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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 ≈ 1,261 km apart · Major Urban profile · Rural Balance profile

Major Urban Rural Balance

Major Urban and Rural Balance are very different environments. Major Urban is a very walkable hub where 35.2% of people were born overseas and 33.7% use a language other than English at home. In contrast, Rural Balance is car-dependent, with a much smaller share of overseas births at 11.2% and only 4.7% using another language. There are also sharp differences in housing; 97.3% of homes in Rural Balance are separate houses, compared to 67.7% in Major Urban. Education levels are also higher in Major Urban, where 33% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher, compared to 14.8% in Rural Balance.

The gap in typical resident age has widened since 2011, as Rural Balance is now far older with a typical age of 47, while Major Urban is 37. Despite this, the two areas are similar in their proportion of children under 15, which sits around 17% to 18%. They also share a similar number of people per home, averaging between 2.5 and 2.6. While Major Urban has more people working from home, both areas have seen their populations move in a way that keeps their family sizes and mental health statistics effectively alike.

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Where they differ most

Other language: 28.9 pts higher in Major Urban Separate houses: 29.6 pts higher in Rural Balance Population: 4,826,369 larger in Major Urban Born overseas: 24.0 pts higher in Major Urban Year 12: 22.2 pts higher in Major Urban

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Urban in Rural Balance +4,826,369 larger in Major Urban gap widening

4,971,771 98th pct 145,402 63rd 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) +8.6 pts ▸ 32.0%

31.0% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +11.2 pts 19.9%

15.3% Seniors (65+) +5.3 pts ▸ 20.5%

18.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.8 pts 17.2%

12.3% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.9 pts 10.4%

Marital status

46.5% Married +8.4 pts ▸ 54.8%

38.3% Never married ◂ +8.6 pts 29.7%

7.7% Divorced +1.0 pts ▸ 8.7%

4.6% Widowed ◂ +0.7 pts 3.9%

2.9% Separated even 2.9%

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 +20.8 pts ▸ 81.2%

4.8% India ◂ +4.6 pts 0.3%

2.6% England +2.0 pts ▸ 4.6%

3.4% China ◂ +3.3 pts 0.1%

1.8% Vietnam ◂ +1.5 pts 0.3%

1.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.8 pts 0.8%

1.2% Philippines ◂ +0.9 pts 0.3%

1.2% Italy ◂ +0.8 pts 0.4%

0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

25.9% English +15.8 pts ▸ 41.7%

23.7% Australian +17.2 pts ▸ 40.9%

2.9% German +8.7 pts ▸ 11.6%

7.3% Scottish +1.9 pts ▸ 9.3%

8.6% Irish ◂ +0.9 pts 7.6%

8.3% Chinese ◂ +7.9 pts 0.4%

6.4% Italian ◂ +3.5 pts 3.0%

5.2% Indian ◂ +4.9 pts 0.3%

3.4% Greek ◂ +2.4 pts 1.0%

2.4% Vietnamese ◂ +1.9 pts 0.4%

1.5% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.6% Filipino ◂ +1.2 pts 0.4%

Language

Language used at home

61.6% English only +26.4 pts ▸ 88.0%

4.3% Mandarin ◂ +4.2 pts 0.1%

2.3% Vietnamese ◂ +1.9 pts 0.4%

2.1% Greek ◂ +1.5 pts 0.6%

1.9% Punjabi ◂ +1.7 pts 0.2%

1.8% Arabic ◂ +1.7 pts 0.0%

1.7% Italian ◂ +1.2 pts 0.5%

1.6% Cantonese ◂ +1.6 pts 0.0%

1.3% Hindi ◂ +1.3 pts 0.0%

0.5% Tagalog ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

37.6% No religion +9.2 pts ▸ 46.8%

40.2% Christianity +1.2 pts ▸ 41.3%

6.2% Not stated +3.9 pts ▸ 10.0%

5.2% Islam ◂ +4.9 pts 0.2%

4.1% Hinduism ◂ +4.0 pts 0.1%

3.9% Buddhism ◂ +3.1 pts 0.8%

2.0% Other religions ◂ +1.4 pts 0.6%

0.9% Judaism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

66.8% Year 12 ◂ +22.2 pts 44.6%

8.6% Year 11 +11.5 pts ▸ 20.1%

9.5% Year 10 +8.1 pts ▸ 17.6%

9.4% Year 9 or below even 9.4%

Highest qualification level

19.1% Certificate III / IV +17.2 pts ▸ 36.3%

32.6% Bachelor degree ◂ +13.8 pts 18.8%

15.3% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.8 pts 14.5%

13.7% Postgraduate degree ◂ +9.5 pts 4.2%

4.7% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.7 pts 3.0%

1.3% Certificate I / II +1.4 pts ▸ 2.6%

Field of qualification

20.8% Management & commerce ◂ +8.0 pts 12.8%

12.2% Engineering & related +4.5 pts ▸ 16.7%

12.6% Society & culture ◂ +2.6 pts 9.9%

10.1% Health +0.8 pts ▸ 11.0%

7.5% Education +0.9 pts ▸ 8.4%

1.2% Agriculture & environment +7.1 pts ▸ 8.3%

5.2% Architecture & building ◂ +0.1 pts 5.0%

5.2% Information technology ◂ +4.2 pts 0.9%

4.9% Creative arts ◂ +2.9 pts 2.0%

4.5% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.1 pts ▸ 4.6%

3.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.2 pts 2.5%

Income

Personal income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$101 higher in Major Urban gap widening

$835 70th pct $734 50th pct

Household income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$377 higher in Major Urban gap widening

$1,868 71st pct $1,491 41st pct

Family income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$388 higher in Major Urban gap widening

$2,229 76th pct $1,841 46th pct

Household income distribution

30.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.5 pts 28.2%

24.3% $650–$1,499 +5.3 pts ▸ 29.6%

14.4% Under $650 +1.4 pts ▸ 15.8%

13.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +5.5 pts 8.3%

11.0% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.6 pts 8.4%

Personal income distribution

38.9% Under $650 +2.1 pts ▸ 41.0%

30.7% $650–$1,499 +1.2 pts ▸ 31.8%

18.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.4 pts 14.4%

5.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 3.5%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Arthritis +2.9 pts ▸ 10.0%

8.0% Asthma +0.5 pts ▸ 8.5%

8.4% Mental health ◂ +0.8 pts 7.6%

7.9% Other condition ◂ +0.8 pts 7.1%

4.5% Diabetes +0.5 pts ▸ 5.0%

3.4% Heart disease +0.8 pts ▸ 4.2%

2.5% Cancer +0.7 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.2% Lung condition +0.7 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.8% Stroke even 0.9%

0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.1% None ◂ +5.7 pts 61.4%

18.1% One condition +1.6 pts ▸ 19.8%

5.2% Two conditions +0.9 pts ▸ 6.2%

2.5% Three or more +0.4 pts ▸ 2.9%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Major Urban in Rural Balance +0.1 larger in Major Urban gap widening

2.6 71st pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

61.4% Couples with children ◂ +4.2 pts 57.2%

24.1% Couples without children +9.8 pts ▸ 33.9%

13.2% One-parent families ◂ +4.9 pts 8.2%

1.3% Other families ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

Household size

31.4% 2 people +8.7 pts ▸ 40.1%

25.5% 1 person ◂ +3.2 pts 22.3%

16.9% 4 people ◂ +2.9 pts 13.9%

16.8% 3 people ◂ +3.5 pts 13.2%

6.4% 5 people +0.8 pts ▸ 7.1%

3.1% 6 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 3.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$183 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing

$383 86th pct $200 14th pct

Mortgage in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$600 higher in Major Urban gap widening

$2,000 85th pct $1,400 29th 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 +16.6 pts ▸ 46.4%

36.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +1.0 pts 35.2%

31.1% Rented ◂ +18.9 pts 12.2%

1.6% Other tenure +3.0 pts ▸ 4.6%

1.4% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

Types of homes

67.7% Separate house +29.6 pts ▸ 97.3%

16.5% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +15.8 pts 0.7%

15.4% Flat or apartment ◂ +15.2 pts 0.2%

0.3% Other dwelling +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%

Bedrooms per home

40.0% 3 bedrooms +4.6 pts ▸ 44.6%

26.2% 4 bedrooms +4.3 pts ▸ 30.6%

20.9% 2 bedrooms ◂ +9.0 pts 11.9%

5.4% 5 or more +2.2 pts ▸ 7.6%

5.9% 1 bedroom ◂ +2.6 pts 3.3%

0.3% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

Weekly rent distribution

49.6% $350–$549 ◂ +37.8 pts 11.9%

7.6% Under $200 +30.2 pts ▸ 37.8%

25.2% $200–$349 +12.0 pts ▸ 37.3%

9.5% $550–$749 ◂ +8.0 pts 1.6%

4.5% $750 or more ◂ +3.9 pts 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

34.2% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +11.9 pts 22.4%

25.9% $1,000–$1,799 +7.2 pts ▸ 33.2%

13.4% Under $1,000 +15.4 pts ▸ 28.8%

19.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +9.8 pts 10.1%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

46.8% Car (driver) +13.4 pts ▸ 60.2%

28.5% Worked at home ◂ +11.7 pts 16.8%

2.0% Walked +2.8 pts ▸ 4.8%

3.3% Car (passenger) +0.1 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.0% Train ◂ +2.0 pts 0.1%

0.8% Bicycle ◂ +0.6 pts 0.1%

0.7% Bus even 0.6%

Motor vehicles per home

36.9% 2 vehicles +1.5 pts ▸ 38.3%

38.0% 1 vehicle ◂ +17.8 pts 20.2%

10.8% 3 vehicles +10.4 pts ▸ 21.2%

5.7% 4 or more +13.1 pts ▸ 18.7%

8.7% No vehicle ◂ +7.1 pts 1.6%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

0.5% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +23.4 pts ▸ 24.0%

14.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.4 pts 10.6%

9.6% Professional & technical ◂ +5.9 pts 3.7%

9.5% Retail trade ◂ +2.5 pts 6.9%

8.9% Construction ◂ +0.8 pts 8.1%

8.9% Education & training ◂ +1.4 pts 7.4%

6.9% Manufacturing +0.6 pts ▸ 7.5%

6.2% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.4 pts 4.8%

5.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.0 pts 4.5%

4.7% Finance & insurance ◂ +3.5 pts 1.2%

4.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.9 pts 3.8%

3.4% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 3.5%

Occupations people work in

27.2% Professionals ◂ +13.2 pts 14.0%

13.6% Managers +12.3 pts ▸ 25.9%

11.9% Technicians & trades +1.1 pts ▸ 13.0%

7.9% Labourers +5.0 pts ▸ 12.9%

12.7% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.7 pts 10.0%

10.7% Community & personal service ◂ +1.2 pts 9.4%

8.3% Sales workers ◂ +2.1 pts 6.3%

5.7% Machinery operators & drivers +0.8 pts ▸ 6.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Urban in Rural Balance +6.6 higher in Major Urban

7.3 100th pct 0.7 15th pct

Types ≤15 min in Major Urban in Rural Balance +6.1 more in Major Urban

6.8 100th pct 0.7 15th pct

15-min city in Major Urban in Rural Balance +82.7 pts higher in Major Urban

85.5% 100th pct 2.9% 14th pct

Walk to shops in Major Urban in Rural Balance +80.0 pts higher in Major Urban

84.3% 97th pct 4.3% 20th pct

Walk to transit in Major Urban in Rural Balance +83.2 pts higher in Major Urban

93.5% 85th pct 10.3% 30th pct

Walk to school in Major Urban in Rural Balance +84.0 pts higher in Major Urban

89.3% 100th pct 5.3% 14th pct

Walk to a park in Major Urban in Rural Balance +76.0 pts higher in Major Urban

98.9% 94th pct 22.8% 17th pct

Walk to health in Major Urban in Rural Balance +74.5 pts higher in Major Urban

75.5% 100th pct 1.0% 13th pct

Amenities/1k in Major Urban in Rural Balance +18.1 more in Rural Balance

14.3 22nd pct 32.4 84th pct

Intersections/km² in Major Urban in Rural Balance +235 higher in Major Urban

235 100th pct 0 2nd pct

Mean slope in Major Urban in Rural Balance +0.4 pts higher in Rural Balance

4.7% 32nd pct 5.1% 40th 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

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

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/SOS43/rural-balance