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Outback - North vs Outback - South

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 572 km apart · Outback - North profile · Outback - South profile

Outback - North Outback - South

Outback - North and Outback - South are distant regions with very different profiles. Outback - North is much younger, with a typical resident aged 32 and a far higher share of children under 15 (22.6%). It has a far higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 27.0% and a larger share of households earning $3,000 or more a week (24.6%). In contrast, residents are far older in Outback - South, where the typical age is 42 and 19.4% of people are aged 65 and over. This area also has a much higher share of homes owned outright (38.4%) and far more separate houses.

The gap in home ownership has widened since 2011, as Outback - South has moved further ahead in homes owned outright. Despite this, both areas are similar in other ways, such as the share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher and the percentage of recent arrivals from overseas. Life in both places is largely car-dependent, with neither area having any public transport stops or departures per 1,000 people.

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Where they differ most

Owned outright: 18.8 pts higher in Outback - South Median age: 10 yrs older in Outback - South First Nations: 15.3 pts higher in Outback - North Separate houses: 15.2 pts higher in Outback - South Renting: 14.8 pts higher in Outback - North

Demographics & Identity

Population in Outback - Northin Outback - South +13,139 larger in Outback - North gap steady
30,377 22nd pct 17,238 12th pct
Median age in Outback - Northin Outback - South +10 yrs older in Outback - South gap widening
32 yrs 4th pct 42 yrs 67th pct
First Nations in Outback - Northin Outback - South +15.3 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
27.0% 95th pct 11.8% 88th pct
Aged 65+ in Outback - Northin Outback - South +10.0 pts higher in Outback - South gap widening
9.4% 8th pct 19.4% 62nd pct
Under 15 in Outback - Northin Outback - South +4.2 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
22.6% 91st pct 18.4% 58th pct
De facto in Outback - Northin Outback - South +5.9 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
20.1% 100th pct 14.2% 77th pct

Age structure

30.8% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +7.1 pts 23.7%
23.3% Older adults (45–64) +5.1 pts ▸ 28.4%
22.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +4.2 pts 18.4%
9.4% Seniors (65+) +10.0 pts ▸ 19.4%
13.8% Youth (15–24) ◂ +3.8 pts 10.1%

Marital status

50.1% Never married ◂ +14.6 pts 35.5%
35.8% Married +10.3 pts ▸ 46.1%
7.4% Divorced +1.2 pts ▸ 8.6%
3.6% Widowed +2.7 pts ▸ 6.3%
3.2% Separated +0.3 pts ▸ 3.5%

Age & sex structure

Outback - North Outback - South

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Outback - Northin Outback - South +5.9 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
12.3% 25th pct 6.5% 0th pct

Country of birth

76.5% Australia +5.6 pts ▸ 82.1%
3.1% New Zealand ◂ +1.6 pts 1.4%
1.8% Philippines ◂ +1.4 pts 0.4%
1.1% England ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%
0.1% Vietnam +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.7% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.7% India ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%
0.2% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

31.9% Australian +10.5 pts ▸ 42.4%
27.0% English +10.2 pts ▸ 37.2%
8.4% Irish +2.8 pts ▸ 11.3%
6.9% Scottish +2.7 pts ▸ 9.6%
4.0% German +1.8 pts ▸ 5.8%
2.6% Filipino ◂ +2.0 pts 0.5%
2.1% Italian ◂ +1.0 pts 1.1%
1.2% Chinese ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%
0.9% Dutch ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%
0.7% Indian ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.3% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Other language in Outback - Northin Outback - South +5.1 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
8.3% 41st pct 3.2% 4th pct
Limited English in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.1 pts higher in Outback - South gap steady
0.5% 21st pct 0.6% 29th pct

Language used at home

80.5% English only +5.5 pts ▸ 86.0%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%
0.3% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.0%
0.1% Arabic even 0.0%
0.1% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Outback - Northin Outback - South +10.3 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
39.0% 38th pct 28.7% 13th pct

Religious affiliation

45.4% Christianity +12.8 pts ▸ 58.2%
39.0% No religion ◂ +10.3 pts 28.7%
12.8% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 12.2%
1.4% Other religions ◂ +1.2 pts 0.2%
0.5% Hinduism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.5% Buddhism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.3% Islam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Outback - Northin Outback - South +3.1 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
43.9% 31st pct 40.8% 22nd pct
Bachelor+ in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.9 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
12.3% 20th pct 11.4% 15th pct
Schools in Outback - Northin Outback - South +8 more in Outback - South
29 54th pct 37 71st pct
Schools/1k kids in Outback - Northin Outback - South +7.44 more in Outback - South
4.22 83rd pct 11.67 100th pct
Students in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2,822 more in Outback - North
5,305 21st pct 2,483 9th pct
Avg size in Outback - Northin Outback - South +116 larger in Outback - North
183 14th pct 67 0th pct
ICSEA in Outback - Northin Outback - South +50 higher in Outback - South
855 5th pct 906 10th pct

Highest year of school

43.9% Year 12 ◂ +3.1 pts 40.8%
23.7% Year 10 +2.5 pts ▸ 26.3%
11.5% Year 9 or below +2.5 pts ▸ 13.9%
7.4% Year 11 ◂ +1.4 pts 6.1%

Highest qualification level

37.4% Certificate III / IV ◂ +3.5 pts 33.8%
15.9% Bachelor degree even 15.9%
9.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.8 pts ▸ 12.5%
3.7% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.0 pts 2.6%
2.6% Certificate I / II +0.2 pts ▸ 2.8%
2.3% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.2 pts ▸ 2.5%

Field of qualification

22.0% Engineering & related ◂ +8.9 pts 13.1%
10.8% Management & commerce +0.2 pts ▸ 11.1%
8.8% Health +1.5 pts ▸ 10.3%
7.7% Education +1.3 pts ▸ 9.0%
7.8% Society & culture +0.5 pts ▸ 8.3%
3.0% Agriculture & environment +4.6 pts ▸ 7.6%
4.4% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 5.0%
4.4% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.5 pts ▸ 4.9%
1.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%
1.0% Creative arts +0.1 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.9% Information technology ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%

Income

Personal income in Outback - Northin Outback - South +$175 higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
$1,005 81st pct $830 60th pct
Household income in Outback - Northin Outback - South +$662 higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
$2,006 72nd pct $1,344 21st pct
Family income in Outback - Northin Outback - South +$503 higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
$2,328 72nd pct $1,825 33rd pct
High earners in Outback - Northin Outback - South +8.3 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
16.7% 77th pct 8.4% 38th pct
High-income homes in Outback - Northin Outback - South +12.2 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
24.6% 67th pct 12.5% 18th pct

Household income distribution

30.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.4 pts 26.0%
20.2% $650–$1,499 +7.5 pts ▸ 27.7%
13.2% Under $650 +7.4 pts ▸ 20.5%
12.6% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +5.9 pts 6.7%
12.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +6.2 pts 5.8%

Personal income distribution

31.0% Under $650 +3.4 pts ▸ 34.4%
26.2% $650–$1,499 +7.0 pts ▸ 33.1%
24.2% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +8.9 pts 15.3%
4.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 3.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Outback - Northin Outback - South +7.6 pts higher in Outback - South
20.5% 12th pct 28.1% 50th pct
Mental health in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.1 pts higher in Outback - South
4.9% 8th pct 7.0% 22nd pct
Needs assistance in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.0 pts higher in Outback - South gap steady
3.1% 8th pct 5.1% 38th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

6.7% Asthma +2.5 pts ▸ 9.2%
4.5% Arthritis +4.4 pts ▸ 8.9%
4.9% Mental health +2.1 pts ▸ 7.0%
5.0% Other condition +1.2 pts ▸ 6.2%
5.0% Diabetes +0.9 pts ▸ 5.9%
3.3% Heart disease +1.4 pts ▸ 4.7%
1.6% Cancer +1.3 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.2% Lung condition +1.1 pts ▸ 2.3%
0.6% Stroke +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.5% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

65.6% None ◂ +7.3 pts 58.3%
14.6% One condition +4.0 pts ▸ 18.6%
4.0% Two conditions +1.8 pts ▸ 5.8%
1.8% Three or more +2.0 pts ▸ 3.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Outback - Northin Outback - South +11.1 pts higher in Outback - South gap steady
14.6% 45th pct 25.7% 100th pct
Unpaid carers in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.5 pts higher in Outback - South gap steady
7.3% 5th pct 9.8% 14th pct
Unpaid child care in Outback - Northin Outback - South +5.0 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
27.1% 60th pct 22.1% 17th pct
Defence service in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.1 pts higher in Outback - North
2.7% 42nd pct 2.5% 37th pct
Housework 15h+ in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.0 pts higher in Outback - South gap narrowing
15.9% 12th pct 17.9% 19th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Outback - Northin Outback - South +6,180 larger in Outback - North
8,210 90th pct 2,030 62nd pct
Median age in Outback - Northin Outback - South +1 yrs older in Outback - South
25 yrs 57th pct 26 yrs 64th pct
Year 12 in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.9 pts higher in Outback - South
27.9% 14th pct 30.8% 22nd pct
Unemployment in Outback - Northin Outback - South +6.9 pts higher in Outback - North
16.0% 86th pct 9.1% 38th pct
Median income in Outback - Northin Outback - South +$111 higher in Outback - South
$435 9th pct $546 30th pct
Household income in Outback - Northin Outback - South +$159 higher in Outback - North
$1,317 22nd pct $1,158 9th pct
Indigenous language in Outback - Northin Outback - South +4.3 pts higher in Outback - North
7.6% 71st pct 3.3% 21st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.3 larger in Outback - North gap steady
2.6 71st pct 2.3 14th pct
One-parent in Outback - Northin Outback - South +5.1 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
19.5% 91st pct 14.4% 58th pct
Living alone in Outback - Northin Outback - South +5.7 pts higher in Outback - South gap steady
28.8% 67th pct 34.5% 92nd pct

Family composition

56.0% Couples with children ◂ +5.9 pts 50.0%
22.9% Couples without children +11.4 pts ▸ 34.3%
19.5% One-parent families ◂ +5.1 pts 14.4%
1.6% Other families ◂ +0.4 pts 1.3%

Household size

30.6% 2 people +4.9 pts ▸ 35.5%
28.8% 1 person +5.7 pts ▸ 34.5%
13.8% 3 people ◂ +2.1 pts 11.7%
13.4% 4 people ◂ +3.4 pts 10.0%
7.3% 5 people ◂ +2.0 pts 5.3%
6.0% 6 or more ◂ +3.0 pts 3.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Outback - Northin Outback - South +$60 higher in Outback - North gap widening
$220 10th pct $160 0th pct
Mortgage in Outback - Northin Outback - South +$590 higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
$1,500 27th pct $910 0th pct
People / bedroom in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.10 higher in Outback - North gap steady
0.90 86th pct 0.80 29th pct
Renting in Outback - Northin Outback - South +14.8 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
45.8% 89th pct 31.0% 61st pct
Owned outright in Outback - Northin Outback - South +18.8 pts higher in Outback - South gap widening
19.6% 12th pct 38.4% 74th pct
Separate houses in Outback - Northin Outback - South +15.2 pts higher in Outback - South gap widening
75.6% 35th pct 90.8% 77th pct
3+ bedrooms in Outback - Northin Outback - South +1.5 pts higher in Outback - South gap narrowing
69.6% 26th pct 71.0% 28th pct

How homes are owned or rented

45.8% Rented ◂ +14.8 pts 31.0%
19.6% Owned outright +18.8 pts ▸ 38.4%
24.3% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +4.0 pts 20.4%
6.0% Other tenure +1.6 pts ▸ 7.5%
4.3% Not stated ◂ +1.5 pts 2.8%

Types of homes

75.6% Separate house +15.2 pts ▸ 90.8%
12.9% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.7 pts 2.2%
4.6% Flat or apartment ◂ +2.2 pts 2.4%
4.6% Other dwelling ◂ +2.1 pts 2.5%

Bedrooms per home

45.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +3.6 pts 42.0%
18.8% 4 bedrooms +2.1 pts ▸ 20.8%
17.8% 2 bedrooms +1.5 pts ▸ 19.3%
5.2% 5 or more +3.1 pts ▸ 8.2%
7.5% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.2 pts 6.3%
1.0% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

Weekly rent distribution

39.7% Under $200 +18.9 pts ▸ 58.7%
27.8% $200–$349 ◂ +0.3 pts 27.5%
21.0% $350–$549 ◂ +17.9 pts 3.1%
3.2% $550–$749 ◂ +3.2 pts 0.0%
0.6% $750 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

23.0% Under $1,000 +26.4 pts ▸ 49.4%
38.0% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +9.5 pts 28.5%
24.4% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +16.9 pts 7.4%
6.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 6.3%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Outback - Northin Outback - South +3.0 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
9.8% 85th pct 6.8% 68th pct
Work from home in Outback - Northin Outback - South +9.8 pts higher in Outback - South gap steady
6.1% 10th pct 15.8% 61st pct
PT commute in Outback - Northin Outback - South +1.0 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
1.1% 37th pct 0.2% 3rd pct
PT stops in Outback - Northin Outback - South even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct
Stops/1k in Outback - Northin Outback - South even
0.00 0th pct 0.00 0th pct
Departures/1k in Outback - Northin Outback - South even
0.0 0th pct 0.0 0th pct
PT routes in Outback - Northin Outback - South even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

60.6% Car (driver) ◂ +7.0 pts 53.6%
6.1% Worked at home +9.8 pts ▸ 15.8%
9.1% Walked +3.7 pts ▸ 12.8%
7.1% Car (passenger) ◂ +2.6 pts 4.5%
0.8% Bicycle +0.5 pts ▸ 1.2%
1.1% Bus ◂ +1.0 pts 0.1%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

34.9% 1 vehicle +2.4 pts ▸ 37.3%
35.5% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.5 pts 32.0%
12.1% 3 vehicles +1.1 pts ▸ 13.3%
7.8% 4 or more +2.8 pts ▸ 10.6%
9.8% No vehicle ◂ +3.0 pts 6.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Outback - Northin Outback - South +4.4 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
39.7% 56th pct 35.3% 30th pct
Recent arrivals in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.1 pts higher in Outback - South gap narrowing
18.5% 77th pct 18.6% 77th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Outback - Northin Outback - South +1.7 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
4.4% 38th pct 2.7% 0th pct
Participation in Outback - Northin Outback - South +1.4 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
63.7% 68th pct 62.3% 58th pct
Full-time in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.1 pts higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
72.8% 100th pct 70.7% 98th pct

Industries people work in

8.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +15.4 pts ▸ 23.9%
23.3% Mining ◂ +22.4 pts 0.9%
8.7% Public administration & safety +3.7 pts ▸ 12.4%
10.5% Health care & social assistance +0.9 pts ▸ 11.4%
8.2% Education & training even 8.2%
5.1% Construction +2.0 pts ▸ 7.2%
6.9% Retail trade even 6.8%
5.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.5 pts 5.0%
4.1% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.2 pts 3.8%
3.7% Other services ◂ +0.7 pts 3.0%
2.6% Manufacturing even 2.6%
2.6% Administrative & support ◂ +0.4 pts 2.2%

Occupations people work in

11.3% Managers +11.8 pts ▸ 23.1%
18.4% Technicians & trades ◂ +6.9 pts 11.6%
12.4% Labourers +5.0 pts ▸ 17.4%
15.4% Professionals ◂ +3.4 pts 12.0%
14.2% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +7.1 pts 7.1%
10.5% Clerical & administrative +0.3 pts ▸ 10.8%
9.8% Community & personal service +0.2 pts ▸ 10.1%
5.7% Sales workers ◂ +0.3 pts 5.3%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Outback - Northin Outback - South +13,279 higher in Outback - North
30,954 17th pct 17,675 9th pct
Growth in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.0 pts higher in Outback - South
-0.6% 2nd pct 1.5% 12th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Outback - Northin Outback - South +189 higher in Outback - North
548 17th pct 360 4th pct
Max temp in Outback - Northin Outback - South +2.9 higher in Outback - North
34.8 100th pct 31.9 95th pct
Min temp in Outback - Northin Outback - South +3.6 higher in Outback - North
19.2 96th pct 15.6 85th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.6 higher in Outback - South
2.8 14th pct 3.4 23rd pct
Types ≤15 min in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.7 more in Outback - South
3.3 17th pct 4.0 32nd pct
15-min city in Outback - Northin Outback - South +21.2 pts higher in Outback - South
34.6% 15th pct 55.8% 48th pct
Walk to shops in Outback - Northin Outback - South +12.5 pts higher in Outback - South
39.6% 22nd pct 52.1% 42nd pct
Walk to transit in Outback - Northin Outback - South even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Outback - Northin Outback - South +7.9 pts higher in Outback - North
65.8% 50th pct 58.0% 40th pct
Walk to a park in Outback - Northin Outback - South +7.5 pts higher in Outback - North
71.7% 29th pct 64.1% 20th pct
Walk to health in Outback - Northin Outback - South +15.5 pts higher in Outback - South
35.7% 37th pct 51.1% 60th pct
Amenities/1k in Outback - Northin Outback - South +30.7 more in Outback - South
14.5 44th pct 45.1 97th pct
Intersections/km² in Outback - Northin Outback - South even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct
Mean slope in Outback - Northin Outback - South +0.6 pts higher in Outback - North
3.2% 9th pct 2.6% 0th pct

Compare Outback - North with nearby areas

Far North Charters Towers - Ayr - Ingham Tablelands (East) - Kuranda Outback - South Innisfail - Cassowary Coast Barkly Cairns - South Cairns - North

Compare Outback - South with nearby areas

Central Highlands Bowen Basin - North Outback - North Charters Towers - Ayr - Ingham Darling Downs (West) - Maranoa Townsville Broken Hill and Far West Mackay

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Outback - North vs Outback - South [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/31502/outback-north/vs/31503/outback-south