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Balgownie vs Fairy Meadow

Name: Balgownie vs Fairy Meadow — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 1.7 km apart · Balgownie profile · Fairy Meadow profile

Balgownie Fairy Meadow

Fairy Meadow and Balgownie are neighbouring areas with very different layouts and lifestyles. Fairy Meadow is very walkable and has a high proportion of renters at 41.4%, while Balgownie is more car-dependent and homeowners are more likely to own their place outright (45.8%). Fairy Meadow is a hub for services, with a far higher number of schools per 1,000 children (3.57 compared to 0.95 in Balgownie) and much better access to groceries and health services within a 15-minute walk. Balgownie tends to be wealthier and more established, with a typical weekly household income of $1,912, which is $505 higher than the typical income in Fairy Meadow.

Both areas are about an hour's drive from the city and share very similar proportions of First Nations people. While they are close by, they have diverged in other ways. Fairy Meadow has seen more recent growth, with 39.9% of people moving in over the last five years and a higher share of recent overseas arrivals (17.9%). In contrast, Balgownie has a more stable population and a higher share of larger homes, with 86.1% having three or more bedrooms compared to 58.7% in Fairy Meadow.

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Where they differ most

3+ bedrooms: 27.4 pts higher in Balgownie Renting: 19.6 pts higher in Fairy Meadow Separate houses: 14.5 pts higher in Balgownie Recent arrivals: 12.9 pts higher in Fairy Meadow Owned outright: 11.3 pts higher in Balgownie

Demographics & Identity

Population in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +1,790 larger in Fairy Meadow gap widening

5,722 86th pct 7,512 87th pct

Median age in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +4 yrs older in Balgownie gap widening

42 yrs 38th pct 38 yrs 23rd pct

Age structure

23.1% Young adults (25–44) +3.2 pts ▸ 26.3%

25.8% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.3 pts 23.5%

21.4% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.7 pts 19.8%

18.4% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.5 pts 14.9%

11.1% Youth (15–24) +4.6 pts ▸ 15.7%

Marital status

51.7% Married ◂ +13.2 pts 38.5%

31.3% Never married +10.5 pts ▸ 41.8%

8.8% Divorced +0.9 pts ▸ 9.7%

5.8% Widowed +0.6 pts ▸ 6.4%

2.4% Separated +1.3 pts ▸ 3.7%

Age & sex structure

Balgownie Fairy Meadow

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

77.1% Australia ◂ +8.5 pts 68.6%

3.0% Italy ◂ +0.6 pts 2.4%

2.8% England +0.2 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.8% India +1.7 pts ▸ 2.5%

0.4% Vietnam +1.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

1.2% China +0.5 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.9% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.4% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.1% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Ancestry

34.5% English ◂ +3.0 pts 31.5%

32.9% Australian ◂ +2.0 pts 31.0%

13.7% Italian ◂ +4.1 pts 9.6%

10.3% Irish ◂ +1.2 pts 9.1%

10.0% Scottish ◂ +1.2 pts 8.8%

2.2% Chinese +1.4 pts ▸ 3.6%

3.5% German ◂ +0.3 pts 3.2%

1.6% Indian +0.9 pts ▸ 2.5%

1.9% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.3% Vietnamese +1.5 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.7% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 1.4%

0.5% Filipino +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%

Language

Language used at home

80.5% English only ◂ +8.3 pts 72.3%

3.6% Italian ◂ +0.7 pts 2.9%

0.3% Vietnamese +1.6 pts ▸ 1.9%

1.4% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

1.4% Arabic even 1.4%

0.6% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Cantonese +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.0% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Religion

Religious affiliation

54.8% Christianity ◂ +6.9 pts 47.8%

36.2% No religion ◂ +0.4 pts 35.8%

4.0% Not stated +3.3 pts ▸ 7.2%

2.7% Islam +2.0 pts ▸ 4.7%

1.1% Hinduism +0.9 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.9% Buddhism +1.1 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.3% Other religions +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +2.62 more in Fairy Meadow

0.95 7th pct 3.57 48th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +8 more in Fairy Meadow

24 87th pct 32 89th pct

Avg size in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +69 larger in Fairy Meadow

349 53rd pct 418 61st pct

ICSEA in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +15 higher in Fairy Meadow

1,054 79th pct 1,068 84th pct

Highest year of school

55.6% Year 12 ◂ +1.2 pts 54.4%

23.8% Year 10 ◂ +1.5 pts 22.3%

11.3% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.1 pts 11.1%

4.9% Year 11 +0.3 pts ▸ 5.2%

Highest qualification level

26.9% Certificate III / IV +1.7 pts ▸ 28.7%

28.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +4.3 pts 24.0%

15.6% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.3 pts 14.3%

9.9% Postgraduate degree +1.3 pts ▸ 11.2%

4.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.1 pts 2.8%

1.8% Certificate I / II +0.5 pts ▸ 2.3%

Field of qualification

21.2% Management & commerce ◂ +3.9 pts 17.4%

17.7% Engineering & related ◂ +0.7 pts 17.1%

11.3% Society & culture +0.4 pts ▸ 11.7%

10.9% Health ◂ +1.0 pts 9.8%

10.4% Education ◂ +2.6 pts 7.8%

6.1% Architecture & building ◂ +0.9 pts 5.2%

3.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.5 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.4% Creative arts +0.7 pts ▸ 4.1%

2.2% Information technology +1.3 pts ▸ 3.5%

2.8% Natural & physical sciences +0.6 pts ▸ 3.4%

1.4% Agriculture & environment even 1.3%

Income

Personal income in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +$138 higher in Balgownie gap widening

$812 61st pct $674 36th pct

Household income in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +$505 higher in Balgownie gap widening

$1,912 71st pct $1,407 41st pct

Family income in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +$449 higher in Balgownie gap narrowing

$2,321 74th pct $1,872 49th pct

Household income distribution

24.8% $650–$1,499 +3.7 pts ▸ 28.5%

26.2% $1,500–$2,999 +1.0 pts ▸ 27.3%

16.3% Under $650 +4.8 pts ▸ 21.1%

15.8% $4,000 or more ◂ +8.1 pts 7.7%

12.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.6 pts 9.6%

Personal income distribution

39.4% Under $650 +6.1 pts ▸ 45.5%

30.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.4 pts 30.1%

20.2% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +5.1 pts 15.1%

5.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.7 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

10.2% Arthritis +0.3 pts ▸ 10.5%

7.7% Mental health +2.8 pts ▸ 10.4%

8.1% Other condition +0.9 pts ▸ 9.1%

7.4% Asthma +1.1 pts ▸ 8.5%

4.9% Diabetes ◂ +0.1 pts 4.9%

4.0% Heart disease ◂ +0.1 pts 3.9%

3.4% Cancer +0.4 pts ▸ 3.8%

2.2% Lung condition even 2.3%

0.9% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.6% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

65.2% None ◂ +4.5 pts 60.7%

20.1% One condition ◂ +0.4 pts 19.8%

5.7% Two conditions +1.8 pts ▸ 7.5%

3.3% Three or more +0.5 pts ▸ 3.7%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +57 larger in Fairy Meadow

112 86th pct 169 86th pct

Median age in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +1 yrs older in Fairy Meadow

23 yrs 38th pct 24 yrs 43rd pct

Median income in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +$98 higher in Fairy Meadow

$575 43rd pct $673 53rd pct

Household income in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +$327 higher in Balgownie

$1,812 55th pct $1,485 41st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +0.2 larger in Balgownie gap steady

2.6 57th pct 2.4 43rd pct

Family composition

59.5% Couples with children ◂ +7.0 pts 52.5%

26.2% Couples without children +1.1 pts ▸ 27.3%

13.8% One-parent families +4.6 pts ▸ 18.4%

0.6% Other families +1.1 pts ▸ 1.7%

Household size

35.2% 2 people ◂ +2.5 pts 32.8%

22.3% 1 person +8.6 pts ▸ 30.9%

17.1% 4 people ◂ +3.7 pts 13.4%

16.0% 3 people ◂ +0.2 pts 15.8%

6.0% 5 people ◂ +0.9 pts 5.0%

2.9% 6 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 2.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +$60 higher in Balgownie gap widening

$450 88th pct $390 80th pct

Mortgage in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +$216 higher in Balgownie gap narrowing

$2,383 86th pct $2,167 80th pct

People / bedroom in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +0.10 higher in Fairy Meadow gap steady

0.80 43rd pct 0.90 86th pct

How homes are owned or rented

45.8% Owned outright ◂ +11.3 pts 34.5%

21.8% Rented +19.6 pts ▸ 41.4%

30.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +8.3 pts 21.9%

1.5% Not stated ◂ +0.4 pts 1.1%

0.8% Other tenure +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

Types of homes

71.8% Separate house ◂ +14.5 pts 57.4%

26.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +6.6 pts 19.5%

1.6% Flat or apartment +20.6 pts ▸ 22.2%

0.6% Other dwelling +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

45.4% 3 bedrooms ◂ +6.6 pts 38.8%

11.0% 2 bedrooms +22.7 pts ▸ 33.7%

30.0% 4 bedrooms ◂ +15.3 pts 14.7%

10.7% 5 or more ◂ +5.5 pts 5.2%

1.7% 1 bedroom +4.3 pts ▸ 6.1%

0.0% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

42.2% $350–$549 +3.2 pts ▸ 45.5%

15.1% $200–$349 +8.1 pts ▸ 23.2%

19.2% $550–$749 ◂ +7.2 pts 11.9%

15.5% Under $200 ◂ +0.4 pts 15.2%

4.1% $750 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 2.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

38.8% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +7.9 pts 30.9%

28.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.9 pts 24.5%

16.8% $1,000–$1,799 +8.0 pts ▸ 24.8%

11.6% Under $1,000 +0.8 pts ▸ 12.5%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +17 more in Fairy Meadow

40 87th pct 57 88th pct

Stops/1k in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +0.60 more in Fairy Meadow

6.99 86th pct 7.59 86th pct

Departures/1k in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +1,611.6 more in Fairy Meadow

666.2 81st pct 2,277.8 93rd pct

PT routes in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +8 more in Fairy Meadow

4 82nd pct 12 86th pct

Stop walk in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow even

3 21st pct 3 21st pct

Drive to city in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +2 longer in Balgownie

64 47th pct 62 45th pct

How people get to work

49.0% Car (driver) ◂ +2.7 pts 46.3%

27.4% Worked at home ◂ +2.7 pts 24.7%

3.0% Car (passenger) +0.1 pts ▸ 3.1%

0.8% Walked +1.6 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.4% Bus +1.3 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.4% Train +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

Motor vehicles per home

32.5% 1 vehicle +9.9 pts ▸ 42.5%

42.2% 2 vehicles ◂ +12.9 pts 29.3%

12.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.3 pts 10.1%

4.4% No vehicle +7.5 pts ▸ 11.9%

8.3% 4 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 6.2%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.6% Health care & social assistance ◂ +1.6 pts 16.0%

12.3% Education & training ◂ +2.2 pts 10.1%

7.8% Retail trade +1.9 pts ▸ 9.7%

6.6% Accommodation & food +2.5 pts ▸ 9.1%

8.4% Professional & technical ◂ +2.3 pts 6.1%

8.3% Construction ◂ +0.8 pts 7.6%

7.3% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.1 pts 7.2%

6.0% Manufacturing ◂ +0.4 pts 5.6%

4.6% Transport & warehousing +0.2 pts ▸ 4.8%

3.3% Other services +0.6 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.4% Finance & insurance +0.5 pts ▸ 3.8%

2.2% Administrative & support +1.2 pts ▸ 3.4%

Occupations people work in

27.6% Professionals ◂ +2.7 pts 25.0%

14.3% Managers ◂ +4.9 pts 9.4%

13.2% Technicians & trades +0.7 pts ▸ 13.9%

12.0% Community & personal service +1.6 pts ▸ 13.6%

12.7% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.2 pts 12.5%

6.8% Labourers +2.3 pts ▸ 9.1%

6.3% Sales workers +2.6 pts ▸ 8.9%

4.9% Machinery operators & drivers +1.5 pts ▸ 6.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +2.6 higher in Fairy Meadow

4.6 81st pct 7.2 94th pct

Types ≤15 min in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +2.7 more in Fairy Meadow

4.6 81st pct 7.3 96th pct

15-min city in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +23.5 pts higher in Fairy Meadow

74.9% 86th pct 98.5% 99th pct

Walk to shops in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +74.8 pts higher in Fairy Meadow

0.5% 57th pct 75.2% 87th pct

Walk to transit in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +1.9 pts higher in Fairy Meadow

98.1% 94th pct 100.0% 100th pct

Walk to school in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +8.4 pts higher in Fairy Meadow

90.6% 93rd pct 98.9% 99th pct

Walk to a park in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +1.3 pts higher in Fairy Meadow

98.7% 85th pct 100.0% 100th pct

Walk to health in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +67.3 pts higher in Fairy Meadow

0.0% 0th pct 67.3% 89th pct

Amenities/1k in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +4.6 more in Fairy Meadow

8.7 38th pct 13.3 49th pct

Intersections/km² in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +84 higher in Fairy Meadow

67 81st pct 151 88th pct

Mean slope in Balgownie in Fairy Meadow +5.5 pts higher in Balgownie

8.1% 71st pct 2.6% 6th pct

Compare Balgownie with nearby areas

Tarrawanna Mount Pleasant Fernhill Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley Keiraville Corrimal Towradgi

Compare Fairy Meadow with nearby areas

Mount Ousley Fernhill North Wollongong Towradgi Balgownie Tarrawanna Mount Pleasant Gwynneville

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Balgownie vs Fairy Meadow [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL10156/balgownie/vs/SAL11487/fairy-meadow