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Major Cities of Australia vs Inner Regional Australia

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

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 2,086 km apart · Major Cities of Australia profile · Inner Regional Australia profile

Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Inner Regional Australia are very different in how people live and learn. Major Cities of Australia is far more walkable (very walkable) compared to Inner Regional Australia (mostly car-dependent), with a much higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries (78.3% vs 34.6%) and health services (64.5% vs 23.9%). Education levels are also much higher in Major Cities of Australia, where 26.1% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher and 59.4% finished Year 12, compared to 14.2% and 44.8% in Inner Regional Australia. Housing differs too, with detached houses being far more common in Inner Regional Australia at 90.6%, compared to 74.4% in Major Cities of Australia.

Everyday life shares several similarities, as both areas have very similar typical household incomes (around $1,530 a week) and typical weekly rents (about $310 to $320). However, some gaps are widening over time. Since 2011, the difference in the share of people born overseas has grown, and Major Cities of Australia is now well higher (+8.3 pts gap). The gap in education and the use of languages other than English at home have also increased over the last decade.

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Where they differ most

Population: 1,112,750 larger in Major Cities of Australia No car: 4.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Separate houses: 16.3 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia Other language: 15.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 14.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +1,112,750 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

1,344,200 87th pct 231,450 72nd pct

Median age in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +4 yrs older in Inner Regional Australia gap widening

39 yrs 38th pct 43 yrs 68th pct

Age structure

24.6% Older adults (45–64) +3.2 pts ▸ 27.8%

27.5% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.1 pts 23.4%

18.6% Seniors (65+) +1.2 pts ▸ 19.8%

17.1% Children (0–14) +1.5 pts ▸ 18.6%

12.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.8 pts 10.4%

Marital status

45.4% Married +3.7 pts ▸ 49.2%

36.6% Never married ◂ +4.4 pts 32.2%

9.4% Divorced +0.6 pts ▸ 10.0%

5.5% Widowed ◂ +0.6 pts 4.9%

3.1% Separated +0.6 pts ▸ 3.7%

Age & sex structure

Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

68.3% Australia +5.0 pts ▸ 73.4%

5.6% England +1.3 pts ▸ 7.0%

3.2% India ◂ +2.7 pts 0.4%

0.7% New Zealand +2.0 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.8% China ◂ +1.7 pts 0.2%

0.5% South Africa +0.8 pts ▸ 1.3%

1.2% Vietnam ◂ +1.1 pts 0.2%

1.2% Italy ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%

0.9% Philippines even 0.9%

0.5% Nepal ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

36.5% English +8.9 pts ▸ 45.5%

29.9% Australian +8.5 pts ▸ 38.4%

8.1% Scottish +1.8 pts ▸ 9.9%

7.6% Irish +1.8 pts ▸ 9.4%

6.9% Italian ◂ +1.9 pts 5.0%

6.6% German ◂ +3.1 pts 3.5%

4.2% Chinese ◂ +3.4 pts 0.8%

3.1% Indian ◂ +2.5 pts 0.6%

2.8% Greek ◂ +2.4 pts 0.3%

1.6% Dutch +0.6 pts ▸ 2.2%

1.6% Vietnamese ◂ +1.5 pts 0.2%

1.3% Filipino ◂ +0.2 pts 1.1%

Language

Language used at home

74.3% English only +11.6 pts ▸ 85.9%

2.3% Mandarin ◂ +1.9 pts 0.4%

1.7% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%

1.6% Vietnamese ◂ +1.4 pts 0.1%

1.5% Greek ◂ +1.5 pts 0.1%

1.4% Punjabi ◂ +1.3 pts 0.1%

0.8% Arabic ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

0.7% Cantonese ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

0.7% Hindi ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

0.4% Tagalog even 0.4%

Religion

Religious affiliation

44.9% No religion +3.6 pts ▸ 48.5%

39.9% Christianity ◂ +0.3 pts 39.5%

5.5% Not stated +4.3 pts ▸ 9.8%

2.9% Islam ◂ +2.4 pts 0.5%

2.7% Hinduism ◂ +2.4 pts 0.3%

2.3% Buddhism ◂ +1.5 pts 0.8%

1.7% Other religions ◂ +1.3 pts 0.5%

0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

59.4% Year 12 ◂ +14.6 pts 44.8%

12.7% Year 10 +15.1 pts ▸ 27.7%

14.7% Year 11 ◂ +3.5 pts 11.2%

8.6% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.8 pts 7.8%

Highest qualification level

27.1% Certificate III / IV +11.1 pts ▸ 38.1%

28.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +10.9 pts 17.6%

14.8% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.6 pts 14.2%

10.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +6.9 pts 3.4%

4.1% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.1 pts 2.9%

2.1% Certificate I / II +1.3 pts ▸ 3.4%

Field of qualification

19.3% Management & commerce ◂ +5.7 pts 13.6%

14.0% Engineering & related +4.7 pts ▸ 18.6%

13.7% Society & culture ◂ +4.2 pts 9.5%

12.6% Health ◂ +2.3 pts 10.3%

8.0% Education +1.2 pts ▸ 9.2%

4.8% Architecture & building +1.1 pts ▸ 5.9%

5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.7 pts ▸ 5.7%

3.6% Creative arts ◂ +1.1 pts 2.5%

1.6% Agriculture & environment +1.8 pts ▸ 3.4%

3.4% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.1 pts 2.3%

3.3% Information technology ◂ +2.0 pts 1.2%

Income

Personal income in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +$16 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady

$760 56th pct $744 51st pct

Household income in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +$14 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$1,539 58th pct $1,525 57th pct

Family income in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +$56 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$1,983 71st pct $1,927 63rd pct

Household income distribution

29.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.2 pts 27.6%

28.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.8 pts 26.9%

17.3% Under $650 ◂ +0.5 pts 16.8%

9.2% $3,000–$3,999 even 9.1%

8.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 8.1%

Personal income distribution

42.1% Under $650 ◂ +1.5 pts 40.7%

33.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.5 pts 28.6%

16.4% $1,500–$2,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 16.9%

3.5% $3,000 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 4.1%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.5% Arthritis +0.4 pts ▸ 9.9%

9.8% Mental health ◂ +0.7 pts 9.2%

9.0% Other condition ◂ +1.5 pts 7.4%

8.7% Asthma ◂ +0.8 pts 8.0%

5.5% Diabetes ◂ +0.7 pts 4.7%

4.4% Heart disease ◂ +0.4 pts 4.0%

3.1% Cancer +0.2 pts ▸ 3.3%

1.8% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 2.0%

1.0% Stroke even 1.0%

1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.7% None ◂ +3.7 pts 60.0%

20.0% One condition ◂ +0.3 pts 19.7%

6.6% Two conditions ◂ +0.3 pts 6.3%

3.6% Three or more ◂ +0.4 pts 3.2%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +15,846 larger in Major Cities of Australia

23,272 78th pct 7,426 57th pct

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

23 yrs 14th pct 24 yrs 29th pct

Median income in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +$5 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$550 59th pct $545 57th pct

Household income in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +$165 higher in Inner Regional Australia

$1,369 53rd pct $1,534 71st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +0.1 larger in Inner Regional Australia gap narrowing

2.4 43rd pct 2.5 67th pct

Family composition

56.6% Couples with children ◂ +2.4 pts 54.2%

26.9% Couples without children +4.4 pts ▸ 31.3%

15.2% One-parent families ◂ +1.5 pts 13.7%

1.3% Other families ◂ +0.5 pts 0.8%

Household size

33.4% 2 people +4.2 pts ▸ 37.6%

28.0% 1 person ◂ +3.1 pts 24.9%

15.9% 3 people ◂ +1.6 pts 14.2%

14.9% 4 people ◂ +0.6 pts 14.2%

5.4% 5 people +0.8 pts ▸ 6.2%

2.4% 6 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 2.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +$10 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$320 73rd pct $310 70th pct

Mortgage in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +$152 higher in Inner Regional Australia gap narrowing

$1,560 60th pct $1,712 71st pct

People / bedroom in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +0.10 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

0.80 43rd pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.8% Owned with a mortgage +3.3 pts ▸ 40.0%

30.7% Owned outright +3.4 pts ▸ 34.1%

28.9% Rented ◂ +7.0 pts 21.9%

2.4% Other tenure ◂ +0.1 pts 2.3%

1.2% Not stated +0.5 pts ▸ 1.7%

Types of homes

74.4% Separate house +16.3 pts ▸ 90.6%

16.8% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.0 pts 6.8%

8.4% Flat or apartment ◂ +7.3 pts 1.1%

0.3% Other dwelling +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%

Bedrooms per home

51.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +15.0 pts 36.6%

20.8% 4 bedrooms +21.1 pts ▸ 41.9%

19.0% 2 bedrooms ◂ +8.7 pts 10.3%

4.0% 5 or more +2.6 pts ▸ 6.6%

3.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.7 pts 2.7%

0.2% Studio / none +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

41.4% $200–$349 +1.3 pts ▸ 42.7%

34.3% $350–$549 +0.5 pts ▸ 34.8%

16.6% Under $200 ◂ +1.6 pts 15.1%

3.5% $550–$749 ◂ +0.9 pts 2.6%

1.0% $750 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 0.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.5% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +2.9 pts 36.5%

26.4% $1,800–$2,999 +4.5 pts ▸ 30.9%

19.3% Under $1,000 ◂ +2.9 pts 16.4%

10.0% $3,000 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 10.7%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

63.3% Car (driver) +0.9 pts ▸ 64.2%

9.7% Worked at home ◂ +2.2 pts 7.5%

4.3% Car (passenger) +0.8 pts ▸ 5.1%

3.9% Bus ◂ +2.4 pts 1.5%

1.9% Walked +0.6 pts ▸ 2.5%

1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

0.8% Train ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

Motor vehicles per home

36.8% 2 vehicles +2.9 pts ▸ 39.7%

37.6% 1 vehicle ◂ +6.8 pts 30.8%

11.6% 3 vehicles +4.5 pts ▸ 16.1%

6.2% 4 or more +4.0 pts ▸ 10.1%

7.8% No vehicle ◂ +4.6 pts 3.3%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +5.1 pts 12.1%

8.3% Construction +2.3 pts ▸ 10.6%

9.7% Retail trade ◂ +0.6 pts 9.2%

9.1% Education & training ◂ +0.9 pts 8.1%

0.9% Mining +7.6 pts ▸ 8.5%

6.7% Manufacturing +1.2 pts ▸ 7.9%

6.6% Accommodation & food +0.6 pts ▸ 7.2%

7.2% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.8 pts 5.3%

7.1% Professional & technical ◂ +3.5 pts 3.6%

1.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +3.9 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.1% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.5 pts 3.7%

4.0% Other services ◂ +0.1 pts 3.9%

Occupations people work in

23.8% Professionals ◂ +8.9 pts 14.9%

12.8% Technicians & trades +5.8 pts ▸ 18.6%

13.2% Community & personal service ◂ +1.7 pts 11.6%

13.2% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.6 pts 10.6%

9.3% Labourers +3.4 pts ▸ 12.7%

12.0% Managers ◂ +0.1 pts 11.9%

5.5% Machinery operators & drivers +4.4 pts ▸ 9.9%

8.5% Sales workers ◂ +0.5 pts 8.1%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +3.5 higher in Major Cities of Australia

6.7 95th pct 3.3 40th pct

Types ≤15 min in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +3.2 more in Major Cities of Australia

6.4 97th pct 3.3 28th pct

15-min city in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +49.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

82.2% 99th pct 33.0% 25th pct

Walk to shops in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +43.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

78.3% 97th pct 34.6% 19th pct

Walk to transit in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +46.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

94.3% 97th pct 48.1% 68th pct

Walk to school in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +39.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

83.2% 96th pct 43.3% 40th pct

Walk to a park in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +30.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

97.7% 96th pct 66.9% 56th pct

Walk to health in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +40.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

64.5% 95th pct 23.9% 20th pct

Amenities/1k in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +0.4 more in Major Cities of Australia

14.5 18th pct 14.1 14th pct

Intersections/km² in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +108 higher in Major Cities of Australia

110 92nd pct 2 61st pct

Mean slope in Major Cities of Australia in Inner Regional Australia +0.8 pts higher in Inner Regional Australia

4.6% 41st pct 5.4% 58th pct

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

Compare Inner Regional Australia with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Major Cities of Australia vs Inner Regional Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA40/major-cities-of-australia/vs/RA51/inner-regional-australia