pct 2.6 77th pct
One-parent in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.1 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
16.4% 73rd pct 13.4% 27th pct
Living alone in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.2 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
29.2% 58th pct 25.0% 23rd pct

Family composition

53.6% Couples with children +6.4 pts ▸ 60.0%
28.6% Couples without children ◂ +3.1 pts 25.5%
16.4% One-parent families ◂ +3.1 pts 13.4%
1.4% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 1.2%

Household size

34.4% 2 people ◂ +1.5 pts 32.9%
29.2% 1 person ◂ +4.2 pts 25.0%
12.1% 4 people +4.3 pts ▸ 16.5%
13.0% 3 people +3.4 pts ▸ 16.4%
6.7% 5 people ◂ +0.3 pts 6.4%
4.6% 6 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$150 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
$200 30th pct $350 79th pct
Mortgage in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +$607 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
$1,300 36th pct $1,907 86th pct
People / bedroom in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +0.10 higher in Remote Australia gap steady
0.90 71st pct 0.80 43rd pct
Renting in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.2 pts higher in Remote Australia gap narrowing
36.0% 72nd pct 26.8% 43rd pct
Owned outright in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.5 pts higher in Remote Australia gap steady
30.9% 42nd pct 28.4% 30th pct
Separate houses in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.1 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
85.7% 47th pct 77.5% 24th pct
3+ bedrooms in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +12.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
70.3% 27th pct 82.4% 95th pct

How homes are owned or rented

22.1% Owned with a mortgage +19.7 pts ▸ 41.8%
36.0% Rented ◂ +9.2 pts 26.8%
30.9% Owned outright ◂ +2.5 pts 28.4%
7.5% Other tenure ◂ +5.7 pts 1.7%
3.6% Not stated ◂ +2.4 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

85.7% Separate house ◂ +8.1 pts 77.5%
6.5% Townhouse / semi-detached +7.8 pts ▸ 14.3%
3.1% Flat or apartment +4.7 pts ▸ 7.7%
3.3% Other dwelling ◂ +2.9 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

42.3% 3 bedrooms ◂ +5.5 pts 36.8%
21.5% 4 bedrooms +17.6 pts ▸ 39.1%
17.4% 2 bedrooms ◂ +4.8 pts 12.7%
7.3% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.7 pts 3.6%
6.4% 5 or more even 6.4%
1.5% Studio / none ◂ +1.3 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

45.3% Under $200 ◂ +34.9 pts 10.4%
14.9% $350–$549 +28.4 pts ▸ 43.3%
28.6% $200–$349 +5.6 pts ▸ 34.2%
2.1% $550–$749 +4.2 pts ▸ 6.4%
0.5% $750 or more +2.1 pts ▸ 2.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

20.2% $1,800–$2,999 +15.3 pts ▸ 35.5%
34.3% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +3.8 pts 30.5%
29.0% Under $1,000 ◂ +16.4 pts 12.7%
8.2% $3,000 or more +7.7 pts ▸ 15.9%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +2.0 pts higher in Remote Australia gap steady
7.0% 69th pct 5.0% 43rd pct
Work from home in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.4 pts higher in Remote Australia gap narrowing
11.9% 64th pct 7.6% 28th pct
PT commute in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing
1.9% 52nd pct 5.2% 87th pct

How people get to work

55.1% Car (driver) +7.0 pts ▸ 62.1%
11.9% Worked at home ◂ +4.4 pts 7.6%
9.4% Walked ◂ +7.8 pts 1.6%
5.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.1 pts 4.4%
1.8% Bus +1.2 pts ▸ 3.0%
0.0% Train +2.2 pts ▸ 2.2%
0.5% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

Motor vehicles per home

35.8% 2 vehicles +4.1 pts ▸ 39.9%
33.1% 1 vehicle +2.1 pts ▸ 35.2%
14.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.6 pts 12.9%
9.6% 4 or more ◂ +2.6 pts 7.0%
7.0% No vehicle ◂ +2.0 pts 5.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady
35.3% 43rd pct 39.4% 62nd pct
Recent arrivals in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +9.0 pts higher in Remote Australia gap widening
19.6% 72nd pct 10.6% 16th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
4.1% 27th pct 5.3% 54th pct
Participation in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +5.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening
59.9% 72nd pct 65.3% 88th pct
Full-time in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +8.4 pts higher in Remote Australia gap steady
68.3% 85th pct 60.0% 57th pct

Industries people work in

18.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +17.6 pts 0.7%
16.2% Mining ◂ +9.7 pts 6.6%
9.1% Health care & social assistance +5.0 pts ▸ 14.2%
5.9% Retail trade +3.0 pts ▸ 8.9%
5.6% Construction +3.2 pts ▸ 8.8%
7.5% Education & training +1.3 pts ▸ 8.8%
8.6% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.1 pts 6.5%
1.7% Professional & technical +6.1 pts ▸ 7.8%
5.7% Public administration & safety +0.3 pts ▸ 6.0%
3.0% Manufacturing +2.3 pts ▸ 5.3%
3.5% Transport & warehousing +1.0 pts ▸ 4.5%
3.0% Other services +0.9 pts ▸ 3.9%

Occupations people work in

12.3% Professionals +11.5 pts ▸ 23.8%
19.0% Managers ◂ +7.2 pts 11.8%
15.0% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.4 pts 14.6%
13.9% Labourers ◂ +5.2 pts 8.7%
12.8% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +5.8 pts 6.9%
9.6% Clerical & administrative +2.9 pts ▸ 12.5%
9.6% Community & personal service +2.4 pts ▸ 12.0%
5.4% Sales workers +2.5 pts ▸ 8.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +4.1 higher in Major Cities of Australia
2.0 11th pct 6.1 86th pct
Types ≤15 min in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +3.5 more in Major Cities of Australia
2.3 12th pct 5.8 87th pct
15-min city in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +48.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
24.2% 12th pct 72.7% 87th pct
Walk to shops in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +43.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
25.5% 11th pct 69.0% 85th pct
Walk to transit in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +94.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
0.0% 0th pct 94.1% 96th pct
Walk to school in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +41.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
38.2% 28th pct 80.0% 93rd pct
Walk to a park in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +46.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
50.1% 14th pct 96.1% 91st pct
Walk to health in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +32.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
22.3% 15th pct 54.8% 83rd pct
Amenities/1k in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +7.0 more in Remote Australia
22.4 57th pct 15.4 27th pct
Intersections/km² in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +104 higher in Major Cities of Australia
0 17th pct 104 91st pct
Mean slope in Remote Australiain Major Cities of Australia +1.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia
5.0% 48th pct 6.1% 73rd pct

Compare Remote Australia with nearby areas

Outer Regional Australia Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia Outer Regional Australia Very Remote Australia Remote Australia Very Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of 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). Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA33/remote-australia/vs/RA50/major-cities-of-australia