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Very Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia

Name: Very Remote 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 ≈ 1,761 km apart · Very Remote Australia profile · Major Cities of Australia profile

Very Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia

Major Cities of Australia and Very Remote Australia are vasty different environments. Major Cities of Australia has a much higher share of people born overseas (36.2%) and adults with a bachelor degree or higher (26.7%). In contrast, Very Remote Australia has a much higher First Nations population, with 29.0% of residents identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 62.8% speaking a First Nations language. Income is also far higher in Major Cities of Australia, where the typical family earns $2,260 a week compared to $1,397 in Very Remote Australia.

The gap in typical family income has widened since 2011, as has the difference in school and university completion. Despite these trends, the two areas are very similar in other ways; they have almost the same share of children under 15 (around 19%) and a nearly identical percentage of people who have served in the Defence Force. Both areas also have a similar proportion of people who provide unpaid care for others.

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Where they differ most

Population: 2,073,899 larger in Major Cities of Australia First Nations: 27.0 pts higher in Very Remote Australia Born overseas: 27.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 28.3 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Rent: $230 higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2,073,899 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

13,768 44th pct 2,087,667 89th pct

Median age in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +3 yrs older in Very Remote Australia gap widening

40 yrs 43rd pct 37 yrs 25th pct

Age structure

25.7% Young adults (25–44) +3.2 pts ▸ 28.9%

27.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.0 pts 24.2%

18.6% Children (0–14) +0.4 pts ▸ 19.0%

17.5% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.7 pts 15.8%

11.0% Youth (15–24) +1.1 pts ▸ 12.1%

Marital status

43.0% Married +4.6 pts ▸ 47.6%

39.4% Never married ◂ +3.3 pts 36.1%

8.4% Divorced +0.3 pts ▸ 8.7%

5.4% Widowed ◂ +1.0 pts 4.4%

3.8% Separated ◂ +0.6 pts 3.2%

Age & sex structure

Very Remote 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

80.8% Australia ◂ +21.5 pts 59.3%

1.8% England +6.2 pts ▸ 8.0%

0.9% New Zealand +1.9 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.6% India +2.2 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.1% South Africa +1.7 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.5% Philippines +1.0 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.1% China +1.2 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.1% Vietnam +0.8 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Italy +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.0% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

27.7% English +9.3 pts ▸ 37.0%

29.9% Australian ◂ +2.0 pts 27.9%

6.6% Irish +2.3 pts ▸ 8.8%

6.1% Scottish +2.6 pts ▸ 8.7%

6.9% German ◂ +4.1 pts 2.8%

1.2% Italian +4.3 pts ▸ 5.5%

0.3% Chinese +5.1 pts ▸ 5.4%

0.6% Indian +2.9 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.0% Dutch +1.0 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.7% Filipino +1.1 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.4% Greek ◂ +0.8 pts 0.7%

0.1% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%

Language

Language used at home

66.6% English only +7.3 pts ▸ 73.9%

0.2% Mandarin +2.2 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.1% Italian +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.0% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.3% Punjabi +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.0% Cantonese +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.8% Greek ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.0% Arabic +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Tagalog +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.0% Hindi +0.5 pts ▸ 0.5%

Religion

Religious affiliation

39.9% No religion +2.2 pts ▸ 42.2%

41.3% Christianity +0.5 pts ▸ 41.9%

15.1% Not stated ◂ +8.6 pts 6.5%

0.2% Islam +2.8 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.8% Buddhism +1.7 pts ▸ 2.5%

0.2% Hinduism +2.1 pts ▸ 2.4%

2.3% Other religions ◂ +1.0 pts 1.3%

0.0% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

33.8% Year 12 +28.3 pts ▸ 62.1%

19.5% Year 10 ◂ +2.0 pts 17.5%

17.4% Year 11 ◂ +9.3 pts 8.1%

15.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +8.8 pts 6.3%

Highest qualification level

31.7% Certificate III / IV ◂ +5.5 pts 26.2%

14.4% Bachelor degree +13.8 pts ▸ 28.2%

11.4% Advanced diploma / diploma +3.8 pts ▸ 15.2%

2.7% Postgraduate degree +6.6 pts ▸ 9.2%

2.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.9 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.0% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.7 pts 2.4%

Field of qualification

9.0% Management & commerce +10.0 pts ▸ 18.9%

13.9% Engineering & related +2.9 pts ▸ 16.8%

9.0% Society & culture +2.4 pts ▸ 11.4%

8.1% Health +2.9 pts ▸ 11.0%

10.3% Education ◂ +2.5 pts 7.9%

4.5% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.7 pts ▸ 5.1%

4.6% Architecture & building +0.3 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.6% Agriculture & environment ◂ +3.2 pts 1.5%

0.9% Natural & physical sciences +2.9 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.9% Creative arts +1.6 pts ▸ 3.5%

0.5% Information technology +2.3 pts ▸ 2.8%

Income

Personal income in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$256 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$604 24th pct $860 72nd pct

Household income in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$671 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,194 13th pct $1,865 74th pct

Family income in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$863 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,397 9th pct $2,260 83rd pct

Household income distribution

29.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +6.2 pts 23.3%

23.8% $1,500–$2,999 +5.3 pts ▸ 29.1%

23.0% Under $650 ◂ +8.7 pts 14.3%

4.3% $4,000 or more +9.2 pts ▸ 13.5%

5.9% $3,000–$3,999 +5.0 pts ▸ 10.8%

Personal income distribution

44.4% Under $650 ◂ +6.0 pts 38.4%

25.7% $650–$1,499 +3.5 pts ▸ 29.1%

13.0% $1,500–$2,999 +7.0 pts ▸ 20.0%

1.9% $3,000 or more +4.3 pts ▸ 6.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

5.4% Mental health +3.0 pts ▸ 8.4%

5.3% Other condition +2.3 pts ▸ 7.6%

7.1% Arthritis +0.3 pts ▸ 7.4%

6.7% Asthma +0.6 pts ▸ 7.3%

6.1% Diabetes ◂ +1.8 pts 4.3%

4.4% Heart disease ◂ +0.9 pts 3.5%

2.3% Cancer +0.4 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.7% Lung condition ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%

0.8% Stroke even 0.8%

0.6% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.4% None +5.1 pts ▸ 66.5%

17.3% One condition +1.0 pts ▸ 18.2%

5.1% Two conditions +0.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

2.4% Three or more +0.1 pts ▸ 2.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +36,816 larger in Major Cities of Australia

3,990 49th pct 40,806 87th pct

Median age in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +4 yrs older in Very Remote Australia

27 yrs 57th pct 23 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$265 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$335 8th pct $600 75th pct

Household income in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$659 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$994 4th pct $1,653 78th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +0.2 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

2.4 43rd pct 2.6 77th pct

Family composition

51.5% Couples with children +8.5 pts ▸ 60.0%

29.6% Couples without children ◂ +4.2 pts 25.5%

16.6% One-parent families ◂ +3.3 pts 13.4%

2.3% Other families ◂ +1.1 pts 1.2%

Household size

34.1% 1 person ◂ +9.1 pts 25.0%

32.9% 2 people even 32.9%

10.4% 4 people +6.1 pts ▸ 16.5%

10.8% 3 people +5.6 pts ▸ 16.4%

6.1% 5 people +0.3 pts ▸ 6.4%

5.9% 6 or more ◂ +3.1 pts 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +$230 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$120 9th pct $350 79th pct

Mortgage in Very Remote 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 Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +0.10 higher in Very Remote Australia gap steady

0.90 71st pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

17.3% Owned with a mortgage +24.5 pts ▸ 41.8%

35.8% Owned outright ◂ +7.3 pts 28.4%

35.6% Rented ◂ +8.8 pts 26.8%

8.0% Other tenure ◂ +6.3 pts 1.7%

3.5% Not stated ◂ +2.3 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

91.2% Separate house ◂ +13.7 pts 77.5%

2.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +11.5 pts ▸ 14.3%

1.8% Flat or apartment +5.9 pts ▸ 7.7%

2.3% Other dwelling ◂ +2.0 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

48.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +11.8 pts 36.8%

17.7% 4 bedrooms +21.5 pts ▸ 39.1%

18.9% 2 bedrooms ◂ +6.2 pts 12.7%

6.9% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.3 pts 3.6%

3.8% 5 or more +2.7 pts ▸ 6.4%

1.0% Studio / none ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

62.6% Under $200 ◂ +52.2 pts 10.4%

1.8% $350–$549 +41.5 pts ▸ 43.3%

23.5% $200–$349 +10.8 pts ▸ 34.2%

0.0% $550–$749 +6.4 pts ▸ 6.4%

0.3% $750 or more +2.2 pts ▸ 2.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +28.9 pts 12.7%

36.8% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +6.3 pts 30.5%

11.9% $1,800–$2,999 +23.6 pts ▸ 35.5%

4.4% $3,000 or more +11.5 pts ▸ 15.9%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

52.1% Car (driver) +10.0 pts ▸ 62.1%

15.7% Walked ◂ +14.2 pts 1.6%

10.6% Worked at home ◂ +3.0 pts 7.6%

5.4% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.0 pts 4.4%

1.4% Bus +1.6 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.0% Train +2.2 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.6% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

Motor vehicles per home

32.8% 2 vehicles +7.0 pts ▸ 39.9%

33.7% 1 vehicle +1.6 pts ▸ 35.2%

13.1% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.1 pts 12.9%

10.7% No vehicle ◂ +5.7 pts 5.0%

9.8% 4 or more ◂ +2.8 pts 7.0%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

19.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +19.0 pts 0.7%

12.3% Health care & social assistance +1.9 pts ▸ 14.2%

11.6% Education & training ◂ +2.7 pts 8.8%

7.7% Retail trade +1.2 pts ▸ 8.9%

6.0% Construction +2.8 pts ▸ 8.8%

1.5% Professional & technical +6.4 pts ▸ 7.8%

7.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.0 pts 6.5%

5.9% Mining +0.7 pts ▸ 6.6%

6.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.6 pts 6.0%

1.3% Manufacturing +3.9 pts ▸ 5.3%

4.1% Transport & warehousing +0.5 pts ▸ 4.5%

3.8% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 3.9%

Occupations people work in

15.6% Professionals +8.2 pts ▸ 23.8%

20.7% Managers ◂ +8.9 pts 11.8%

14.7% Labourers ◂ +6.1 pts 8.7%

11.1% Technicians & trades +3.5 pts ▸ 14.6%

13.1% Community & personal service ◂ +1.1 pts 12.0%

8.8% Clerical & administrative +3.7 pts ▸ 12.5%

6.0% Sales workers +2.0 pts ▸ 8.0%

7.8% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.9 pts 6.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +3.6 higher in Major Cities of Australia

2.5 16th pct 6.1 86th pct

Types ≤15 min in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2.9 more in Major Cities of Australia

2.9 19th pct 5.8 87th pct

15-min city in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +40.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

32.0% 23rd pct 72.7% 87th pct

Walk to shops in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +25.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

43.8% 49th pct 69.0% 85th pct

Walk to transit in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +85.2 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

8.8% 23rd pct 94.1% 96th pct

Walk to school in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +42.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

37.7% 27th pct 80.0% 93rd pct

Walk to a park in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +49.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

47.0% 13th pct 96.1% 91st pct

Walk to health in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +28.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

26.7% 29th pct 54.8% 83rd pct

Amenities/1k in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +39.0 more in Very Remote Australia

54.4 85th pct 15.4 27th pct

Intersections/km² in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +104 higher in Major Cities of Australia

0 4th pct 104 91st pct

Mean slope in Very Remote Australia in Major Cities of Australia +2.0 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

4.1% 31st pct 6.1% 73rd pct

Compare Very Remote Australia with nearby areas

Outer Regional Australia Remote Australia Major Cities of Australia Inner Regional Australia Remote Australia Very Remote Australia Very Remote Australia Very Remote Australia Outer Regional Australia Very Remote Australia Remote 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). Very Remote Australia vs Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ra/RA44/very-remote-australia/vs/RA50/major-cities-of-australia