Compare

Major Cities of Australia vs Outer Regional Australia

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

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 1,980 km apart · Major Cities of Australia profile · Outer Regional Australia profile

Major Cities of Australia Outer Regional Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Outer Regional Australia are far apart and offer very different lifestyles. Major Cities of Australia is very walkable, with 94.3% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport, while Outer Regional Australia is mostly car-dependent. Education levels are also far higher in Major Cities of Australia, where 26.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher compared to 13.0% in Outer Regional Australia. Conversely, separate houses are far more common in Outer Regional Australia, making up 89.5% of homes.

Since 2011, the gaps in education and overseas birth have widened, though the two areas share some common ground. They are effectively alike in their typical weekly household incomes, which sit around $1,500, and both have about 45% of people reporting no religion. This suggests that while their living environments and qualifications differ, the usual income levels and a sense of secularism are similar across both areas.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Population: 1,159,963 larger in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 16.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Separate houses: 15.1 pts higher in Outer Regional Australia No car: 3.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Other language: 14.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +1,159,963 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

1,344,200 87th pct 184,237 70th pct

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

39 yrs 38th pct 43 yrs 68th pct

Age structure

24.6% Older adults (45–64) +3.0 pts ▸ 27.5%

27.5% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.3 pts 23.1%

18.6% Seniors (65+) +1.6 pts ▸ 20.2%

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

12.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.7 pts 10.5%

Marital status

45.4% Married +1.6 pts ▸ 47.1%

36.6% Never married ◂ +2.5 pts 34.1%

9.4% Divorced +0.2 pts ▸ 9.5%

5.5% Widowed even 5.5%

3.1% Separated +0.7 pts ▸ 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Major Cities of Australia Outer 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 +4.7 pts ▸ 73.0%

5.6% England ◂ +0.7 pts 4.9%

3.2% India ◂ +2.7 pts 0.5%

0.7% New Zealand +2.2 pts ▸ 2.9%

1.8% China ◂ +1.7 pts 0.2%

0.9% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%

1.2% Vietnam ◂ +1.1 pts 0.2%

1.2% Italy ◂ +0.9 pts 0.3%

0.5% South Africa +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.5% Nepal ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

36.5% English +5.0 pts ▸ 41.5%

29.9% Australian +8.5 pts ▸ 38.4%

8.1% Scottish +1.2 pts ▸ 9.3%

7.6% Irish +1.1 pts ▸ 8.7%

6.9% Italian ◂ +3.5 pts 3.5%

6.6% German ◂ +3.1 pts 3.5%

4.2% Chinese ◂ +3.5 pts 0.7%

3.1% Indian ◂ +2.3 pts 0.8%

2.8% Greek ◂ +2.5 pts 0.2%

1.6% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.6% Vietnamese ◂ +1.4 pts 0.2%

1.3% Filipino +0.3 pts ▸ 1.6%

Language

Language used at home

74.3% English only +8.9 pts ▸ 83.2%

2.3% Mandarin ◂ +2.0 pts 0.3%

1.7% Italian ◂ +1.3 pts 0.3%

1.6% Vietnamese ◂ +1.4 pts 0.2%

1.5% Greek ◂ +1.5 pts 0.0%

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 ◂ +0.6 pts 0.1%

0.4% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

Religion

Religious affiliation

44.9% No religion +0.5 pts ▸ 45.4%

39.9% Christianity +0.7 pts ▸ 40.6%

5.5% Not stated +5.9 pts ▸ 11.4%

2.9% Islam ◂ +2.0 pts 0.9%

2.7% Hinduism ◂ +2.3 pts 0.4%

2.3% Buddhism ◂ +1.5 pts 0.8%

1.7% Other religions ◂ +1.2 pts 0.5%

0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

59.4% Year 12 ◂ +16.8 pts 42.6%

12.7% Year 10 +13.8 pts ▸ 26.5%

14.7% Year 11 ◂ +3.5 pts 11.1%

8.6% Year 9 or below +0.5 pts ▸ 9.0%

Highest qualification level

27.1% Certificate III / IV +8.3 pts ▸ 35.4%

28.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +11.9 pts 16.6%

14.8% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.6 pts 13.2%

10.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +6.9 pts 3.4%

4.1% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.3 pts 2.7%

2.1% Certificate I / II +1.6 pts ▸ 3.7%

Field of qualification

19.3% Management & commerce ◂ +7.2 pts 12.1%

14.0% Engineering & related +3.7 pts ▸ 17.7%

13.7% Society & culture ◂ +5.0 pts 8.8%

12.6% Health ◂ +2.5 pts 10.1%

8.0% Education +1.1 pts ▸ 9.1%

1.6% Agriculture & environment +3.6 pts ▸ 5.1%

5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services even 5.0%

4.8% Architecture & building +0.1 pts ▸ 4.9%

3.6% Creative arts ◂ +1.6 pts 2.1%

3.4% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.2 pts 2.2%

3.3% Information technology ◂ +2.2 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$7 higher in Outer Regional Australia gap narrowing

$760 56th pct $767 58th pct

Household income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$64 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,539 58th pct $1,475 48th pct

Family income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$44 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,983 71st pct $1,939 65th pct

Household income distribution

29.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 27.4%

28.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.7 pts 27.0%

17.3% Under $650 +1.0 pts ▸ 18.3%

9.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.5 pts 8.7%

8.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 7.9%

Personal income distribution

42.1% Under $650 ◂ +3.1 pts 39.0%

33.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.5 pts 28.6%

16.4% $1,500–$2,999 +0.9 pts ▸ 17.3%

3.5% $3,000 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.8% Mental health ◂ +1.1 pts 8.8%

9.5% Arthritis +0.2 pts ▸ 9.7%

9.0% Other condition ◂ +1.7 pts 7.3%

8.7% Asthma ◂ +0.7 pts 8.0%

5.5% Diabetes ◂ +0.2 pts 5.2%

4.4% Heart disease ◂ +0.1 pts 4.3%

3.1% Cancer +0.2 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.8% Lung condition +0.2 pts ▸ 2.0%

1.0% Stroke even 1.0%

1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.7% None ◂ +5.1 pts 58.6%

20.0% One condition ◂ +0.7 pts 19.3%

6.6% Two conditions ◂ +0.2 pts 6.4%

3.6% Three or more ◂ +0.2 pts 3.4%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +12,384 larger in Major Cities of Australia

23,272 78th pct 10,888 64th pct

Median age in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +2 yrs older in Outer Regional Australia

23 yrs 14th pct 25 yrs 43rd pct

Median income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$67 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$550 59th pct $483 38th pct

Household income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$81 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$1,369 53rd pct $1,288 43rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia even gap narrowing

2.4 43rd pct 2.4 43rd pct

Family composition

56.6% Couples with children ◂ +4.2 pts 52.4%

26.9% Couples without children +5.7 pts ▸ 32.7%

15.2% One-parent families ◂ +1.2 pts 14.0%

1.3% Other families ◂ +0.3 pts 1.0%

Household size

33.4% 2 people +3.7 pts ▸ 37.1%

28.0% 1 person +1.2 pts ▸ 29.2%

15.9% 3 people ◂ +2.7 pts 13.2%

14.9% 4 people ◂ +2.8 pts 12.1%

5.4% 5 people +0.2 pts ▸ 5.6%

2.4% 6 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$60 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady

$320 73rd pct $260 51st pct

Mortgage in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$65 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,560 60th pct $1,495 55th pct

People / bedroom in Major Cities of Australia in Outer 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 ◂ +4.6 pts 32.1%

30.7% Owned outright +5.3 pts ▸ 36.0%

28.9% Rented ◂ +2.2 pts 26.7%

2.4% Other tenure +0.8 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.2% Not stated +0.8 pts ▸ 2.0%

Types of homes

74.4% Separate house +15.1 pts ▸ 89.5%

16.8% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +8.8 pts 8.0%

8.4% Flat or apartment ◂ +7.5 pts 0.9%

0.3% Other dwelling +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%

Bedrooms per home

51.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +9.3 pts 42.2%

20.8% 4 bedrooms +11.6 pts ▸ 32.5%

19.0% 2 bedrooms ◂ +5.5 pts 13.5%

4.0% 5 or more +1.8 pts ▸ 5.8%

3.4% 1 bedroom +0.3 pts ▸ 3.7%

0.2% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

41.4% $200–$349 +6.6 pts ▸ 48.1%

34.3% $350–$549 ◂ +14.1 pts 20.2%

16.6% Under $200 +8.2 pts ▸ 24.8%

3.5% $550–$749 ◂ +1.9 pts 1.6%

1.0% $750 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.5% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.9 pts 38.6%

26.4% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 24.0%

19.3% Under $1,000 +4.6 pts ▸ 23.9%

10.0% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.4 pts 7.7%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

63.3% Car (driver) +2.1 pts ▸ 65.4%

9.7% Worked at home ◂ +1.9 pts 7.8%

4.3% Car (passenger) +1.2 pts ▸ 5.5%

3.9% Bus ◂ +2.5 pts 1.3%

1.9% Walked +1.9 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.6%

0.8% Train ◂ +0.8 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

36.8% 2 vehicles +1.2 pts ▸ 38.1%

37.6% 1 vehicle ◂ +5.5 pts 32.1%

11.6% 3 vehicles +4.0 pts ▸ 15.6%

6.2% 4 or more +3.7 pts ▸ 9.9%

7.8% No vehicle ◂ +3.5 pts 4.3%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

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

1.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +10.9 pts ▸ 12.0%

9.7% Retail trade ◂ +1.0 pts 8.8%

0.9% Mining +8.2 pts ▸ 9.2%

9.1% Education & training ◂ +0.3 pts 8.7%

8.3% Construction ◂ +0.8 pts 7.5%

7.2% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.4 pts 5.8%

7.1% Professional & technical ◂ +3.9 pts 3.2%

6.7% Manufacturing ◂ +2.3 pts 4.4%

6.6% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.4 pts 6.3%

4.1% Transport & warehousing +0.6 pts ▸ 4.7%

4.0% Other services even 4.0%

Occupations people work in

23.8% Professionals ◂ +9.3 pts 14.4%

12.8% Technicians & trades +3.5 pts ▸ 16.3%

12.0% Managers +3.6 pts ▸ 15.6%

13.2% Community & personal service ◂ +2.1 pts 11.1%

13.2% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.9 pts 10.3%

9.3% Labourers +3.4 pts ▸ 12.8%

5.5% Machinery operators & drivers +4.8 pts ▸ 10.3%

8.5% Sales workers ◂ +1.1 pts 7.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +3.1 higher in Major Cities of Australia

6.7 95th pct 3.6 66th pct

Types ≤15 min in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +2.7 more in Major Cities of Australia

6.4 97th pct 3.7 56th pct

15-min city in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +39.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

82.2% 99th pct 42.8% 54th pct

Walk to shops in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +35.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

78.3% 97th pct 42.9% 43rd pct

Walk to transit in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +44.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

94.3% 97th pct 49.5% 71st pct

Walk to school in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +33.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

83.2% 96th pct 49.3% 56th pct

Walk to a park in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +30.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

97.7% 96th pct 67.5% 58th pct

Walk to health in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +28.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

64.5% 95th pct 36.5% 57th pct

Amenities/1k in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +4.7 more in Outer Regional Australia

14.5 18th pct 19.2 43rd pct

Intersections/km² in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +110 higher in Major Cities of Australia

110 92nd pct 0 42nd pct

Mean slope in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +0.7 pts higher in Outer Regional Australia

4.6% 41st pct 5.3% 56th 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 Outer Regional Australia with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Major Cities of Australia vs Outer 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/RA52/outer-regional-australia