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Rural Balance vs Other Urban

Section of State comparison ≈ 1,965 km apart · Rural Balance profile · Other Urban profile

Rural Balance Other Urban

Other Urban and Rural Balance are very different places separated by nearly 2,000 kilometres. Other Urban is a more mobile and accessible area, where 41.2% of people moved in the last five years and a typical resident is 38. With a walkability score of 4.5, it is described as somewhat walkable, and 63.8% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. In contrast, Rural Balance is car-dependent, with a typical resident who is far older at 47. Home ownership is much more common here, as 46.4% of homes are owned outright, compared to 27.7% in Other Urban.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the typical age of residents, though Rural Balance is far older than the Australian average. They share similar levels of education, with about 14% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. While Other Urban has seen more new arrivals, the gap in the number of people who moved in the last five years has narrowed since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Population: 239,124 larger in Other Urban Renting: 21.2 pts higher in Other Urban Owned outright: 18.7 pts higher in Rural Balance Work from home: 12.5 pts higher in Rural Balance Median age: 9 yrs older in Rural Balance

Demographics & Identity

Population in Rural Balancein Other Urban +239,124 larger in Other Urban gap steady
145,402 63rd pct 384,526 75th pct
Median age in Rural Balancein Other Urban +9 yrs older in Rural Balance gap steady
47 yrs 86th pct 38 yrs 21st pct
First Nations in Rural Balancein Other Urban +4.5 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
2.8% 31st pct 7.3% 65th pct
Aged 65+ in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.9 pts higher in Rural Balance gap widening
20.5% 71st pct 16.6% 49th pct
Under 15 in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.4 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
17.2% 51st pct 20.6% 90th pct
De facto in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.3 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
12.0% 26th pct 15.3% 88th pct

Age structure

32.0% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +6.8 pts 25.2%
19.9% Young adults (25–44) +6.9 pts ▸ 26.7%
17.2% Children (0–14) +3.4 pts ▸ 20.6%
20.5% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.9 pts 16.6%
10.4% Youth (15–24) +0.4 pts ▸ 10.8%

Marital status

54.8% Married ◂ +10.0 pts 44.8%
29.7% Never married +7.3 pts ▸ 36.9%
8.7% Divorced +0.8 pts ▸ 9.5%
3.9% Widowed +1.1 pts ▸ 5.0%
2.9% Separated +0.9 pts ▸ 3.8%

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 +8.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
11.2% 23rd pct 19.3% 68th pct

Country of birth

81.2% Australia ◂ +9.4 pts 71.9%
4.6% England +0.7 pts ▸ 5.3%
0.8% New Zealand +2.4 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.3% Philippines +1.1 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.3% South Africa +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.3% India +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.4% Italy even 0.3%
0.3% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.1% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

41.7% English ◂ +1.0 pts 40.7%
40.9% Australian ◂ +4.2 pts 36.7%
11.6% German ◂ +8.3 pts 3.4%
9.3% Scottish ◂ +0.1 pts 9.1%
7.6% Irish +1.2 pts ▸ 8.8%
3.0% Italian +1.1 pts ▸ 4.0%
1.8% Dutch +0.2 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.4% Filipino +1.3 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.0% Greek ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%
0.4% Chinese +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.3% Indian +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Language

Other language in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.9 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
4.7% 16th pct 8.6% 44th pct
Limited English in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.2 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
0.7% 32nd pct 0.9% 45th pct

Language used at home

88.0% English only ◂ +5.9 pts 82.1%
0.1% Tagalog +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.6% Greek ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.5% Italian even 0.4%
0.1% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.0% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.8 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
46.8% 78th pct 47.6% 80th pct

Religious affiliation

46.8% No religion +0.8 pts ▸ 47.6%
41.3% Christianity ◂ +2.8 pts 38.6%
10.0% Not stated +0.8 pts ▸ 10.9%
0.8% Buddhism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.2% Islam +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.1% Hinduism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.6% Other religions even 0.5%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
44.6% 59th pct 44.4% 58th pct
Bachelor+ in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.9 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
14.8% 49th pct 13.9% 42nd pct

Highest year of school

44.6% Year 12 ◂ +0.2 pts 44.4%
17.6% Year 10 +7.8 pts ▸ 25.5%
20.1% Year 11 ◂ +8.6 pts 11.5%
9.4% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.3 pts 8.1%

Highest qualification level

36.3% Certificate III / IV +0.7 pts ▸ 37.0%
18.8% Bachelor degree ◂ +2.0 pts 16.8%
14.5% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.3 pts 13.2%
4.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.7 pts 3.5%
2.6% Certificate I / II +1.0 pts ▸ 3.6%
3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.1 pts 2.9%

Field of qualification

16.7% Engineering & related +1.9 pts ▸ 18.5%
12.8% Management & commerce +0.5 pts ▸ 13.3%
11.0% Health ◂ +1.1 pts 9.8%
9.9% Society & culture ◂ +0.6 pts 9.3%
8.4% Education +0.4 pts ▸ 8.8%
8.3% Agriculture & environment ◂ +5.4 pts 2.9%
4.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.1 pts ▸ 5.7%
5.0% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 5.6%
2.5% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.5 pts 2.0%
2.0% Creative arts +0.2 pts ▸ 2.2%
0.9% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

Income

Personal income in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$94 higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
$734 50th pct $828 69th pct
Household income in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$183 higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
$1,491 41st pct $1,674 56th pct
Family income in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$254 higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
$1,841 46th pct $2,095 69th pct
High earners in Rural Balancein Other Urban +4.8 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
8.9% 51st pct 13.7% 78th pct
High-income homes in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
16.7% 48th pct 19.8% 58th pct

Household income distribution

29.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.7 pts 24.9%
28.2% $1,500–$2,999 +0.2 pts ▸ 28.4%
15.8% Under $650 +0.3 pts ▸ 16.2%
8.4% $3,000–$3,999 +1.7 pts ▸ 10.1%
8.3% $4,000 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 9.8%

Personal income distribution

41.0% Under $650 ◂ +4.0 pts 37.0%
31.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.6 pts 28.2%
14.4% $1,500–$2,999 +4.9 pts ▸ 19.2%
3.5% $3,000 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 4.9%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.8 pts higher in Rural Balance
28.9% 58th pct 27.1% 47th pct
Mental health in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.1 pts higher in Other Urban
7.6% 36th pct 8.7% 49th pct
Needs assistance in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.6 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
4.3% 38th pct 4.9% 49th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.0% Arthritis ◂ +1.6 pts 8.4%
7.6% Mental health +1.1 pts ▸ 8.7%
8.5% Asthma ◂ +0.7 pts 7.8%
7.1% Other condition ◂ +0.1 pts 7.0%
5.0% Diabetes ◂ +0.3 pts 4.8%
4.2% Heart disease ◂ +0.6 pts 3.7%
3.2% Cancer ◂ +0.4 pts 2.8%
1.9% Lung condition ◂ +0.1 pts 1.8%
0.9% Stroke even 0.9%
0.3% Dementia +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.4% None ◂ +0.5 pts 60.9%
19.8% One condition ◂ +1.4 pts 18.4%
6.2% Two conditions ◂ +0.4 pts 5.8%
2.9% Three or more even 3.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Rural Balancein Other Urban +8.1 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
25.5% 100th pct 17.5% 60th pct
Unpaid carers in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.4 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
13.6% 87th pct 10.2% 32nd pct
Unpaid child care in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.0 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
26.6% 75th pct 27.6% 86th pct
Defence service in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.3 pts higher in Rural Balance
3.3% 49th pct 3.0% 30th pct
Housework 15h+ in Rural Balancein Other Urban +5.8 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
26.9% 98th pct 21.1% 58th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Rural Balancein Other Urban even gap narrowing
2.5 57th pct 2.5 57th pct
One-parent in Rural Balancein Other Urban +7.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
8.2% 0th pct 15.3% 60th pct
Living alone in Rural Balancein Other Urban +5.3 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
22.3% 23rd pct 27.6% 59th pct

Family composition

57.2% Couples with children ◂ +1.9 pts 55.3%
33.9% Couples without children ◂ +5.5 pts 28.4%
8.2% One-parent families +7.1 pts ▸ 15.3%
0.7% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

Household size

40.1% 2 people ◂ +5.4 pts 34.7%
22.3% 1 person +5.3 pts ▸ 27.6%
13.2% 3 people +1.2 pts ▸ 14.4%
13.9% 4 people +0.2 pts ▸ 14.1%
7.1% 5 people ◂ +1.0 pts 6.2%
3.3% 6 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 3.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$90 higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
$200 14th pct $290 54th pct
Mortgage in Rural Balancein Other Urban +$200 higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
$1,400 29th pct $1,600 57th 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 +21.2 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
12.2% 8th pct 33.4% 74th pct
Owned outright in Rural Balancein Other Urban +18.7 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
46.4% 94th pct 27.7% 25th pct
Separate houses in Rural Balancein Other Urban +11.1 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
97.3% 93rd pct 86.2% 43rd pct
3+ bedrooms in Rural Balancein Other Urban even gap steady
82.8% 88th pct 82.7% 87th pct

How homes are owned or rented

46.4% Owned outright ◂ +18.7 pts 27.7%
35.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +0.6 pts 34.5%
12.2% Rented +21.2 pts ▸ 33.4%
4.6% Other tenure ◂ +2.1 pts 2.5%
1.7% Not stated +0.2 pts ▸ 1.9%

Types of homes

97.3% Separate house ◂ +11.1 pts 86.2%
0.7% Townhouse / semi-detached +9.7 pts ▸ 10.4%
0.2% Flat or apartment +1.7 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.3% Other dwelling even 1.3%

Bedrooms per home

44.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +3.9 pts 40.7%
30.6% 4 bedrooms +6.8 pts ▸ 37.4%
11.9% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.2 pts 11.7%
7.6% 5 or more ◂ +2.9 pts 4.7%
3.3% 1 bedroom +0.2 pts ▸ 3.4%
0.6% Studio / none ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

37.3% $200–$349 +1.9 pts ▸ 39.1%
37.8% Under $200 ◂ +13.7 pts 24.1%
11.9% $350–$549 +14.1 pts ▸ 26.0%
1.6% $550–$749 +2.3 pts ▸ 3.9%
0.6% $750 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 2.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

33.2% $1,000–$1,799 +6.0 pts ▸ 39.2%
22.4% $1,800–$2,999 +6.6 pts ▸ 29.0%
28.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +10.8 pts 18.0%
10.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.6 pts 8.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.2 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
1.6% 15th pct 4.8% 43rd pct
Work from home in Rural Balancein Other Urban +12.5 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
16.8% 83rd pct 4.3% 13th pct
PT commute in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
0.7% 23rd pct 1.8% 48th pct

How people get to work

60.2% Car (driver) +6.8 pts ▸ 67.0%
16.8% Worked at home ◂ +12.5 pts 4.3%
3.3% Car (passenger) +2.7 pts ▸ 6.0%
4.8% Walked ◂ +1.9 pts 2.9%
0.6% Bus +1.1 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.1% Bicycle +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.1% Train even 0.1%

Motor vehicles per home

38.3% 2 vehicles +1.1 pts ▸ 39.4%
20.2% 1 vehicle +14.4 pts ▸ 34.6%
21.2% 3 vehicles ◂ +7.2 pts 14.0%
18.7% 4 or more ◂ +11.5 pts 7.2%
1.6% No vehicle +3.2 pts ▸ 4.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Rural Balancein Other Urban +15.4 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
25.8% 11th pct 41.2% 69th pct
Recent arrivals in Rural Balancein Other Urban +4.6 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
6.3% 14th pct 10.9% 43rd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
3.3% 15th pct 4.4% 31st pct
Participation in Rural Balancein Other Urban +1.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
61.9% 75th pct 60.7% 70th pct
Full-time in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.7 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
57.4% 49th pct 61.1% 73rd pct

Industries people work in

24.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +21.3 pts 2.7%
10.6% Health care & social assistance +2.4 pts ▸ 13.0%
1.8% Mining +9.4 pts ▸ 11.2%
6.9% Retail trade +2.6 pts ▸ 9.5%
8.1% Construction +1.1 pts ▸ 9.2%
7.4% Education & training +1.3 pts ▸ 8.8%
7.5% Manufacturing ◂ +1.9 pts 5.6%
4.8% Accommodation & food +2.5 pts ▸ 7.3%
4.5% Public administration & safety +1.3 pts ▸ 5.8%
3.8% Transport & warehousing +1.1 pts ▸ 4.8%
3.5% Other services +0.6 pts ▸ 4.1%
3.7% Professional & technical ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

Occupations people work in

25.9% Managers ◂ +15.9 pts 10.0%
13.0% Technicians & trades +5.8 pts ▸ 18.8%
14.0% Professionals +1.4 pts ▸ 15.4%
12.9% Labourers ◂ +0.7 pts 12.2%
9.4% Community & personal service +2.7 pts ▸ 12.1%
10.0% Clerical & administrative +0.9 pts ▸ 10.9%
6.4% Machinery operators & drivers +4.1 pts ▸ 10.5%
6.3% Sales workers +1.9 pts ▸ 8.2%

Walkability

Walk score in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.8 higher in Other Urban
0.7 15th pct 4.5 61st pct
Types ≤15 min in Rural Balancein Other Urban +3.9 more in Other Urban
0.7 15th pct 4.6 57th pct
15-min city in Rural Balancein Other Urban +47.0 pts higher in Other Urban
2.9% 14th pct 49.8% 48th pct
Walk to shops in Rural Balancein Other Urban +46.9 pts higher in Other Urban
4.3% 20th pct 51.3% 44th pct
Walk to transit in Rural Balancein Other Urban +53.4 pts higher in Other Urban
10.3% 30th pct 63.8% 61st pct
Walk to school in Rural Balancein Other Urban +57.8 pts higher in Other Urban
5.3% 14th pct 63.1% 62nd pct
Walk to a park in Rural Balancein Other Urban +67.4 pts higher in Other Urban
22.8% 17th pct 90.2% 65th pct
Walk to health in Rural Balancein Other Urban +38.7 pts higher in Other Urban
1.0% 13th pct 39.7% 54th pct
Amenities/1k in Rural Balancein Other Urban +17.8 more in Rural Balance
32.4 84th pct 14.6 25th pct
Intersections/km² in Rural Balancein Other Urban +43 higher in Other Urban
0 2nd pct 43 60th pct
Mean slope in Rural Balancein Other Urban +0.8 pts higher in Rural Balance
5.1% 40th pct 4.3% 22nd pct

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

Compare Other Urban with nearby areas

Major Urban Bounded Locality Rural Balance Other Urban Rural Balance Bounded Locality Bounded Locality Major Urban Other Urban Rural Balance Rural Balance Other 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/SOS43/rural-balance/vs/SOS51/other-urban