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Rural Balance vs Other Urban

Section of State comparison ≈ 433 km apart · Rural Balance profile · Other Urban profile

Rural Balance Other Urban

Rural Balance and Other Urban are far apart and differ greatly in how people live and work. Rural Balance is a car-dependent area where 47.7% of homes are owned outright and 21.5% of people work from home. In contrast, Other Urban is somewhat walkable, with a much higher share of renters at 27.1% and only 6.6% of people working from home. Life in Other Urban is more connected; 57.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of various amenities, compared to just 4.9% in Rural Balance.

Both areas are very similar in their family structures, with about 17% of residents being children under 15. They also share a similar housing market for those who don't own, with typical weekly rents around $240 to $250. While they share these traits, other gaps are growing. The difference in typical weekly household income has widened since 2011, with Rural Balance now $400 higher than Other Urban.

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Where they differ most

Renting: 17.3 pts higher in Other Urban One-parent: 7.5 pts higher in Other Urban Living alone: 10.0 pts higher in Other Urban Work from home: 14.9 pts higher in Rural Balance Separate houses: 12.6 pts higher in Rural Balance

Demographics & Identity

Population in Rural Balancein Other Urban +92,280 larger in Rural Balance gap steady
428,903 76th pct 336,623 74th pct
Median age in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3 yrs older in Rural Balance gap widening
47 yrs 86th pct 44 yrs 67th pct
First Nations in Rural Balancein Other Urban +2.5 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
1.5% 12th pct 3.9% 38th pct
Aged 65+ in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.0 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
21.2% 77th pct 24.2% 93rd pct
Under 15 in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.3 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
16.9% 45th pct 17.3% 53rd pct
De facto in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.2 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
12.3% 35th pct 12.5% 42nd pct

Age structure

31.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +6.0 pts 25.5%
21.2% Seniors (65+) +3.0 pts ▸ 24.2%
19.7% Young adults (25–44) +2.8 pts ▸ 22.5%
16.9% Children (0–14) +0.3 pts ▸ 17.3%
10.6% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.1 pts 10.6%

Marital status

53.7% Married ◂ +7.5 pts 46.2%
30.4% Never married +2.6 pts ▸ 33.0%
8.7% Divorced +1.5 pts ▸ 10.1%
4.2% Widowed +2.9 pts ▸ 7.0%
3.0% Separated +0.5 pts ▸ 3.6%

Age & sex structure

Rural Balance Other Urban

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.6 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
10.4% 14th pct 14.0% 43rd pct

Country of birth

81.4% Australia ◂ +1.0 pts 80.4%
2.9% England +2.6 pts ▸ 5.4%
1.2% New Zealand ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
0.3% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.3% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.5% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.3% South Africa +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

40.4% English +3.8 pts ▸ 44.2%
40.3% Australian ◂ +0.4 pts 39.9%
12.5% Irish ◂ +4.4 pts 8.1%
11.8% Scottish ◂ +2.2 pts 9.6%
4.7% German +5.5 pts ▸ 10.1%
4.2% Italian ◂ +1.2 pts 2.9%
2.5% Dutch ◂ +0.6 pts 1.9%
0.5% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.7% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.7% Chinese even 0.7%
0.3% Indian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Other language in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.2 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
4.3% 13th pct 5.6% 23rd pct
Limited English in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.2 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
0.6% 23rd pct 0.8% 37th pct

Language used at home

87.5% English only +1.4 pts ▸ 88.9%
0.6% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.3% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Tagalog +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.0% Hindi even 0.1%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Rural Balancein Other Urban +5.9 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
44.8% 70th pct 50.6% 96th pct

Religious affiliation

44.8% No religion +5.9 pts ▸ 50.6%
43.3% Christianity ◂ +3.7 pts 39.6%
10.3% Not stated ◂ +2.7 pts 7.6%
0.6% Buddhism even 0.7%
0.4% Other religions +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.4% Islam even 0.5%
0.1% Hinduism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.9 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
45.1% 63rd pct 43.2% 53rd pct
Bachelor+ in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
17.3% 70th pct 14.1% 44th pct

Highest year of school

45.1% Year 12 ◂ +1.9 pts 43.2%
16.1% Year 11 +4.0 pts ▸ 20.1%
18.7% Year 10 ◂ +0.2 pts 18.5%
11.1% Year 9 or below +0.3 pts ▸ 11.4%

Highest qualification level

33.9% Certificate III / IV +3.8 pts ▸ 37.7%
19.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +1.2 pts 18.2%
15.5% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.9 pts 14.6%
4.9% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.6 pts 4.4%
4.0% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.8 pts 3.2%
1.9% Certificate I / II +1.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

Field of qualification

15.6% Engineering & related +0.7 pts ▸ 16.2%
12.0% Management & commerce +2.8 pts ▸ 14.8%
9.7% Society & culture +3.2 pts ▸ 12.9%
10.8% Health +0.7 pts ▸ 11.5%
8.9% Education +0.2 pts ▸ 9.1%
7.3% Agriculture & environment ◂ +4.2 pts 3.1%
6.9% Architecture & building ◂ +2.0 pts 4.9%
4.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.6 pts ▸ 5.9%
2.6% Creative arts ◂ +0.3 pts 2.3%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.3 pts 2.0%
1.2% Information technology +0.2 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$76 higher in Rural Balance gap widening
$752 55th pct $676 33rd pct
Household income in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$400 higher in Rural Balance gap widening
$1,659 55th pct $1,259 16th pct
Family income in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$319 higher in Rural Balance gap widening
$1,978 57th pct $1,659 26th pct
High earners in Rural Balancein Other Urban +2.4 pts higher in Rural Balance gap widening
9.8% 59th pct 7.4% 38th pct
High-income homes in Rural Balancein Other Urban +7.6 pts higher in Rural Balance gap widening
19.9% 58th pct 12.3% 17th pct

Household income distribution

27.3% $650–$1,499 +5.2 pts ▸ 32.5%
29.2% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.9 pts 26.3%
14.9% Under $650 +6.4 pts ▸ 21.3%
10.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +5.1 pts 5.4%
9.3% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 6.9%

Personal income distribution

39.7% Under $650 +5.4 pts ▸ 45.1%
31.0% $650–$1,499 +1.0 pts ▸ 31.9%
14.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.3 pts 13.6%
4.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 2.3%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Rural Balancein Other Urban +5.8 pts higher in Other Urban
29.2% 60th pct 34.9% 95th pct
Mental health in Rural Balancein Other Urban +2.8 pts higher in Other Urban
8.0% 43rd pct 10.9% 76th pct
Needs assistance in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.0 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
4.6% 42nd pct 7.6% 99th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.2% Arthritis +2.0 pts ▸ 12.2%
8.0% Mental health +2.8 pts ▸ 10.9%
8.4% Asthma +1.8 pts ▸ 10.2%
7.3% Other condition +1.8 pts ▸ 9.1%
4.3% Diabetes +2.3 pts ▸ 6.6%
4.4% Heart disease +1.2 pts ▸ 5.5%
3.4% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.7%
1.9% Lung condition +0.7 pts ▸ 2.6%
1.0% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.4% Dementia +0.8 pts ▸ 1.2%

Number of long-term health conditions

60.0% None ◂ +2.9 pts 57.1%
19.9% One condition +2.1 pts ▸ 22.0%
6.2% Two conditions +1.9 pts ▸ 8.1%
3.0% Three or more +1.8 pts ▸ 4.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
20.5% 86th pct 19.4% 73rd pct
Unpaid carers in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.4 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
14.6% 100th pct 13.2% 79th pct
Unpaid child care in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.1 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
25.6% 61st pct 25.5% 60th pct
Defence service in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.7 pts higher in Other Urban
3.1% 36th pct 3.8% 70th pct
Housework 15h+ in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.6 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
27.0% 100th pct 23.4% 76th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.3 larger in Rural Balance gap steady
2.6 71st pct 2.3 14th pct
One-parent in Rural Balancein Other Urban +7.5 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
8.6% 3rd pct 16.1% 71st pct
Living alone in Rural Balancein Other Urban +10.0 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
21.0% 16th pct 30.9% 84th pct

Family composition

57.7% Couples with children ◂ +7.9 pts 49.9%
33.0% Couples without children even 33.0%
8.6% One-parent families +7.5 pts ▸ 16.1%
0.6% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

Household size

39.8% 2 people ◂ +2.7 pts 37.1%
21.0% 1 person +10.0 pts ▸ 30.9%
14.4% 4 people ◂ +2.5 pts 11.8%
13.8% 3 people ◂ +0.7 pts 13.1%
7.5% 5 people ◂ +2.6 pts 4.9%
3.6% 6 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 2.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$10 higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
$250 30th pct $240 26th pct
Mortgage in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$303 higher in Rural Balance gap widening
$1,603 57th pct $1,300 14th pct
People / bedroom in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.10 higher in Rural Balance gap widening
0.80 29th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Rural Balancein Other Urban +17.3 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
9.8% 0th pct 27.1% 43rd pct
Owned outright in Rural Balancein Other Urban +13.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
47.7% 100th pct 34.5% 53rd pct
Separate houses in Rural Balancein Other Urban +12.6 pts higher in Rural Balance gap widening
98.1% 99th pct 85.5% 41st pct
3+ bedrooms in Rural Balancein Other Urban +4.6 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
85.0% 97th pct 80.3% 76th pct

How homes are owned or rented

47.7% Owned outright ◂ +13.2 pts 34.5%
37.0% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +3.0 pts 34.0%
9.8% Rented +17.3 pts ▸ 27.1%
3.7% Other tenure ◂ +1.0 pts 2.7%
1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.1 pts 1.7%

Types of homes

98.1% Separate house ◂ +12.6 pts 85.5%
0.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +10.8 pts ▸ 11.2%
0.1% Flat or apartment +2.4 pts ▸ 2.5%
1.1% Other dwelling ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

41.7% 3 bedrooms +10.7 pts ▸ 52.3%
33.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +9.5 pts 24.2%
10.3% 2 bedrooms +4.9 pts ▸ 15.2%
9.6% 5 or more ◂ +5.8 pts 3.8%
2.6% 1 bedroom +0.1 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

38.7% $200–$349 +11.4 pts ▸ 50.0%
26.9% Under $200 +4.6 pts ▸ 31.5%
17.8% $350–$549 ◂ +3.9 pts 13.9%
3.6% $550–$749 ◂ +2.9 pts 0.7%
1.9% $750 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

30.8% $1,000–$1,799 +11.4 pts ▸ 42.2%
22.5% Under $1,000 +7.4 pts ▸ 29.9%
25.3% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +6.7 pts 18.6%
14.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +9.6 pts 4.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Rural Balancein Other Urban +5.3 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
1.2% 11th pct 6.4% 67th pct
Work from home in Rural Balancein Other Urban +14.9 pts higher in Rural Balance gap widening
21.5% 91st pct 6.6% 28th pct
PT commute in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.8 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
0.4% 12th pct 1.2% 37th pct

How people get to work

56.1% Car (driver) +13.1 pts ▸ 69.2%
21.5% Worked at home ◂ +14.9 pts 6.6%
3.5% Car (passenger) +1.3 pts ▸ 4.8%
3.9% Walked ◂ +1.1 pts 2.9%
0.2% Bus +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.2% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Motor vehicles per home

38.6% 2 vehicles ◂ +1.8 pts 36.9%
18.1% 1 vehicle +18.7 pts ▸ 36.9%
22.1% 3 vehicles ◂ +9.3 pts 12.7%
20.0% 4 or more ◂ +12.9 pts 7.0%
1.2% No vehicle +5.3 pts ▸ 6.4%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Rural Balancein Other Urban +9.4 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
27.6% 14th pct 37.0% 49th pct
Recent arrivals in Rural Balancein Other Urban +2.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
7.0% 20th pct 9.1% 35th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Rural Balancein Other Urban +2.2 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
2.9% 12th pct 5.1% 43rd pct
Participation in Rural Balancein Other Urban +5.8 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
60.9% 71st pct 55.1% 44th pct
Full-time in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.5 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
56.8% 43rd pct 56.3% 38th pct

Industries people work in

17.8% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +13.2 pts 4.7%
11.8% Health care & social assistance +3.6 pts ▸ 15.4%
11.3% Construction ◂ +2.6 pts 8.7%
7.0% Retail trade +3.8 pts ▸ 10.8%
6.8% Manufacturing +2.6 pts ▸ 9.3%
7.3% Education & training +1.4 pts ▸ 8.7%
4.6% Accommodation & food +2.6 pts ▸ 7.2%
5.4% Public administration & safety +0.5 pts ▸ 5.9%
4.6% Professional & technical ◂ +0.7 pts 3.9%
3.6% Other services +0.4 pts ▸ 4.0%
3.9% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.1 pts 3.8%
2.3% Administrative & support +1.4 pts ▸ 3.8%

Occupations people work in

23.5% Managers ◂ +11.8 pts 11.7%
15.6% Professionals +0.8 pts ▸ 16.5%
14.8% Technicians & trades +0.1 pts ▸ 14.9%
9.6% Community & personal service +4.2 pts ▸ 13.8%
11.2% Labourers +2.2 pts ▸ 13.3%
10.3% Clerical & administrative +0.6 pts ▸ 11.0%
6.6% Sales workers +2.8 pts ▸ 9.4%
6.3% Machinery operators & drivers +1.3 pts ▸ 7.6%

Walkability

Walk score in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.8 higher in Other Urban
1.0 21st pct 4.8 64th pct
Types ≤15 min in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.9 more in Other Urban
1.0 24th pct 4.9 64th pct
15-min city in Rural Balancein Other Urban +52.2 pts higher in Other Urban
4.9% 29th pct 57.2% 61st pct
Walk to shops in Rural Balancein Other Urban +48.9 pts higher in Other Urban
6.7% 29th pct 55.6% 54th pct
Walk to transit in Rural Balancein Other Urban +51.7 pts higher in Other Urban
13.7% 32nd pct 65.4% 62nd pct
Walk to school in Rural Balancein Other Urban +47.9 pts higher in Other Urban
11.8% 29th pct 59.7% 57th pct
Walk to a park in Rural Balancein Other Urban +52.5 pts higher in Other Urban
34.8% 24th pct 87.3% 58th pct
Walk to health in Rural Balancein Other Urban +45.3 pts higher in Other Urban
1.9% 27th pct 47.1% 70th pct
Amenities/1k in Rural Balancein Other Urban +11.0 more in Rural Balance
25.7 70th pct 14.7 26th pct
Intersections/km² in Rural Balancein Other Urban +45 higher in Other Urban
1 15th pct 46 61st pct
Mean slope in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.2 pts higher in Rural Balance
5.8% 57th pct 4.6% 29th pct

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

Compare Other Urban with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Rural Balance vs Other Urban [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sos/SOS23/rural-balance/vs/SOS41/other-urban