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Riverina vs Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

Name: Riverina vs Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 313 km apart · Riverina profile · Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven profile

Riverina Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

Riverina and Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven are two large New South Wales regions with similar population sizes but very different profiles. Riverina is a younger area where 19.6% of people are children, with a far higher share of recent overseas arrivals at 26.3%. In contrast, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven is much older, with a typical resident aged 48 and a high share of seniors (28%). These differences extend to housing costs, where typical weekly rent is $360 in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven compared to $270 in Riverina.

Both regions sit near the national figure for the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week. This common ground exists alongside diverging trends; for example, the gap in the number of people with no religion has widened since 2011, reaching 40.1% in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven and 27.4% in Riverina. Similarly, the gap in typical mortgage payments has grown, with Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven now paying $433 more per month than Riverina.

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Where they differ most

Recent arrivals: 18.9 pts higher in Riverina Full-time: 9.5 pts higher in Riverina Median age: 9 yrs older in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven Housework 15h+: 4.8 pts higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven Under 15: 3.3 pts higher in Riverina

Demographics & Identity

Population in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +2,650 larger in Riverina gap narrowing

163,656 37th pct 161,006 37th pct

Median age in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +9 yrs older in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven gap widening

39 yrs 43rd pct 48 yrs 94th pct

Age structure

19.2% Seniors (65+) +8.8 pts ▸ 28.0%

24.3% Older adults (45–64) +2.0 pts ▸ 26.3%

24.5% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.5 pts 20.0%

19.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.3 pts 16.2%

12.5% Youth (15–24) ◂ +3.0 pts 9.5%

Marital status

47.0% Married +2.1 pts ▸ 49.2%

35.4% Never married ◂ +5.8 pts 29.5%

7.9% Divorced +2.9 pts ▸ 10.8%

6.2% Widowed +0.8 pts ▸ 7.0%

3.5% Separated ◂ +0.1 pts 3.5%

Age & sex structure

Riverina Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

81.0% Australia ◂ +2.1 pts 78.9%

1.2% England +3.6 pts ▸ 4.8%

2.0% India ◂ +1.4 pts 0.6%

0.9% New Zealand +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.8% Philippines ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%

0.7% Italy ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.4% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.4% South Africa even 0.4%

0.2% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

37.3% English +6.3 pts ▸ 43.5%

38.7% Australian +0.7 pts ▸ 39.4%

11.7% Irish +0.7 pts ▸ 12.4%

9.7% Scottish +2.0 pts ▸ 11.7%

6.0% Italian ◂ +3.3 pts 2.7%

4.6% German ◂ +0.7 pts 3.9%

1.7% Indian ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%

1.0% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 1.5%

1.1% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%

0.9% Filipino ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

0.3% Greek +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

83.0% English only +5.3 pts ▸ 88.3%

1.1% Italian ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%

0.9% Punjabi ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%

0.6% Mandarin ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.1% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.3% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.3% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.2% Hindi even 0.1%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

59.4% Christianity ◂ +9.8 pts 49.7%

27.4% No religion +12.7 pts ▸ 40.1%

8.5% Not stated ◂ +0.9 pts 7.7%

1.6% Other religions ◂ +1.1 pts 0.5%

1.4% Hinduism ◂ +0.7 pts 0.8%

1.0% Islam ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

0.6% Buddhism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.0% Judaism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +64 more in Riverina

129 71st pct 65 14th pct

Schools/1k kids in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +1.54 more in Riverina

4.03 85th pct 2.49 59th pct

Students in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +4,774 more in Riverina

26,327 23rd pct 21,553 15th pct

Avg size in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +126 larger in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

206 15th pct 332 35th pct

ICSEA in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +32 higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

969 19th pct 1,001 43rd pct

Highest year of school

41.8% Year 12 +3.5 pts ▸ 45.2%

29.0% Year 10 +0.3 pts ▸ 29.2%

13.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.4 pts 11.7%

7.0% Year 11 ◂ +0.8 pts 6.2%

Highest qualification level

35.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +1.9 pts 33.2%

19.1% Bachelor degree +0.6 pts ▸ 19.7%

12.9% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.3 pts ▸ 15.2%

4.5% Postgraduate degree +2.2 pts ▸ 6.7%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.6 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.6% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.4 pts 2.2%

Field of qualification

15.6% Management & commerce +1.0 pts ▸ 16.6%

14.0% Engineering & related +0.8 pts ▸ 14.8%

9.7% Society & culture +2.0 pts ▸ 11.7%

11.0% Health ◂ +0.7 pts 10.2%

8.9% Education +0.2 pts ▸ 9.1%

5.4% Architecture & building +1.9 pts ▸ 7.3%

5.2% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.2 pts ▸ 5.4%

5.2% Agriculture & environment ◂ +2.6 pts 2.6%

2.0% Creative arts +1.4 pts ▸ 3.4%

1.8% Natural & physical sciences +0.3 pts ▸ 2.2%

1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%

Income

Personal income in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +$93 higher in Riverina gap widening

$776 49th pct $683 16th pct

Household income in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +$123 higher in Riverina gap widening

$1,480 33rd pct $1,357 19th pct

Family income in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +$176 higher in Riverina gap widening

$1,898 41st pct $1,722 21st pct

Household income distribution

29.0% $650–$1,499 +2.7 pts ▸ 31.7%

29.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.2 pts 26.6%

17.6% Under $650 +1.8 pts ▸ 19.4%

8.6% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.2 pts 7.4%

7.0% $4,000 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 7.9%

Personal income distribution

38.7% Under $650 +5.6 pts ▸ 44.3%

34.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.8 pts 30.9%

14.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.2 pts 13.6%

2.5% $3,000 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 3.5%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

10.2% Arthritis +3.7 pts ▸ 13.9%

10.7% Asthma ◂ +2.0 pts 8.8%

9.2% Mental health +1.2 pts ▸ 10.4%

7.1% Other condition +1.9 pts ▸ 8.9%

5.1% Diabetes +0.9 pts ▸ 5.9%

4.1% Heart disease +1.5 pts ▸ 5.6%

3.2% Cancer +1.2 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.4% Lung condition +0.5 pts ▸ 2.9%

1.1% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.8% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

58.5% None ◂ +2.7 pts 55.8%

20.3% One condition +1.8 pts ▸ 22.1%

6.9% Two conditions +1.5 pts ▸ 8.4%

4.0% Three or more +0.9 pts ▸ 4.9%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +2,565 larger in Riverina

10,822 74th pct 8,257 65th pct

Median age in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +2 yrs older in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

22 yrs 14th pct 24 yrs 43rd pct

Median income in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +$34 higher in Riverina

$592 50th pct $558 35th pct

Household income in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +$6 higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

$1,384 28th pct $1,390 29th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +0.1 larger in Riverina gap steady

2.5 57th pct 2.4 29th pct

Family composition

55.3% Couples with children ◂ +6.9 pts 48.4%

28.6% Couples without children +7.6 pts ▸ 36.2%

15.1% One-parent families ◂ +0.6 pts 14.4%

1.1% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

Household size

34.8% 2 people +5.2 pts ▸ 40.0%

28.0% 1 person ◂ +0.3 pts 27.7%

14.0% 3 people ◂ +1.2 pts 12.8%

12.8% 4 people ◂ +1.1 pts 11.7%

6.8% 5 people ◂ +1.5 pts 5.2%

3.5% 6 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 2.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +$90 higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven gap widening

$270 21st pct $360 57th pct

Mortgage in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +$433 higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven gap widening

$1,387 20th pct $1,820 50th pct

People / bedroom in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +0.10 higher in Riverina gap widening

0.80 29th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

35.8% Owned outright +8.8 pts ▸ 44.6%

30.8% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +2.0 pts 28.8%

28.7% Rented ◂ +6.1 pts 22.6%

2.8% Other tenure ◂ +0.5 pts 2.3%

1.9% Not stated ◂ +0.3 pts 1.6%

Types of homes

88.1% Separate house +0.1 pts ▸ 88.3%

4.3% Townhouse / semi-detached +3.3 pts ▸ 7.6%

6.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +4.4 pts 2.1%

0.7% Other dwelling +0.9 pts ▸ 1.6%

Bedrooms per home

41.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +2.2 pts 39.5%

31.5% 4 bedrooms +1.1 pts ▸ 32.6%

15.3% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.6 pts 14.6%

6.7% 5 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 8.4%

2.8% 1 bedroom +0.2 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.3% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

49.9% $200–$349 ◂ +18.7 pts 31.3%

21.5% $350–$549 +23.5 pts ▸ 45.1%

22.5% Under $200 ◂ +12.7 pts 9.8%

1.0% $550–$749 +6.9 pts ▸ 7.9%

0.3% $750 or more +1.8 pts ▸ 2.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

42.2% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +14.1 pts 28.1%

20.7% $1,800–$2,999 +11.8 pts ▸ 32.5%

24.4% Under $1,000 ◂ +6.7 pts 17.7%

6.9% $3,000 or more +8.8 pts ▸ 15.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +371 more in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

723 31st pct 1,094 50th pct

Stops/1k in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +2.38 more in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

4.42 42nd pct 6.79 95th pct

Departures/1k in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +21.6 more in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

189.1 17th pct 210.8 20th pct

PT routes in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +4 more in Riverina

70 44th pct 66 40th pct

How people get to work

68.2% Car (driver) ◂ +7.8 pts 60.4%

8.9% Worked at home +7.6 pts ▸ 16.5%

6.1% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.7 pts 4.4%

4.2% Walked ◂ +1.4 pts 2.8%

0.4% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.3% Bicycle even 0.4%

0.0% Train +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Motor vehicles per home

37.5% 2 vehicles +0.9 pts ▸ 38.4%

33.6% 1 vehicle +3.3 pts ▸ 36.9%

14.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.6 pts 12.9%

8.8% 4 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 7.8%

5.7% No vehicle ◂ +1.6 pts 4.1%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

14.1% Health care & social assistance +1.0 pts ▸ 15.1%

7.6% Construction +3.9 pts ▸ 11.4%

11.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +8.9 pts 2.4%

9.0% Retail trade +1.1 pts ▸ 10.0%

9.6% Manufacturing ◂ +4.3 pts 5.3%

9.1% Education & training ◂ +0.4 pts 8.7%

6.0% Accommodation & food +2.9 pts ▸ 8.9%

7.5% Public administration & safety +0.3 pts ▸ 7.8%

3.4% Professional & technical +2.5 pts ▸ 5.9%

4.0% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.7 pts 3.3%

2.8% Administrative & support +1.0 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.8% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 3.9%

Occupations people work in

16.2% Professionals +3.2 pts ▸ 19.3%

14.0% Technicians & trades +2.3 pts ▸ 16.3%

15.6% Managers ◂ +1.9 pts 13.7%

13.9% Labourers ◂ +3.5 pts 10.4%

12.4% Community & personal service +1.0 pts ▸ 13.4%

10.7% Clerical & administrative +0.2 pts ▸ 10.9%

8.1% Sales workers +1.0 pts ▸ 9.0%

7.1% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +1.9 pts 5.2%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +1,119 higher in Riverina

166,404 23rd pct 165,285 22nd pct

Growth in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +1.5 pts higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

1.3% 6th pct 2.8% 17th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +583 higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

547 21st pct 1,130 71st pct

Max temp in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +1.5 higher in Riverina

23.9 50th pct 22.3 30th pct

Min temp in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +2.0 higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

9.0 16th pct 10.9 43rd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven even

4.1 28th pct 4.1 28th pct

Types ≤15 min in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +0.2 more in Riverina

4.2 32nd pct 4.0 26th pct

15-min city in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +8.8 pts higher in Riverina

50.7% 36th pct 42.0% 16th pct

Walk to shops in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +3.0 pts higher in Riverina

42.6% 18th pct 39.7% 13th pct

Walk to transit in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +26.4 pts higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

52.9% 24th pct 79.3% 52nd pct

Walk to school in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +17.1 pts higher in Riverina

58.0% 39th pct 40.9% 12th pct

Walk to a park in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +5.5 pts higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

73.9% 29th pct 79.4% 38th pct

Walk to health in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +10.1 pts higher in Riverina

40.4% 45th pct 30.3% 14th pct

Amenities/1k in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +3.9 more in Riverina

20.8 83rd pct 16.9 57th pct

Intersections/km² in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +2 higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

1 17th pct 3 33rd pct

Mean slope in Riverina in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven +1.7 pts higher in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

4.4% 25th pct 6.2% 65th pct

Compare Riverina with nearby areas

Central West Australian Capital Territory Shepparton Hume Murray Latrobe - Gippsland Capital Region Melbourne - Outer East Melbourne - North East Bendigo Melbourne - North West Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

Compare Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven with nearby areas

Illawarra Sydney - Outer South West Sydney - Sutherland Sydney - South West Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Sydney - Inner South West Sydney - Parramatta Sydney - Inner West Sydney - City and Inner South Sydney - Blacktown Sydney - Eastern Suburbs Sydney - Ryde

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Riverina vs Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/113/riverina/vs/114/southern-highlands-and-shoalhaven