Compare

Ballarat vs Melbourne - Inner

Name: Ballarat vs Melbourne - Inner — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 119 km apart · Ballarat profile · Melbourne - Inner profile

Ballarat Melbourne - Inner

Melbourne - Inner and Ballarat offer very different lifestyles. Melbourne - Inner is a high-income, highly educated hub where 51.4% of adults have a bachelor degree and typical weekly pay is $1,137. It is a diverse area with 35.9% of people born overseas. In contrast, Ballarat is far older, with a typical resident aged 42 compared to 34 in Melbourne - Inner. Housing also differs sharply; 88.6% of Ballarat homes are separate houses, while Melbourne - Inner is dominated by flats and apartments, with 52.5% of households renting.

These two areas have grown further apart since 2011 across many measures. The gap in typical weekly income has widened to $432, and the difference in home ownership and education levels has also increased. While they track differently in most areas, they share a similar unemployment rate, sitting at 5.1% in Melbourne - Inner and 4.5% in Ballarat.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Population: 443,081 larger in Melbourne - Inner Year 12: 30.2 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner Bachelor+: 30.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner Renting: 27.1 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner Separate houses: 68.2 pts higher in Ballarat

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +443,081 larger in Melbourne - Inner gap widening

173,937 40th pct 617,018 92nd pct

Median age in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +8 yrs older in Ballarat gap widening

42 yrs 64th pct 34 yrs 1st pct

Age structure

23.7% Young adults (25–44) +19.5 pts ▸ 43.2%

26.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +5.2 pts 20.9%

21.0% Seniors (65+) ◂ +9.1 pts 11.9%

17.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +7.0 pts 10.9%

11.3% Youth (15–24) +1.8 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

36.5% Never married +20.3 pts ▸ 56.8%

43.7% Married ◂ +13.3 pts 30.4%

10.1% Divorced ◂ +2.8 pts 7.4%

6.0% Widowed ◂ +3.0 pts 3.0%

3.7% Separated ◂ +1.4 pts 2.4%

Age & sex structure

Ballarat Melbourne - Inner

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

82.8% Australia ◂ +24.0 pts 58.8%

0.4% China +3.5 pts ▸ 4.0%

2.7% England +0.6 pts ▸ 3.3%

1.1% India +1.7 pts ▸ 2.8%

1.0% New Zealand +1.4 pts ▸ 2.3%

0.2% Italy +1.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.1% Vietnam +1.2 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.5% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Nepal +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Ancestry

42.0% English ◂ +13.9 pts 28.2%

39.4% Australian ◂ +17.9 pts 21.5%

14.8% Irish ◂ +2.1 pts 12.6%

12.6% Scottish ◂ +3.2 pts 9.5%

1.4% Chinese +8.3 pts ▸ 9.7%

2.8% Italian +5.1 pts ▸ 7.9%

4.4% German ◂ +0.7 pts 3.7%

0.5% Greek +3.8 pts ▸ 4.3%

1.3% Indian +2.0 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.7% Dutch ◂ +1.2 pts 1.5%

0.2% Vietnamese +1.7 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.7% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%

Language

Language used at home

88.4% English only ◂ +22.4 pts 66.0%

0.6% Mandarin +4.5 pts ▸ 5.1%

0.1% Greek +2.5 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.2% Italian +2.0 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.1% Vietnamese +1.4 pts ▸ 1.6%

0.1% Cantonese +1.5 pts ▸ 1.6%

0.1% Arabic +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.2% Hindi +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.5% Punjabi ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Religion

Religious affiliation

48.0% No religion +3.1 pts ▸ 51.1%

41.6% Christianity ◂ +10.5 pts 31.0%

7.5% Not stated ◂ +0.3 pts 7.2%

0.7% Buddhism +2.5 pts ▸ 3.2%

0.5% Islam +2.3 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.8% Hinduism +1.9 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.1% Judaism +1.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.8% Other religions ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +52 more in Melbourne - Inner

95 38th pct 147 84th pct

Schools/1k kids in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +0.86 more in Ballarat

3.06 68th pct 2.20 51st pct

Students in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +50,482 more in Melbourne - Inner

28,337 26th pct 78,819 86th pct

Avg size in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +246 larger in Melbourne - Inner

301 31st pct 547 73rd pct

ICSEA in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +90 higher in Melbourne - Inner

1,028 57th pct 1,118 91st pct

Highest year of school

49.2% Year 12 +30.2 pts ▸ 79.4%

17.2% Year 10 ◂ +12.8 pts 4.3%

14.2% Year 11 ◂ +9.1 pts 5.1%

12.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +7.3 pts 4.8%

Highest qualification level

22.2% Bachelor degree +19.4 pts ▸ 41.6%

31.4% Certificate III / IV ◂ +22.5 pts 9.0%

7.3% Postgraduate degree +13.0 pts ▸ 20.3%

15.1% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +3.7 pts 11.3%

5.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.6 pts ▸ 5.6%

2.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.4 pts 0.7%

Field of qualification

14.0% Management & commerce +7.6 pts ▸ 21.6%

12.9% Society & culture +2.6 pts ▸ 15.5%

12.5% Engineering & related ◂ +4.5 pts 8.0%

12.3% Health ◂ +2.8 pts 9.5%

10.1% Education ◂ +4.3 pts 5.9%

4.0% Creative arts +5.5 pts ▸ 9.5%

6.1% Architecture & building ◂ +1.6 pts 4.5%

5.2% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.8 pts 3.3%

2.1% Natural & physical sciences +2.7 pts ▸ 4.8%

2.3% Information technology +2.5 pts ▸ 4.8%

3.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +2.1 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +$432 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening

$705 22nd pct $1,137 86th pct

Household income in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +$630 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening

$1,376 22nd pct $2,006 76th pct

Family income in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +$1,033 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening

$1,800 29th pct $2,833 88th pct

Household income distribution

30.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +9.7 pts 21.3%

28.0% $1,500–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 29.9%

19.7% Under $650 ◂ +5.2 pts 14.4%

6.9% $4,000 or more +12.0 pts ▸ 18.9%

7.8% $3,000–$3,999 +2.8 pts ▸ 10.6%

Personal income distribution

43.3% Under $650 ◂ +13.5 pts 29.8%

31.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.5 pts 28.4%

14.2% $1,500–$2,999 +10.8 pts ▸ 25.1%

3.0% $3,000 or more +7.1 pts ▸ 10.1%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

12.5% Mental health ◂ +2.2 pts 10.3%

11.3% Arthritis ◂ +6.2 pts 5.1%

10.8% Asthma ◂ +2.8 pts 8.0%

9.5% Other condition ◂ +2.0 pts 7.6%

5.3% Diabetes ◂ +2.6 pts 2.7%

5.0% Heart disease ◂ +2.6 pts 2.4%

3.6% Cancer ◂ +1.4 pts 2.2%

2.7% Lung condition ◂ +1.9 pts 0.8%

1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%

0.8% Dementia ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.4% None +11.3 pts ▸ 67.7%

22.6% One condition ◂ +4.0 pts 18.6%

8.1% Two conditions ◂ +3.6 pts 4.6%

4.4% Three or more ◂ +2.7 pts 1.7%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +266 larger in Melbourne - Inner

3,080 30th pct 3,346 33rd pct

Median age in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +7 yrs older in Melbourne - Inner

22 yrs 14th pct 29 yrs 86th pct

Median income in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +$363 higher in Melbourne - Inner

$539 28th pct $902 88th pct

Household income in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +$553 higher in Melbourne - Inner

$1,387 29th pct $1,940 86th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +0.4 larger in Ballarat gap widening

2.4 29th pct 2.0 2nd pct

Family composition

52.8% Couples with children ◂ +6.1 pts 46.7%

30.2% Couples without children +9.7 pts ▸ 39.9%

16.0% One-parent families ◂ +5.2 pts 10.8%

1.0% Other families +1.5 pts ▸ 2.6%

Household size

30.2% 1 person +8.9 pts ▸ 39.1%

35.6% 2 people +0.4 pts ▸ 36.0%

13.6% 3 people ◂ +0.9 pts 12.7%

12.7% 4 people ◂ +3.7 pts 9.0%

5.6% 5 people ◂ +3.1 pts 2.5%

2.3% 6 or more ◂ +1.6 pts 0.7%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +$111 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing

$290 28th pct $401 72nd pct

Mortgage in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +$737 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap narrowing

$1,430 23rd pct $2,167 82nd pct

People / bedroom in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +0.30 higher in Melbourne - Inner gap widening

0.70 0th pct 1.00 93rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

25.4% Rented +27.1 pts ▸ 52.5%

37.1% Owned outright ◂ +15.6 pts 21.4%

34.3% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +10.7 pts 23.6%

1.7% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%

1.6% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 1.1%

Types of homes

88.6% Separate house ◂ +68.2 pts 20.3%

1.9% Flat or apartment +55.4 pts ▸ 57.3%

8.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +12.8 pts ▸ 21.6%

0.5% Other dwelling even 0.6%

Bedrooms per home

47.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +23.5 pts 24.0%

16.1% 2 bedrooms +27.4 pts ▸ 43.5%

27.0% 4 bedrooms ◂ +19.5 pts 7.5%

3.4% 1 bedroom +17.6 pts ▸ 21.0%

4.2% 5 or more ◂ +2.5 pts 1.8%

0.2% Studio / none +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%

Weekly rent distribution

53.1% $200–$349 ◂ +30.5 pts 22.6%

24.7% $350–$549 +19.8 pts ▸ 44.5%

17.2% Under $200 ◂ +9.9 pts 7.3%

0.9% $550–$749 +14.3 pts ▸ 15.2%

0.5% $750 or more +7.2 pts ▸ 7.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.9% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +19.3 pts 22.6%

6.5% $3,000 or more +24.2 pts ▸ 30.6%

22.4% $1,800–$2,999 +6.8 pts ▸ 29.2%

23.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +12.0 pts 11.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +1,661 more in Melbourne - Inner

907 40th pct 2,568 88th pct

Stops/1k in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +1.05 more in Ballarat

5.21 70th pct 4.16 33rd pct

Departures/1k in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +2,155.4 more in Melbourne - Inner

737.9 47th pct 2,893.3 99th pct

PT routes in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +124 more in Melbourne - Inner

50 27th pct 174 89th pct

How people get to work

60.8% Car (driver) ◂ +36.9 pts 23.9%

16.3% Worked at home +25.9 pts ▸ 42.2%

2.6% Walked +3.5 pts ▸ 6.1%

4.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +3.0 pts 1.5%

0.5% Bicycle +2.3 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.3% Train +2.4 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.4% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

Motor vehicles per home

35.1% 1 vehicle +14.2 pts ▸ 49.3%

37.6% 2 vehicles ◂ +17.3 pts 20.3%

5.1% No vehicle +19.6 pts ▸ 24.7%

13.7% 3 vehicles ◂ +9.7 pts 4.0%

8.5% 4 or more ◂ +6.8 pts 1.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.6% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.9 pts 12.7%

5.2% Professional & technical +11.1 pts ▸ 16.3%

9.9% Construction ◂ +4.6 pts 5.3%

9.8% Education & training ◂ +0.3 pts 9.6%

9.5% Retail trade ◂ +1.7 pts 7.8%

7.0% Accommodation & food +1.1 pts ▸ 8.0%

7.5% Manufacturing ◂ +3.8 pts 3.7%

6.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.1 pts 6.3%

1.7% Finance & insurance +4.6 pts ▸ 6.3%

3.8% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +3.5 pts 0.3%

3.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.9 pts 2.9%

3.5% Other services ◂ +0.7 pts 2.8%

Occupations people work in

20.7% Professionals +19.7 pts ▸ 40.4%

12.9% Managers +3.8 pts ▸ 16.8%

14.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +7.0 pts 7.5%

13.2% Community & personal service ◂ +4.1 pts 9.1%

11.8% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.4 pts 11.3%

10.6% Labourers ◂ +6.2 pts 4.4%

8.8% Sales workers ◂ +2.1 pts 6.7%

5.8% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.7 pts 2.0%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +529,208 higher in Melbourne - Inner

184,285 27th pct 713,493 92nd pct

Growth in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +7.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

6.3% 55th pct 13.8% 99th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +156 higher in Ballarat

787 46th pct 631 28th pct

Max temp in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +2.2 higher in Melbourne - Inner

18.2 10th pct 20.4 17th pct

Min temp in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +3.4 higher in Melbourne - Inner

7.9 10th pct 11.3 46th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +4.6 higher in Melbourne - Inner

4.7 44th pct 9.3 100th pct

Types ≤15 min in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +3.3 more in Melbourne - Inner

4.6 45th pct 7.9 100th pct

15-min city in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +46.2 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

53.5% 43rd pct 99.7% 100th pct

Walk to shops in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +46.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

53.0% 43rd pct 99.5% 100th pct

Walk to transit in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +34.5 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

65.5% 39th pct 100.0% 100th pct

Walk to school in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +40.9 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

57.9% 39th pct 98.8% 100th pct

Walk to a park in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +19.7 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

80.2% 39th pct 99.8% 97th pct

Walk to health in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +58.4 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

40.2% 45th pct 98.7% 100th pct

Amenities/1k in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +1.2 more in Ballarat

17.9 67th pct 16.7 55th pct

Intersections/km² in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +593 higher in Melbourne - Inner

4 36th pct 597 100th pct

Mean slope in Ballarat in Melbourne - Inner +1.3 pts higher in Melbourne - Inner

5.1% 38th pct 6.4% 71st pct

Compare Ballarat with nearby areas

Geelong Bendigo Melbourne - West Melbourne - North West Melbourne - Inner Melbourne - Inner South Melbourne - Inner East Melbourne - North East Mornington Peninsula Warrnambool and South West Melbourne - Outer East Melbourne - South East

Compare Melbourne - Inner with nearby areas

Melbourne - Inner South Melbourne - Inner East Melbourne - North East Melbourne - West Melbourne - North West Melbourne - Outer East Mornington Peninsula Melbourne - South East Geelong Ballarat Hume Bendigo

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballarat vs Melbourne - Inner [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/201/ballarat/vs/206/melbourne-inner