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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 ≈ 227 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 distinct environments separated by over 200 km. Major Cities of Australia is far more diverse and qualified, with 36.2% of people born overseas and 26.7% holding a bachelor degree or higher. It is also very walkable, with a score of 6.1, whereas Outer Regional Australia is mostly car-dependent at 3.6. In contrast, Outer Regional Australia has a higher share of separate houses at 89.5% and a larger First Nations population of 5.9%.

Both areas are almost identical in their share of renters, which sits at about 27%. While they share similar proportions of people working full-time, other gaps have grown since 2011. The difference in typical weekly income has widened to $390, and the gap in Year 12 completion has increased to 19.5 points. Residents in Outer Regional Australia are also noticeably older, with a typical age of 43 compared to 37 in Major Cities of Australia.

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Where they differ most

Population: 1,903,430 larger in Major Cities of Australia Year 12: 19.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Born overseas: 18.6 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Other language: 13.9 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia Bachelor+: 13.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +1,903,430 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

2,087,667 89th pct 184,237 70th pct

Median age in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +6 yrs older in Outer Regional Australia gap widening

37 yrs 25th pct 43 yrs 68th pct

Age structure

28.9% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +5.8 pts 23.1%

24.2% Older adults (45–64) +3.3 pts ▸ 27.5%

15.8% Seniors (65+) +4.5 pts ▸ 20.2%

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

12.1% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.6 pts 10.5%

Marital status

47.6% Married ◂ +0.5 pts 47.1%

36.1% Never married ◂ +2.0 pts 34.1%

8.7% Divorced +0.8 pts ▸ 9.5%

4.4% Widowed +1.1 pts ▸ 5.5%

3.2% Separated +0.6 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

59.3% Australia +13.7 pts ▸ 73.0%

8.0% England ◂ +3.1 pts 4.9%

2.8% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 2.9%

2.8% India ◂ +2.3 pts 0.5%

1.8% South Africa ◂ +0.7 pts 1.1%

1.5% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%

1.3% China ◂ +1.1 pts 0.2%

0.8% Vietnam ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%

0.8% Italy ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%

0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

37.0% English +4.5 pts ▸ 41.5%

27.9% Australian +10.5 pts ▸ 38.4%

8.7% Scottish +0.6 pts ▸ 9.3%

8.8% Irish ◂ +0.2 pts 8.7%

5.5% Italian ◂ +2.1 pts 3.5%

5.4% Chinese ◂ +4.6 pts 0.7%

2.8% German +0.7 pts ▸ 3.5%

3.5% Indian ◂ +2.7 pts 0.8%

2.0% Dutch +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.8% Filipino ◂ +0.2 pts 1.6%

1.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.9 pts 0.2%

0.7% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

73.9% English only +9.3 pts ▸ 83.2%

2.4% Mandarin ◂ +2.0 pts 0.3%

1.1% Italian ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

1.0% Vietnamese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%

1.0% Punjabi ◂ +0.8 pts 0.1%

0.9% Cantonese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.1%

0.7% Arabic ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

0.5% Hindi ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.2% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

42.2% No religion +3.2 pts ▸ 45.4%

41.9% Christianity ◂ +1.3 pts 40.6%

6.5% Not stated +4.9 pts ▸ 11.4%

3.0% Islam ◂ +2.2 pts 0.9%

2.5% Buddhism ◂ +1.7 pts 0.8%

2.4% Hinduism ◂ +1.9 pts 0.4%

1.3% Other religions ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%

0.3% Judaism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

62.1% Year 12 ◂ +19.5 pts 42.6%

17.5% Year 10 +9.0 pts ▸ 26.5%

8.1% Year 11 +3.0 pts ▸ 11.1%

6.3% Year 9 or below +2.8 pts ▸ 9.0%

Highest qualification level

26.2% Certificate III / IV +9.2 pts ▸ 35.4%

28.2% Bachelor degree ◂ +11.7 pts 16.6%

15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.0 pts 13.2%

9.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +5.8 pts 3.4%

3.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.2 pts 2.7%

2.4% Certificate I / II +1.4 pts ▸ 3.7%

Field of qualification

18.9% Management & commerce ◂ +6.8 pts 12.1%

16.8% Engineering & related +0.9 pts ▸ 17.7%

11.4% Society & culture ◂ +2.6 pts 8.8%

11.0% Health ◂ +0.9 pts 10.1%

7.9% Education +1.2 pts ▸ 9.1%

5.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.2 pts 5.0%

1.5% Agriculture & environment +3.7 pts ▸ 5.1%

4.9% Architecture & building even 4.9%

3.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.6 pts 2.2%

3.5% Creative arts ◂ +1.4 pts 2.1%

2.8% Information technology ◂ +1.8 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$93 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap steady

$860 72nd pct $767 58th pct

Household income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$390 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

$1,865 74th pct $1,475 48th pct

Family income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$321 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$2,260 83rd pct $1,939 65th pct

Household income distribution

29.1% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.7 pts 27.4%

23.3% $650–$1,499 +3.7 pts ▸ 27.0%

14.3% Under $650 +4.0 pts ▸ 18.3%

13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +5.5 pts 7.9%

10.8% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.1 pts 8.7%

Personal income distribution

38.4% Under $650 +0.6 pts ▸ 39.0%

29.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.5 pts 28.6%

20.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.7 pts 17.3%

6.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.3 pts 3.9%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.4% Arthritis +2.3 pts ▸ 9.7%

8.4% Mental health +0.4 pts ▸ 8.8%

7.3% Asthma +0.7 pts ▸ 8.0%

7.6% Other condition ◂ +0.3 pts 7.3%

4.3% Diabetes +0.9 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.5% Heart disease +0.8 pts ▸ 4.3%

2.7% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.5% Lung condition +0.5 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.8% Stroke +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.7% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

66.5% None ◂ +7.9 pts 58.6%

18.2% One condition +1.1 pts ▸ 19.3%

5.3% Two conditions +1.1 pts ▸ 6.4%

2.5% Three or more +0.9 pts ▸ 3.4%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +29,918 larger in Major Cities of Australia

40,806 87th 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 +$117 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$600 75th pct $483 38th pct

Household income in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$365 higher in Major Cities of Australia

$1,653 78th pct $1,288 43rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +0.2 larger in Major Cities of Australia gap widening

2.6 77th pct 2.4 43rd pct

Family composition

60.0% Couples with children ◂ +7.6 pts 52.4%

25.5% Couples without children +7.2 pts ▸ 32.7%

13.4% One-parent families +0.6 pts ▸ 14.0%

1.2% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

Household size

32.9% 2 people +4.2 pts ▸ 37.1%

25.0% 1 person +4.2 pts ▸ 29.2%

16.5% 4 people ◂ +4.4 pts 12.1%

16.4% 3 people ◂ +3.2 pts 13.2%

6.4% 5 people ◂ +0.7 pts 5.6%

2.8% 6 or more even 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$90 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$350 79th pct $260 51st pct

Mortgage in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +$412 higher in Major Cities of Australia gap narrowing

$1,907 86th 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

41.8% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +9.7 pts 32.1%

28.4% Owned outright +7.6 pts ▸ 36.0%

26.8% Rented ◂ +0.1 pts 26.7%

1.7% Other tenure +1.5 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.2% Not stated +0.8 pts ▸ 2.0%

Types of homes

77.5% Separate house +11.9 pts ▸ 89.5%

14.3% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +6.3 pts 8.0%

7.7% Flat or apartment ◂ +6.8 pts 0.9%

0.3% Other dwelling +0.9 pts ▸ 1.2%

Bedrooms per home

36.8% 3 bedrooms +5.4 pts ▸ 42.2%

39.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +6.7 pts 32.5%

12.7% 2 bedrooms +0.8 pts ▸ 13.5%

6.4% 5 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 5.8%

3.6% 1 bedroom +0.1 pts ▸ 3.7%

0.2% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

34.2% $200–$349 +13.8 pts ▸ 48.1%

43.3% $350–$549 ◂ +23.1 pts 20.2%

10.4% Under $200 +14.4 pts ▸ 24.8%

6.4% $550–$749 ◂ +4.8 pts 1.6%

2.5% $750 or more ◂ +2.2 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

30.5% $1,000–$1,799 +8.1 pts ▸ 38.6%

35.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +11.4 pts 24.0%

12.7% Under $1,000 +11.2 pts ▸ 23.9%

15.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +8.2 pts 7.7%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

62.1% Car (driver) +3.3 pts ▸ 65.4%

7.6% Worked at home +0.2 pts ▸ 7.8%

4.4% Car (passenger) +1.1 pts ▸ 5.5%

1.6% Walked +2.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

3.0% Bus ◂ +1.7 pts 1.3%

2.2% Train ◂ +2.2 pts 0.0%

0.7% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Motor vehicles per home

39.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +1.8 pts 38.1%

35.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +3.1 pts 32.1%

12.9% 3 vehicles +2.7 pts ▸ 15.6%

7.0% 4 or more +2.9 pts ▸ 9.9%

5.0% No vehicle ◂ +0.7 pts 4.3%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

14.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +2.1 pts 12.1%

0.7% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +11.3 pts ▸ 12.0%

6.6% Mining +2.6 pts ▸ 9.2%

8.9% Retail trade ◂ +0.1 pts 8.8%

8.8% Construction ◂ +1.3 pts 7.5%

8.8% Education & training ◂ +0.1 pts 8.7%

7.8% Professional & technical ◂ +4.6 pts 3.2%

6.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.2 pts 6.3%

6.0% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.2 pts 5.8%

5.3% Manufacturing ◂ +0.9 pts 4.4%

4.5% Transport & warehousing +0.2 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.9% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 4.0%

Occupations people work in

23.8% Professionals ◂ +9.4 pts 14.4%

14.6% Technicians & trades +1.7 pts ▸ 16.3%

11.8% Managers +3.7 pts ▸ 15.6%

8.7% Labourers +4.1 pts ▸ 12.8%

12.5% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.2 pts 10.3%

12.0% Community & personal service ◂ +0.9 pts 11.1%

6.9% Machinery operators & drivers +3.4 pts ▸ 10.3%

8.0% Sales workers ◂ +0.5 pts 7.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +2.5 higher in Major Cities of Australia

6.1 86th pct 3.6 66th pct

Types ≤15 min in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +2.1 more in Major Cities of Australia

5.8 87th pct 3.7 56th pct

15-min city in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +29.8 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

72.7% 87th pct 42.8% 54th pct

Walk to shops in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +26.1 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

69.0% 85th pct 42.9% 43rd pct

Walk to transit in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +44.5 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

94.1% 96th pct 49.5% 71st pct

Walk to school in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +30.7 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

80.0% 93rd pct 49.3% 56th pct

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

96.1% 91st pct 67.5% 58th pct

Walk to health in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +18.4 pts higher in Major Cities of Australia

54.8% 83rd pct 36.5% 57th pct

Amenities/1k in Major Cities of Australia in Outer Regional Australia +3.8 more in Outer Regional Australia

15.4 27th pct 19.2 43rd pct

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

104 91st pct 0 42nd pct

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

6.1% 73rd pct 5.3% 56th pct

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

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/RA50/major-cities-of-australia/vs/RA52/outer-regional-australia