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Melba vs Spence

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 1.7 km apart · Melba profile · Spence profile

Melba Spence

Melba and Spence are neighbouring areas in the Australian Capital Territory. The most striking difference is the level of walkability; while 95.3% of Spence residents live within a 15-minute walk of health services, only 6.7% of Melba residents have the same access. Housing also differs, with separate houses being far higher in Spence at 92.9% compared to 80.2% in Melba. Melba has a more diverse population, with a well higher share of people born overseas (21.2% against 16.1%) and those using a language other than English at home (15.9% against 11.1%).

Both areas sit near the national figure for people who speak little or no English. They are otherwise very similar in their daily lives, with the same typical age of 38 and nearly identical typical weekly household incomes. Over time, the gaps between them have shifted; the difference in the share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher has widened, and the gap in recent overseas arrivals has also grown since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 12.7 pts higher in Spence Recent arrivals: 5.4 pts higher in Melba Housework 15h+: 3.1 pts higher in Melba Bachelor+: 6.1 pts higher in Melba Recent movers: 6.0 pts higher in Melba

Demographics & Identity

Population in Melbain Spence +796 larger in Melba gap widening
3,383 13th pct 2,587 10th pct
Median age in Melbain Spence even gap narrowing
38 yrs 43rd pct 38 yrs 43rd pct
First Nations in Melbain Spence +0.1 pts higher in Melba gap steady
2.6% 57th pct 2.4% 55th pct
Aged 65+ in Melbain Spence +0.5 pts higher in Spence gap narrowing
17.1% 49th pct 17.7% 52nd pct
Under 15 in Melbain Spence +2.4 pts higher in Melba gap widening
22.1% 86th pct 19.8% 70th pct
De facto in Melbain Spence +0.8 pts higher in Spence gap steady
11.3% 40th pct 12.0% 50th pct

Age structure

26.1% Young adults (25–44) +1.5 pts ▸ 27.6%
23.6% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.0 pts 22.7%
22.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.4 pts 19.8%
17.1% Seniors (65+) +0.5 pts ▸ 17.7%
11.0% Youth (15–24) +1.2 pts ▸ 12.2%

Marital status

50.8% Married ◂ +1.4 pts 49.4%
33.8% Never married +1.9 pts ▸ 35.7%
8.8% Divorced +0.2 pts ▸ 9.0%
3.7% Widowed ◂ +0.6 pts 3.1%
2.9% Separated ◂ +0.1 pts 2.8%

Age & sex structure

Melba Spence

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Melbain Spence +5.1 pts higher in Melba gap widening
21.2% 47th pct 16.1% 34th pct

Country of birth

75.6% Australia +4.8 pts ▸ 80.4%
3.0% England ◂ +0.2 pts 2.9%
1.7% China ◂ +0.7 pts 0.9%
1.3% India ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%
1.3% New Zealand ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%
0.7% Philippines ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%
0.6% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%
0.5% Vietnam even 0.5%
0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.4% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

Ancestry

38.6% Australian +2.9 pts ▸ 41.5%
35.4% English +3.5 pts ▸ 38.9%
13.1% Irish +1.8 pts ▸ 14.9%
11.1% Scottish +1.8 pts ▸ 12.9%
5.0% German ◂ +0.3 pts 4.7%
3.8% Chinese ◂ +1.2 pts 2.6%
2.8% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 2.9%
2.1% Dutch ◂ +0.3 pts 1.8%
1.7% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.7% Indian ◂ +0.8 pts 0.9%
1.3% Filipino ◂ +1.1 pts 0.2%
0.9% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

Language

Other language in Melbain Spence +4.9 pts higher in Melba gap steady
15.9% 57th pct 11.1% 46th pct
Limited English in Melbain Spence +0.5 pts higher in Melba gap steady
1.9% 58th pct 1.4% 51st pct

Language used at home

80.6% English only +4.7 pts ▸ 85.4%
2.0% Mandarin ◂ +1.0 pts 1.1%
0.8% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.7% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.7% Cantonese ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.7% Punjabi ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.4% Arabic +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% Italian even 0.2%
0.2% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Religion

No religion in Melbain Spence +1.2 pts higher in Spence gap steady
45.6% 70th pct 46.7% 74th pct

Religious affiliation

45.6% No religion +1.2 pts ▸ 46.7%
42.8% Christianity +2.1 pts ▸ 44.8%
4.9% Not stated +0.5 pts ▸ 5.5%
2.4% Islam ◂ +1.5 pts 0.9%
1.8% Buddhism ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%
1.3% Hinduism ◂ +1.0 pts 0.3%
1.2% Other religions ◂ +0.8 pts 0.4%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Melbain Spence +2.6 pts higher in Melba gap narrowing
73.8% 82nd pct 71.2% 78th pct
Bachelor+ in Melbain Spence +6.1 pts higher in Melba gap widening
37.5% 79th pct 31.4% 71st pct
Schools in Melbain Spence
2 14th pct —
Schools/1k kids in Melbain Spence
2.67 63rd pct —
Schools ≤3 km in Melbain Spence +6 more in Melba
19 49th pct 13 34th pct
Students in Melbain Spence
1,414 49th pct —
Avg size in Melbain Spence
707 80th pct —
ICSEA in Melbain Spence
1,046 63rd pct —

Highest year of school

73.8% Year 12 ◂ +2.6 pts 71.2%
13.0% Year 10 +1.2 pts ▸ 14.2%
5.1% Year 9 or below +0.3 pts ▸ 5.4%
4.2% Year 11 +0.9 pts ▸ 5.1%

Highest qualification level

31.7% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.6 pts 28.1%
19.6% Certificate III / IV +4.2 pts ▸ 23.8%
15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.7 pts ▸ 15.9%
15.9% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.2 pts 11.7%
6.1% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.2 pts ▸ 7.3%
1.8% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.7 pts 1.1%

Field of qualification

20.2% Society & culture ◂ +1.2 pts 19.0%
17.9% Management & commerce ◂ +1.3 pts 16.5%
8.6% Engineering & related +0.9 pts ▸ 9.5%
9.2% Education ◂ +0.6 pts 8.6%
7.3% Health +0.6 pts ▸ 8.0%
6.4% Information technology +0.1 pts ▸ 6.5%
4.6% Architecture & building +1.8 pts ▸ 6.4%
6.1% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.2 pts 4.9%
5.4% Creative arts +0.6 pts ▸ 6.0%
3.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.6 pts 3.1%
2.3% Agriculture & environment +0.2 pts ▸ 2.5%

Income

Personal income in Melbain Spence +$7 higher in Spence gap narrowing
$1,118 86th pct $1,125 86th pct
Household income in Melbain Spence +$32 higher in Spence gap widening
$2,326 85th pct $2,358 86th pct
Family income in Melbain Spence +$20 higher in Melba gap narrowing
$2,767 84th pct $2,747 83rd pct
High earners in Melbain Spence +1.6 pts higher in Melba gap steady
20.8% 86th pct 19.2% 81st pct
High-income homes in Melbain Spence +1.1 pts higher in Melba gap steady
35.9% 86th pct 34.8% 85th pct

Household income distribution

29.2% $1,500–$2,999 +2.2 pts ▸ 31.4%
21.4% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 19.3%
20.0% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.1 pts 20.0%
14.5% $3,000–$3,999 +0.9 pts ▸ 15.4%
9.0% Under $650 +1.4 pts ▸ 10.4%

Personal income distribution

30.6% Under $650 +1.4 pts ▸ 32.0%
30.0% $650–$1,499 +0.3 pts ▸ 30.3%
29.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.6 pts 28.7%
6.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 5.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Melbain Spence +2.6 pts higher in Spence
32.3% 75th pct 34.9% 86th pct
Mental health in Melbain Spence +1.1 pts higher in Spence
11.7% 86th pct 12.9% 92nd pct
Needs assistance in Melbain Spence +0.2 pts higher in Spence gap steady
5.2% 45th pct 5.4% 50th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.7% Mental health +1.1 pts ▸ 12.9%
11.0% Other condition +0.2 pts ▸ 11.2%
11.2% Asthma ◂ +0.1 pts 11.1%
9.8% Arthritis +0.4 pts ▸ 10.2%
4.6% Diabetes +1.1 pts ▸ 5.7%
3.6% Heart disease +1.2 pts ▸ 4.8%
3.0% Cancer +0.7 pts ▸ 3.7%
1.7% Lung condition ◂ +0.4 pts 1.2%
0.8% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.4% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.2% None ◂ +3.2 pts 58.9%
21.8% One condition +1.6 pts ▸ 23.5%
7.0% Two conditions +0.3 pts ▸ 7.3%
3.3% Three or more +0.5 pts ▸ 3.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Melbain Spence +1.4 pts higher in Melba gap narrowing
20.7% 86th pct 19.3% 79th pct
Unpaid carers in Melbain Spence +0.7 pts higher in Melba gap steady
15.4% 96th pct 14.7% 90th pct
Unpaid child care in Melbain Spence +4.4 pts higher in Melba gap widening
34.6% 90th pct 30.2% 76th pct
Defence service in Melbain Spence +0.3 pts higher in Melba
5.8% 91st pct 5.6% 90th pct
Housework 15h+ in Melbain Spence +3.1 pts higher in Melba gap widening
24.4% 78th pct 21.3% 51st pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Melbain Spence +24 larger in Melba
87 28th pct 63 20th pct
Median age in Melbain Spence +1 yrs older in Spence
25 yrs 57th pct 26 yrs 64th pct
Year 12 in Melbain Spence +6.5 pts higher in Melba
60.0% 83rd pct 53.5% 72nd pct
Unemployment in Melbain Spence +10.5 pts higher in Melba
10.5% 53rd pct 0.0% 0th pct
Median income in Melbain Spence +$266 higher in Melba
$1,050 90th pct $784 73rd pct
Household income in Melbain Spence +$716 higher in Melba
$2,916 93rd pct $2,200 78th pct
Indigenous language in Melbain Spence +7.8 pts higher in Spence
8.0% 71st pct 15.9% 89th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Melbain Spence even gap narrowing
2.7 71st pct 2.7 71st pct
One-parent in Melbain Spence +0.5 pts higher in Melba gap steady
12.7% 46th pct 12.2% 41st pct
Living alone in Melbain Spence even gap narrowing
21.1% 33rd pct 21.1% 33rd pct

Family composition

62.6% Couples with children ◂ +1.4 pts 61.2%
24.2% Couples without children +1.2 pts ▸ 25.3%
12.7% One-parent families ◂ +0.5 pts 12.2%
0.8% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

31.7% 2 people +2.3 pts ▸ 34.0%
21.1% 1 person ◂ +0.1 pts 21.1%
19.4% 4 people ◂ +1.2 pts 18.3%
15.9% 3 people even 15.9%
8.1% 5 people ◂ +0.1 pts 8.0%
3.8% 6 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Melbain Spence +$25 higher in Melba gap narrowing
$400 62nd pct $375 52nd pct
Mortgage in Melbain Spence +$20 higher in Spence gap narrowing
$2,100 69th pct $2,120 71st pct
People / bedroom in Melbain Spence even gap steady
0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct
Renting in Melbain Spence +0.7 pts higher in Melba gap steady
20.6% 30th pct 19.9% 28th pct
Owned outright in Melbain Spence +1.8 pts higher in Melba gap widening
34.6% 57th pct 32.8% 52nd pct
Separate houses in Melbain Spence +12.7 pts higher in Spence gap steady
80.2% 41st pct 92.9% 74th pct
3+ bedrooms in Melbain Spence +5.3 pts higher in Spence gap steady
88.4% 77th pct 93.7% 91st pct

How homes are owned or rented

43.4% Owned with a mortgage +1.8 pts ▸ 45.2%
34.6% Owned outright ◂ +1.8 pts 32.8%
20.6% Rented ◂ +0.7 pts 19.9%
1.1% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%
0.3% Not stated +0.8 pts ▸ 1.1%

Types of homes

80.2% Separate house +12.7 pts ▸ 92.9%
17.5% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.0 pts 7.6%
1.6% Flat or apartment ◂ +1.6 pts 0.0%
0.0% Other dwelling even 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

38.5% 3 bedrooms +7.2 pts ▸ 45.7%
39.9% 4 bedrooms +0.1 pts ▸ 40.0%
10.0% 5 or more ◂ +1.9 pts 8.1%
9.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +6.9 pts 2.9%
1.8% 1 bedroom +1.6 pts ▸ 3.5%
0.3% Studio / none ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

36.8% $350–$549 ◂ +3.1 pts 33.7%
28.3% Under $200 ◂ +1.2 pts 27.2%
17.0% $550–$749 ◂ +5.6 pts 11.4%
13.0% $200–$349 +3.9 pts ▸ 16.8%
0.0% $750 or more +4.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

44.0% $1,800–$2,999 +2.3 pts ▸ 46.3%
22.5% $1,000–$1,799 +2.1 pts ▸ 24.6%
16.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.1 pts 15.0%
15.4% Under $1,000 ◂ +7.5 pts 7.9%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Melbain Spence +0.4 pts higher in Spence gap narrowing
3.6% 37th pct 4.0% 42nd pct
Work from home in Melbain Spence +1.4 pts higher in Melba gap steady
12.7% 43rd pct 11.3% 36th pct
PT commute in Melbain Spence +0.1 pts higher in Melba gap steady
3.4% 70th pct 3.3% 69th pct
PT stops in Melbain Spence +12 more in Melba
35 45th pct 23 33rd pct
Stops/1k in Melbain Spence +1.46 more in Melba
10.35 88th pct 8.89 87th pct
Departures/1k in Melbain Spence +572.0 more in Spence
1,796.0 79th pct 2,368.0 86th pct
PT routes in Melbain Spence +3 more in Melba
5 36th pct 2 14th pct
Stop walk in Melbain Spence +2 longer in Melba
4 43rd pct 2 14th pct
Drive to city in Melbain Spence even
15 26th pct 15 26th pct
Reach 30 min in Melbain Spence +4,467 more in Melba
12,585 39th pct 8,118 21st pct
Reach 45 min in Melbain Spence +9,175 more in Melba
33,997 43rd pct 24,822 34th pct
Transit to city in Melbain Spence even
63 59th pct 63 59th pct

How people get to work

62.3% Car (driver) +1.4 pts ▸ 63.7%
12.7% Worked at home ◂ +1.4 pts 11.3%
4.5% Car (passenger) +0.1 pts ▸ 4.6%
3.4% Bus ◂ +0.3 pts 3.1%
1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%
0.4% Walked ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.0% Train +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

42.2% 2 vehicles +3.4 pts ▸ 45.7%
33.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +4.1 pts 29.1%
14.7% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.2 pts 13.5%
6.7% 4 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 7.6%
3.6% No vehicle +0.4 pts ▸ 4.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Melbain Spence +6.0 pts higher in Melba gap widening
34.2% 34th pct 28.2% 12th pct
Recent arrivals in Melbain Spence +5.4 pts higher in Melba gap widening
12.1% 57th pct 6.7% 26th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Melbain Spence +0.6 pts higher in Spence gap steady
3.9% 31st pct 4.6% 50th pct
Participation in Melbain Spence +0.7 pts higher in Spence gap narrowing
65.0% 66th pct 65.8% 70th pct
Full-time in Melbain Spence +1.2 pts higher in Melba gap steady
63.1% 79th pct 61.9% 73rd pct

Industries people work in

25.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.2 pts 25.2%
10.2% Health care & social assistance +2.3 pts ▸ 12.5%
12.4% Education & training ◂ +1.3 pts 11.1%
11.9% Professional & technical ◂ +2.8 pts 9.1%
8.7% Construction +1.9 pts ▸ 10.6%
7.8% Retail trade ◂ +1.0 pts 6.7%
4.4% Accommodation & food +0.3 pts ▸ 4.8%
3.7% Other services even 3.7%
2.7% Administrative & support +0.7 pts ▸ 3.4%
2.4% Arts & recreation ◂ +0.6 pts 1.8%
1.2% Manufacturing +0.7 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.7% Media & telecommunications +0.1 pts ▸ 1.8%

Occupations people work in

30.7% Professionals ◂ +4.8 pts 25.9%
18.2% Managers ◂ +2.4 pts 15.8%
13.8% Clerical & administrative +3.0 pts ▸ 16.9%
12.2% Technicians & trades +1.7 pts ▸ 14.0%
9.8% Community & personal service +1.7 pts ▸ 11.5%
6.2% Sales workers +0.5 pts ▸ 6.7%
5.2% Labourers +0.7 pts ▸ 5.8%
2.2% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.4 pts 1.8%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Melbain Spence even
8 71st pct 8 71st pct
IRSD decile in Melbain Spence even
8 71st pct 8 71st pct
IER decile in Melbain Spence even
8 71st pct 8 71st pct
IEO decile in Melbain Spence +1 higher in Melba
9 86th pct 8 71st pct
IRSAD score in Melbain Spence +5 higher in Melba
1,064 76th pct 1,059 74th pct
ERP in Melbain Spence +889 higher in Melba
3,424 12th pct 2,535 9th pct
Growth in Melbain Spence +2.8 pts higher in Melba
1.8% 26th pct -1.0% 7th pct
Businesses in Melbain Spence +21 higher in Melba
146 6th pct 125 5th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Melbain Spence even
855 49th pct 855 49th pct
Max temp in Melbain Spence even
21.0 29th pct 21.0 29th pct
Min temp in Melbain Spence even
6.9 2nd pct 6.9 2nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Melbain Spence +1.0 higher in Spence
6.1 60th pct 7.1 75th pct
Types ≤15 min in Melbain Spence +1.4 more in Spence
6.3 65th pct 7.7 87th pct
15-min city in Melbain Spence +13.3 pts higher in Spence
82.1% 64th pct 95.4% 79th pct
Walk to shops in Melbain Spence +14.4 pts higher in Spence
79.5% 65th pct 93.9% 80th pct
Walk to transit in Melbain Spence even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to school in Melbain Spence +8.0 pts higher in Melba
97.4% 81st pct 89.4% 67th pct
Walk to a park in Melbain Spence even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to health in Melbain Spence +88.6 pts higher in Spence
6.7% 14th pct 95.3% 90th pct
Amenities/1k in Melbain Spence +1.0 more in Melba
15.7 58th pct 14.7 53rd pct
Intersections/km² in Melbain Spence +51 higher in Melba
316 85th pct 265 79th pct
Mean slope in Melbain Spence +0.4 pts higher in Melba
6.4% 66th pct 6.0% 61st pct

Compare Melba with nearby areas

Flynn Evatt Spence Florey Fraser Charnwood McKellar Latham

Compare Spence with nearby areas

Evatt Melba Gooromon Fraser McKellar Flynn Hall Charnwood

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Melba vs Spence [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/801011022/melba/vs/801011025/spence