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Major Urban vs Rural Balance

Name: Major Urban vs Rural Balance — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Section of State comparison ≈ 237 km apart · Major Urban profile · Rural Balance profile

Major Urban Rural Balance

Major Urban and Rural Balance are very different places. Major Urban is a densely populated area where 35.2% of people were born overseas and 33.7% use a language other than English at home. It is very walkable, with a score of 7.3, and 84.3% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries. In contrast, Rural Balance is car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.0. It is much older, with a typical resident aged 47 compared to 37 in Major Urban, and has a far higher share of detached houses at 98.1%.

Both areas sit close to the national figure for the share of households renting, with Major Urban at 31.1% and Rural Balance at 9.8%. However, other gaps have widened since 2011. The age difference has grown to 10 years, and the gap in overseas births has increased to 24.8%. While they are similar in the number of people per home (2.6), the difference in housing and education is stark; Major Urban has a much higher share of university degrees and renters, while Rural Balance has far more homes owned outright.

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Where they differ most

Other language: 29.4 pts higher in Major Urban Separate houses: 30.4 pts higher in Rural Balance Born overseas: 24.8 pts higher in Major Urban Population: 4,542,868 larger in Major Urban Year 12: 21.7 pts higher in Major Urban

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Urban in Rural Balance +4,542,868 larger in Major Urban gap widening

4,971,771 98th pct 428,903 76th pct

Median age in Major Urban in Rural Balance +10 yrs older in Rural Balance gap widening

37 yrs 14th pct 47 yrs 86th pct

Age structure

23.4% Older adults (45–64) +8.1 pts ▸ 31.5%

31.0% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +11.3 pts 19.7%

15.3% Seniors (65+) +5.9 pts ▸ 21.2%

18.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.0 pts 16.9%

12.3% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.7 pts 10.6%

Marital status

46.5% Married +7.2 pts ▸ 53.7%

38.3% Never married ◂ +7.9 pts 30.4%

7.7% Divorced +0.9 pts ▸ 8.7%

4.6% Widowed ◂ +0.5 pts 4.2%

2.9% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

Age & sex structure

Major Urban Rural Balance

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

60.5% Australia +20.9 pts ▸ 81.4%

4.8% India ◂ +4.6 pts 0.3%

3.4% China ◂ +3.2 pts 0.2%

2.6% England +0.2 pts ▸ 2.9%

1.8% Vietnam ◂ +1.7 pts 0.1%

1.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.5 pts 1.2%

1.2% Philippines ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

1.2% Italy ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%

0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

25.9% English +14.4 pts ▸ 40.4%

23.7% Australian +16.6 pts ▸ 40.3%

8.6% Irish +4.0 pts ▸ 12.5%

7.3% Scottish +4.5 pts ▸ 11.8%

8.3% Chinese ◂ +7.6 pts 0.7%

6.4% Italian ◂ +2.3 pts 4.2%

5.2% Indian ◂ +4.9 pts 0.3%

2.9% German +1.7 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.4% Greek ◂ +2.7 pts 0.7%

1.5% Dutch +1.0 pts ▸ 2.5%

2.4% Vietnamese ◂ +2.2 pts 0.1%

1.6% Filipino ◂ +1.2 pts 0.5%

Language

Language used at home

61.6% English only +25.9 pts ▸ 87.5%

4.3% Mandarin ◂ +4.0 pts 0.3%

2.3% Vietnamese ◂ +2.2 pts 0.1%

2.1% Greek ◂ +1.8 pts 0.2%

1.9% Punjabi ◂ +1.7 pts 0.1%

1.8% Arabic ◂ +1.6 pts 0.2%

1.7% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%

1.6% Cantonese ◂ +1.6 pts 0.1%

1.3% Hindi ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%

0.5% Tagalog ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

37.6% No religion +7.1 pts ▸ 44.8%

40.2% Christianity +3.1 pts ▸ 43.3%

6.2% Not stated +4.1 pts ▸ 10.3%

5.2% Islam ◂ +4.7 pts 0.4%

4.1% Hinduism ◂ +3.9 pts 0.1%

3.9% Buddhism ◂ +3.2 pts 0.6%

2.0% Other religions ◂ +1.6 pts 0.4%

0.9% Judaism ◂ +0.8 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

66.8% Year 12 ◂ +21.7 pts 45.1%

9.5% Year 10 +9.1 pts ▸ 18.7%

8.6% Year 11 +7.4 pts ▸ 16.1%

9.4% Year 9 or below +1.7 pts ▸ 11.1%

Highest qualification level

19.1% Certificate III / IV +14.8 pts ▸ 33.9%

32.6% Bachelor degree ◂ +13.2 pts 19.4%

15.3% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.2 pts ▸ 15.5%

13.7% Postgraduate degree ◂ +8.7 pts 4.9%

4.7% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.6 pts 4.0%

1.3% Certificate I / II +0.6 pts ▸ 1.9%

Field of qualification

20.8% Management & commerce ◂ +8.8 pts 12.0%

12.2% Engineering & related +3.4 pts ▸ 15.6%

12.6% Society & culture ◂ +2.8 pts 9.7%

10.1% Health +0.6 pts ▸ 10.8%

7.5% Education +1.3 pts ▸ 8.9%

1.2% Agriculture & environment +6.1 pts ▸ 7.3%

5.2% Architecture & building +1.7 pts ▸ 6.9%

5.2% Information technology ◂ +4.0 pts 1.2%

4.9% Creative arts ◂ +2.2 pts 2.6%

4.5% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.2 pts 4.3%

3.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.5 pts 2.3%

Income

Personal income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$83 higher in Major Urban gap widening

$835 70th pct $752 55th pct

Household income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$209 higher in Major Urban gap steady

$1,868 71st pct $1,659 55th pct

Family income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$251 higher in Major Urban gap steady

$2,229 76th pct $1,978 57th pct

Household income distribution

30.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.5 pts 29.2%

24.3% $650–$1,499 +3.1 pts ▸ 27.3%

14.4% Under $650 +0.6 pts ▸ 14.9%

13.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.3 pts 10.5%

11.0% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.7 pts 9.3%

Personal income distribution

38.9% Under $650 +0.8 pts ▸ 39.7%

30.7% $650–$1,499 +0.3 pts ▸ 31.0%

18.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.9 pts 14.8%

5.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 4.1%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Arthritis +3.1 pts ▸ 10.2%

8.0% Asthma +0.4 pts ▸ 8.4%

8.4% Mental health ◂ +0.3 pts 8.0%

7.9% Other condition ◂ +0.6 pts 7.3%

4.5% Diabetes ◂ +0.2 pts 4.3%

3.4% Heart disease +1.0 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.5% Cancer +0.9 pts ▸ 3.4%

1.2% Lung condition +0.7 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.8% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.1% None ◂ +7.1 pts 60.0%

18.1% One condition +1.8 pts ▸ 19.9%

5.2% Two conditions +1.0 pts ▸ 6.2%

2.5% Three or more +0.5 pts ▸ 3.0%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Major Urban in Rural Balance even gap narrowing

2.6 71st pct 2.6 71st pct

Family composition

61.4% Couples with children ◂ +3.7 pts 57.7%

24.1% Couples without children +8.9 pts ▸ 33.0%

13.2% One-parent families ◂ +4.6 pts 8.6%

1.3% Other families ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%

Household size

31.4% 2 people +8.4 pts ▸ 39.8%

25.5% 1 person ◂ +4.5 pts 21.0%

16.9% 4 people ◂ +2.5 pts 14.4%

16.8% 3 people ◂ +3.0 pts 13.8%

6.4% 5 people +1.1 pts ▸ 7.5%

3.1% 6 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 3.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$133 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing

$383 86th pct $250 30th pct

Mortgage in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$397 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing

$2,000 85th pct $1,603 57th pct

People / bedroom in Major Urban in Rural Balance +0.10 higher in Major Urban gap steady

0.90 79th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

29.8% Owned outright +17.9 pts ▸ 47.7%

36.1% Owned with a mortgage +0.9 pts ▸ 37.0%

31.1% Rented ◂ +21.3 pts 9.8%

1.6% Other tenure +2.1 pts ▸ 3.7%

1.4% Not stated +0.5 pts ▸ 1.8%

Types of homes

67.7% Separate house +30.4 pts ▸ 98.1%

16.5% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +16.1 pts 0.4%

15.4% Flat or apartment ◂ +15.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% Other dwelling +0.8 pts ▸ 1.1%

Bedrooms per home

40.0% 3 bedrooms +1.7 pts ▸ 41.7%

26.2% 4 bedrooms +7.5 pts ▸ 33.7%

20.9% 2 bedrooms ◂ +10.6 pts 10.3%

5.4% 5 or more +4.1 pts ▸ 9.6%

5.9% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.3 pts 2.6%

0.3% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

49.6% $350–$549 ◂ +31.8 pts 17.8%

25.2% $200–$349 +13.4 pts ▸ 38.7%

7.6% Under $200 +19.3 pts ▸ 26.9%

9.5% $550–$749 ◂ +5.9 pts 3.6%

4.5% $750 or more ◂ +2.5 pts 1.9%

Monthly mortgage distribution

34.2% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +9.0 pts 25.3%

25.9% $1,000–$1,799 +4.9 pts ▸ 30.8%

13.4% Under $1,000 +9.1 pts ▸ 22.5%

19.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +5.5 pts 14.4%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

46.8% Car (driver) +9.3 pts ▸ 56.1%

28.5% Worked at home ◂ +6.9 pts 21.5%

2.0% Walked +1.9 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.3% Car (passenger) +0.2 pts ▸ 3.5%

2.0% Train ◂ +1.9 pts 0.2%

0.8% Bicycle ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.7% Bus ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

36.9% 2 vehicles +1.8 pts ▸ 38.6%

38.0% 1 vehicle ◂ +19.8 pts 18.1%

10.8% 3 vehicles +11.3 pts ▸ 22.1%

5.7% 4 or more +14.3 pts ▸ 20.0%

8.7% No vehicle ◂ +7.6 pts 1.2%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

0.5% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +17.3 pts ▸ 17.8%

14.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +2.2 pts 11.8%

8.9% Construction +2.3 pts ▸ 11.3%

9.6% Professional & technical ◂ +5.0 pts 4.6%

9.5% Retail trade ◂ +2.5 pts 7.0%

8.9% Education & training ◂ +1.5 pts 7.3%

6.9% Manufacturing ◂ +0.1 pts 6.8%

6.2% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.6 pts 4.6%

5.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.1 pts 5.4%

4.7% Finance & insurance ◂ +3.3 pts 1.4%

4.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.8 pts 3.9%

3.4% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 3.6%

Occupations people work in

27.2% Professionals ◂ +11.6 pts 15.6%

13.6% Managers +9.9 pts ▸ 23.5%

11.9% Technicians & trades +2.9 pts ▸ 14.8%

12.7% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.4 pts 10.3%

7.9% Labourers +3.3 pts ▸ 11.2%

10.7% Community & personal service ◂ +1.0 pts 9.6%

8.3% Sales workers ◂ +1.8 pts 6.6%

5.7% Machinery operators & drivers +0.7 pts ▸ 6.3%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Urban in Rural Balance +6.3 higher in Major Urban

7.3 100th pct 1.0 21st pct

Types ≤15 min in Major Urban in Rural Balance +5.8 more in Major Urban

6.8 100th pct 1.0 24th pct

15-min city in Major Urban in Rural Balance +80.6 pts higher in Major Urban

85.5% 100th pct 4.9% 29th pct

Walk to shops in Major Urban in Rural Balance +77.6 pts higher in Major Urban

84.3% 97th pct 6.7% 29th pct

Walk to transit in Major Urban in Rural Balance +79.8 pts higher in Major Urban

93.5% 85th pct 13.7% 32nd pct

Walk to school in Major Urban in Rural Balance +77.4 pts higher in Major Urban

89.3% 100th pct 11.8% 29th pct

Walk to a park in Major Urban in Rural Balance +64.1 pts higher in Major Urban

98.9% 94th pct 34.8% 24th pct

Walk to health in Major Urban in Rural Balance +73.7 pts higher in Major Urban

75.5% 100th pct 1.9% 27th pct

Amenities/1k in Major Urban in Rural Balance +11.3 more in Rural Balance

14.3 22nd pct 25.7 70th pct

Intersections/km² in Major Urban in Rural Balance +234 higher in Major Urban

235 100th pct 1 15th pct

Mean slope in Major Urban in Rural Balance +1.1 pts higher in Rural Balance

4.7% 32nd pct 5.8% 57th pct

Compare Major Urban with nearby areas

Other Urban Bounded Locality Rural Balance Other Urban Rural Balance Rural Balance Major Urban Bounded Locality Major Urban Rural Balance Bounded Locality Other Urban

Compare Rural Balance with nearby areas

Other Urban Major Urban Bounded Locality Other Urban Major Urban Rural Balance Rural Balance Bounded Locality Major Urban Rural Balance Other Urban Major Urban

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Major Urban vs Rural Balance [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sos/SOS20/major-urban/vs/SOS23/rural-balance