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Illawarra vs Sydney - City and Inner South
Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 69 km apart · Illawarra profile · Sydney - City and Inner South profile
Illawarra Sydney - City and Inner South
Sydney - City and Inner South and Illawarra are two distinct New South Wales regions with very different lifestyles. Sydney - City and Inner South is a dense urban hub where 69.4% of homes are flats or apartments and 58.9% of households rent. It is highly international, with 45.5% of people born overseas and 35.0% using a language other than English at home. In contrast, Illawarra is more suburban, with 71.7% of people living in separate houses and 35.1% owning their homes outright. Education and income levels are also far higher in Sydney - City and Inner South, where 48.7% of adults hold a bachelor degree and 33.9% of households earn $3,000 or more a week.
Both areas sit near the national figure for unemployment, with rates of 5.3% and 4.6%. They also share similar levels of community involvement, with about 12% of residents in both areas volunteering. However, the gaps between them are widening in several areas. Since 2011, the difference in the number of people born overseas and those working from home has grown, and the divide in housing types and rental rates has become more pronounced.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 275,983
- First area, 2016: 293,494
- First area, 2021: 313,842
- Second area, 2011: 264,544
- Second area, 2016: 315,551
- Second area, 2021: 331,340
- First area, 2011: 38 yrs
- First area, 2016: 39 yrs
- First area, 2021: 40 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 33 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 33 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 34 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Illawarra: 1.0% males, 1.6% females; 85+ in Sydney - City and Inner South: 0.5% males, 0.7% females
- 80–84 in Illawarra: 1.2% males, 1.5% females; 80–84 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 0.6% males, 0.7% females
- 75–79 in Illawarra: 1.7% males, 1.9% females; 75–79 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 0.9% males, 1.0% females
- 70–74 in Illawarra: 2.4% males, 2.5% females; 70–74 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 1.4% males, 1.4% females
- 65–69 in Illawarra: 2.6% males, 2.9% females; 65–69 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 1.6% males, 1.7% females
- 60–64 in Illawarra: 3.0% males, 3.2% females; 60–64 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 2.1% males, 1.9% females
- 55–59 in Illawarra: 3.1% males, 3.2% females; 55–59 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 2.6% males, 2.2% females
- 50–54 in Illawarra: 3.0% males, 3.1% females; 50–54 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 2.9% males, 2.5% females
- 45–49 in Illawarra: 3.1% males, 3.3% females; 45–49 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 3.3% males, 2.8% females
- 40–44 in Illawarra: 3.0% males, 3.1% females; 40–44 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 4.0% males, 3.4% females
- 35–39 in Illawarra: 3.0% males, 3.2% females; 35–39 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 5.6% males, 4.9% females
- 30–34 in Illawarra: 3.1% males, 3.2% females; 30–34 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 7.4% males, 6.9% females
- 25–29 in Illawarra: 3.3% males, 3.2% females; 25–29 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 7.3% males, 7.3% females
- 20–24 in Illawarra: 3.5% males, 3.3% females; 20–24 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 4.6% males, 4.8% females
- 15–19 in Illawarra: 3.1% males, 3.0% females; 15–19 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 1.5% males, 1.6% females
- 10–14 in Illawarra: 3.2% males, 3.0% females; 10–14 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 1.4% males, 1.3% females
- 5–9 in Illawarra: 3.1% males, 2.9% females; 5–9 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 1.6% males, 1.5% females
- 0–4 in Illawarra: 2.9% males, 2.7% females; 0–4 in Sydney - City and Inner South: 2.1% males, 2.0% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $493
- First area, 2016: $591
- First area, 2021: $753
- Second area, 2011: $797
- Second area, 2016: $904
- Second area, 2021: $1,174
- First area, 2011: $1,116
- First area, 2016: $1,352
- First area, 2021: $1,684
- Second area, 2011: $1,569
- Second area, 2016: $1,894
- Second area, 2021: $2,207
- First area, 2011: $1,413
- First area, 2016: $1,679
- First area, 2021: $2,109
- Second area, 2011: $2,039
- Second area, 2016: $2,369
- Second area, 2021: $2,887
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 2.6
- First area, 2016: 2.6
- First area, 2021: 2.5
- Second area, 2011: 2.1
- Second area, 2016: 2.2
- Second area, 2021: 2.1
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $250
- First area, 2016: $330
- First area, 2021: $400
- Second area, 2011: $430
- Second area, 2016: $550
- Second area, 2021: $550
- First area, 2011: $1,950
- First area, 2016: $1,950
- First area, 2021: $2,167
- Second area, 2011: $2,500
- Second area, 2016: $2,500
- Second area, 2021: $2,700
- First area, 2011: 1.10
- First area, 2016: 0.80
- First area, 2021: 0.80
- Second area, 2011: 1.20
- Second area, 2016: 1.10
- Second area, 2021: 1.10
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Economy & Advantage
Environment & Climate
Walkability
Compare Illawarra with nearby areas
Compare Sydney - City and Inner South with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Illawarra vs Sydney - City and Inner South [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/107/illawarra/vs/117/sydney-city-and-inner-south