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Outer Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

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

Remoteness Area comparison ≈ 2,130 km apart · Outer Regional Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Outer Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Outer Regional Australia are very different places. Major Cities of Australia is much more diverse and qualified, with 36.2% of people born overseas and 26.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, Outer Regional Australia has a much older population, with a typical age of 46 compared to 37 in the cities. Life is also more car-dependent in Outer Regional Australia, which is mostly car-dependent, while Major Cities of Australia is very walkable. This divide extends to income, where 24.3% of city households earn $3,000 or more a week, compared to just 10.3% in the outer regional area.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the share of households that rent, at around 26%. However, other gaps are widening. Since 2011, the difference in typical age has grown to nine years, and the gap in people born overseas has increased. While the typical monthly mortgage payment is far higher in Major Cities of Australia, this specific gap has narrowed slightly since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Population: 1,886,408 larger in Major Cities of Australia Born overseas: 25.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 25.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Mortgage: $824 higher in Major Cities of Australia Rent: $150 higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +1,886,408 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

201,259 71st pct 2,087,667 89th pct

Median age in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +9 yrs older in Outer Regional Australia gap widening

46 yrs 79th pct 37 yrs 25th pct

Age structure

21.5% Young adults (25–44) +7.4 pts ▸ 28.9%

27.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.2 pts 24.2%

24.0% Seniors (65+) ◂ +8.2 pts 15.8%

16.8% Children (0–14) +2.2 pts ▸ 19.0%

10.2% Youth (15–24) +1.9 pts ▸ 12.1%

Marital status

46.6% Married +1.0 pts ▸ 47.6%

33.0% Never married +3.1 pts ▸ 36.1%

9.7% Divorced ◂ +1.0 pts 8.7%

7.0% Widowed ◂ +2.6 pts 4.4%

3.7% Separated ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

Age & sex structure

Outer Regional Australia Major Cities of Australia

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

81.8% Australia ◂ +22.5 pts 59.3%

3.2% England +4.9 pts ▸ 8.0%

0.8% New Zealand +2.0 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.7% India +2.1 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.3% South Africa +1.5 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.7% Philippines +0.8 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.2% China +1.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.1% Vietnam +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.3% Italy +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

41.4% Australian ◂ +13.5 pts 27.9%

40.6% English ◂ +3.6 pts 37.0%

9.5% German ◂ +6.6 pts 2.8%

9.0% Scottish ◂ +0.3 pts 8.7%

7.4% Irish +1.4 pts ▸ 8.8%

2.5% Italian +3.0 pts ▸ 5.5%

0.6% Chinese +4.8 pts ▸ 5.4%

0.6% Indian +2.9 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.6% Dutch +0.4 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.8% Filipino +1.0 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%

1.0% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%

Language

Language used at home

87.0% English only ◂ +13.1 pts 73.9%

0.3% Mandarin +2.1 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.4% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.9 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.5% Punjabi +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.1% Cantonese +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.1% Arabic +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Tagalog +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Hindi +0.5 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.5% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.6% No religion ◂ +5.5 pts 42.2%

40.6% Christianity +1.2 pts ▸ 41.9%

9.4% Not stated ◂ +2.9 pts 6.5%

0.6% Islam +2.4 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.6% Buddhism +2.0 pts ▸ 2.5%

0.4% Hinduism +2.0 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.8% Other religions +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.0% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

36.6% Year 12 +25.5 pts ▸ 62.1%

21.6% Year 11 ◂ +13.5 pts 8.1%

19.9% Year 10 ◂ +2.4 pts 17.5%

13.3% Year 9 or below ◂ +7.0 pts 6.3%

Highest qualification level

40.6% Certificate III / IV ◂ +14.4 pts 26.2%

14.7% Bachelor degree +13.5 pts ▸ 28.2%

12.8% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.4 pts ▸ 15.2%

2.6% Postgraduate degree +6.6 pts ▸ 9.2%

2.4% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.5 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.4% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.0 pts 2.4%

Field of qualification

12.6% Management & commerce +6.3 pts ▸ 18.9%

17.4% Engineering & related ◂ +0.6 pts 16.8%

11.0% Society & culture +0.4 pts ▸ 11.4%

10.7% Health +0.3 pts ▸ 11.0%

8.5% Education ◂ +0.6 pts 7.9%

5.8% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.7 pts 5.1%

5.2% Agriculture & environment ◂ +3.7 pts 1.5%

4.6% Architecture & building +0.4 pts ▸ 4.9%

1.3% Natural & physical sciences +2.5 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.3% Creative arts +2.2 pts ▸ 3.5%

0.9% Information technology +2.0 pts ▸ 2.8%

Income

Personal income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$213 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$647 28th pct $860 72nd pct

Household income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$691 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,174 11th pct $1,865 74th pct

Family income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$720 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,540 19th pct $2,260 83rd pct

Household income distribution

33.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +9.7 pts 23.3%

25.2% $1,500–$2,999 +3.9 pts ▸ 29.1%

23.0% Under $650 ◂ +8.8 pts 14.3%

4.3% $4,000 or more +9.2 pts ▸ 13.5%

6.0% $3,000–$3,999 +4.8 pts ▸ 10.8%

Personal income distribution

45.4% Under $650 ◂ +7.0 pts 38.4%

31.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.0 pts 29.1%

12.1% $1,500–$2,999 +7.9 pts ▸ 20.0%

2.0% $3,000 or more +4.2 pts ▸ 6.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

12.3% Arthritis ◂ +4.9 pts 7.4%

10.1% Asthma ◂ +2.7 pts 7.3%

9.9% Mental health ◂ +1.5 pts 8.4%

8.2% Other condition ◂ +0.6 pts 7.6%

7.1% Diabetes ◂ +2.8 pts 4.3%

5.5% Heart disease ◂ +1.9 pts 3.5%

3.5% Cancer ◂ +0.8 pts 2.7%

2.8% Lung condition ◂ +1.3 pts 1.5%

1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.8%

1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.1% None +10.5 pts ▸ 66.5%

21.3% One condition ◂ +3.1 pts 18.2%

7.8% Two conditions ◂ +2.6 pts 5.3%

4.9% Three or more ◂ +2.5 pts 2.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +31,169 larger in Major Cities of Australia

9,637 61st pct 40,806 87th pct

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

25 yrs 43rd pct 23 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$130 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$470 36th pct $600 75th pct

Household income in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$596 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$1,057 14th pct $1,653 78th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +0.4 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

2.2 14th pct 2.6 77th pct

Family composition

48.4% Couples with children +11.6 pts ▸ 60.0%

35.2% Couples without children ◂ +9.8 pts 25.5%

15.3% One-parent families ◂ +1.9 pts 13.4%

1.1% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

38.0% 2 people ◂ +5.1 pts 32.9%

32.4% 1 person ◂ +7.4 pts 25.0%

10.4% 4 people +6.1 pts ▸ 16.5%

12.0% 3 people +4.4 pts ▸ 16.4%

4.9% 5 people +1.4 pts ▸ 6.4%

2.2% 6 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$150 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$200 30th pct $350 79th pct

Mortgage in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$824 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$1,083 19th pct $1,907 86th pct

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

0.70 0th pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

29.9% Owned with a mortgage +11.9 pts ▸ 41.8%

38.6% Owned outright ◂ +10.2 pts 28.4%

26.3% Rented +0.5 pts ▸ 26.8%

3.1% Other tenure ◂ +1.4 pts 1.7%

2.0% Not stated ◂ +0.8 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

84.9% Separate house ◂ +7.3 pts 77.5%

11.2% Townhouse / semi-detached +3.1 pts ▸ 14.3%

2.8% Flat or apartment +4.9 pts ▸ 7.7%

0.8% Other dwelling ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

53.8% 3 bedrooms ◂ +17.0 pts 36.8%

21.7% 4 bedrooms +17.5 pts ▸ 39.1%

15.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +3.0 pts 12.7%

3.7% 5 or more +2.7 pts ▸ 6.4%

3.0% 1 bedroom +0.6 pts ▸ 3.6%

0.3% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

45.1% Under $200 ◂ +34.7 pts 10.4%

44.8% $200–$349 ◂ +10.6 pts 34.2%

4.5% $350–$549 +38.8 pts ▸ 43.3%

0.2% $550–$749 +6.1 pts ▸ 6.4%

0.2% $750 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

42.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +30.1 pts 12.7%

37.8% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +7.4 pts 30.5%

11.0% $1,800–$2,999 +24.4 pts ▸ 35.5%

3.1% $3,000 or more +12.7 pts ▸ 15.9%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

67.8% Car (driver) ◂ +5.7 pts 62.1%

7.8% Worked at home ◂ +0.2 pts 7.6%

4.9% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.5 pts 4.4%

4.3% Walked ◂ +2.7 pts 1.6%

0.7% Bus +2.3 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.0% Train +2.2 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.4% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

Motor vehicles per home

35.9% 2 vehicles +4.0 pts ▸ 39.9%

34.1% 1 vehicle +1.1 pts ▸ 35.2%

14.3% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.4 pts 12.9%

9.1% 4 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 7.0%

6.6% No vehicle ◂ +1.6 pts 5.0%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

14.9% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +14.3 pts 0.7%

13.8% Health care & social assistance +0.3 pts ▸ 14.2%

9.7% Retail trade ◂ +0.8 pts 8.9%

9.6% Manufacturing ◂ +4.3 pts 5.3%

7.3% Construction +1.5 pts ▸ 8.8%

7.9% Education & training +0.9 pts ▸ 8.8%

2.3% Professional & technical +5.6 pts ▸ 7.8%

2.2% Mining +4.3 pts ▸ 6.6%

6.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.1 pts 6.5%

4.8% Public administration & safety +1.2 pts ▸ 6.0%

4.0% Transport & warehousing +0.5 pts ▸ 4.5%

3.7% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 3.9%

Occupations people work in

12.8% Professionals +11.1 pts ▸ 23.8%

16.6% Managers ◂ +4.8 pts 11.8%

15.1% Labourers ◂ +6.5 pts 8.7%

13.8% Technicians & trades +0.8 pts ▸ 14.6%

12.6% Community & personal service ◂ +0.6 pts 12.0%

9.7% Clerical & administrative +2.8 pts ▸ 12.5%

8.9% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.0 pts 6.9%

8.5% Sales workers ◂ +0.5 pts 8.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2.7 higher in Major Cities of Australia

3.4 55th pct 6.1 86th pct

Types ≤15 min in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2.3 more in Major Cities of Australia

3.5 46th pct 5.8 87th pct

15-min city in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +30.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

41.8% 48th pct 72.7% 87th pct

Walk to shops in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +28.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

40.4% 33rd pct 69.0% 85th pct

Walk to transit in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +50.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

43.8% 58th pct 94.1% 96th pct

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

44.5% 43rd pct 80.0% 93rd pct

Walk to a park in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +35.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

61.1% 44th pct 96.1% 91st pct

Walk to health in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +21.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

33.5% 48th pct 54.8% 83rd pct

Amenities/1k in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +6.6 more in Outer Regional Australia

22.1 56th pct 15.4 27th pct

Intersections/km² in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +104 higher in Major Cities of Australia

0 42nd pct 104 91st pct

Mean slope in Outer Regional Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

3.8% 27th pct 6.1% 73rd pct

Compare Outer Regional Australia with nearby areas

Inner Regional Australia Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia Remote Australia Outer Regional Australia Very Remote Australia Very Remote Australia Inner Regional Australia Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Major Cities of 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). Outer Regional Australia vs Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA42/outer-regional-australia/vs/RA50/major-cities-of-australia