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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 ≈ 854 km apart · Major Urban profile · Rural Balance profile

Major Urban Rural Balance

Major Urban and Rural Balance are very different places, separated by over 850 km. Major Urban is a very walkable area with a younger population, where the typical resident is 37. It is far more diverse, with 36.4% of people born overseas and 21.4% using another language at home. Residents here are also more likely to have higher qualifications, with 27% holding a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, Rural Balance is car-dependent and has a much older population, with a typical age of 45. It is more likely to have detached houses, which make up 94.8% of homes, and a higher share of residents own their homes outright at 43.7%.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the typical weekly personal income, which is $862 in Major Urban and $838 in Rural Balance. They also share similar household sizes, with 2.6 people per home in both. However, many gaps have widened since 2011. People in Major Urban are now far more likely to rent, while the age gap between the two areas has doubled from four years to eight.

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Where they differ most

Population: 1,880,110 larger in Major Urban Born overseas: 18.2 pts higher in Major Urban Separate houses: 17.6 pts higher in Rural Balance Year 12: 17.4 pts higher in Major Urban Owned outright: 15.4 pts higher in Rural Balance

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Urban in Rural Balance +1,880,110 larger in Major Urban gap widening

2,043,762 89th pct 163,652 66th pct

Median age in Major Urban in Rural Balance +8 yrs older in Rural Balance gap widening

37 yrs 14th pct 45 yrs 71st pct

Age structure

24.1% Older adults (45–64) +8.0 pts ▸ 32.1%

29.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +5.7 pts 23.3%

19.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.7 pts 16.2%

15.7% Seniors (65+) +2.4 pts ▸ 18.1%

12.1% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.9 pts 10.2%

Marital status

47.5% Married +5.7 pts ▸ 53.2%

36.2% Never married ◂ +4.3 pts 31.9%

8.7% Divorced ◂ +0.3 pts 8.4%

4.4% Widowed ◂ +1.1 pts 3.3%

3.2% Separated even 3.2%

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

59.1% Australia +11.5 pts ▸ 70.6%

7.9% England ◂ +1.3 pts 6.6%

2.8% India ◂ +2.6 pts 0.2%

2.8% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 2.6%

1.8% South Africa ◂ +0.8 pts 1.1%

1.5% Philippines ◂ +1.0 pts 0.5%

1.3% China ◂ +1.2 pts 0.2%

0.8% Vietnam ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%

0.8% Italy ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%

0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

36.8% English +4.9 pts ▸ 41.7%

27.8% Australian +8.4 pts ▸ 36.2%

8.7% Scottish +0.7 pts ▸ 9.3%

8.8% Irish ◂ +0.4 pts 8.4%

5.5% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 4.4%

5.5% Chinese ◂ +4.8 pts 0.7%

2.8% German +0.8 pts ▸ 3.6%

3.6% Indian ◂ +3.2 pts 0.4%

2.0% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.9% Filipino ◂ +1.3 pts 0.6%

1.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

0.7% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

Language

Language used at home

73.6% English only +7.2 pts ▸ 80.8%

2.4% Mandarin ◂ +2.1 pts 0.3%

1.1% Italian ◂ +0.5 pts 0.6%

1.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

1.0% Punjabi ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%

0.9% Cantonese ◂ +0.9 pts 0.1%

0.8% Arabic ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

0.6% Hindi ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

0.2% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

42.1% No religion +1.6 pts ▸ 43.7%

41.8% Christianity ◂ +2.4 pts 39.5%

6.5% Not stated +8.5 pts ▸ 15.0%

3.1% Islam ◂ +2.8 pts 0.3%

2.6% Buddhism ◂ +1.8 pts 0.8%

2.4% Hinduism ◂ +2.3 pts 0.1%

1.3% Other religions ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%

0.3% Judaism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

62.4% Year 12 ◂ +17.4 pts 44.9%

17.4% Year 10 +7.6 pts ▸ 24.9%

8.1% Year 11 +2.1 pts ▸ 10.1%

6.2% Year 9 or below +0.9 pts ▸ 7.1%

Highest qualification level

25.9% Certificate III / IV +7.4 pts ▸ 33.4%

28.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +11.0 pts 17.5%

15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.8 pts 13.4%

9.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +6.0 pts 3.3%

3.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.4 pts 2.6%

2.3% Certificate I / II +0.5 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

19.0% Management & commerce ◂ +7.4 pts 11.7%

16.7% Engineering & related +2.2 pts ▸ 18.9%

11.4% Society & culture ◂ +4.3 pts 7.1%

11.0% Health ◂ +2.2 pts 8.8%

7.9% Education +0.4 pts ▸ 8.3%

1.5% Agriculture & environment +4.7 pts ▸ 6.1%

5.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.9 pts 4.2%

4.9% Architecture & building even 4.9%

3.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.3 pts 2.5%

3.5% Creative arts ◂ +1.3 pts 2.2%

2.9% Information technology ◂ +2.0 pts 0.9%

Income

Personal income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$24 higher in Major Urban gap widening

$862 72nd pct $838 71st pct

Household income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$138 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing

$1,863 71st pct $1,725 60th pct

Family income in Major Urban in Rural Balance +$220 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing

$2,262 77th pct $2,042 64th pct

Household income distribution

29.2% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.5 pts 26.7%

23.4% $650–$1,499 +1.2 pts ▸ 24.6%

14.3% Under $650 even 14.3%

13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 11.3%

10.8% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.1 pts 9.7%

Personal income distribution

38.3% Under $650 ◂ +3.0 pts 35.3%

29.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.4 pts 25.7%

20.1% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.0 pts 18.1%

6.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 5.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

8.4% Mental health ◂ +1.8 pts 6.6%

7.4% Arthritis +0.9 pts ▸ 8.2%

7.6% Other condition ◂ +1.5 pts 6.1%

7.3% Asthma ◂ +0.7 pts 6.6%

4.3% Diabetes ◂ +0.4 pts 3.9%

3.5% Heart disease +0.1 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.7% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.5% Lung condition even 1.5%

0.8% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

66.6% None ◂ +6.6 pts 60.0%

18.2% One condition ◂ +0.7 pts 17.5%

5.3% Two conditions ◂ +0.2 pts 5.1%

2.5% Three or more ◂ +0.3 pts 2.2%

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

60.0% Couples with children ◂ +3.7 pts 56.3%

25.4% Couples without children +9.1 pts ▸ 34.5%

13.4% One-parent families ◂ +4.9 pts 8.5%

1.2% Other families ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

Household size

32.8% 2 people +7.3 pts ▸ 40.2%

25.2% 1 person ◂ +4.7 pts 20.4%

16.5% 4 people ◂ +2.2 pts 14.2%

16.4% 3 people ◂ +2.8 pts 13.6%

6.3% 5 people +1.2 pts ▸ 7.6%

2.8% 6 or more +1.2 pts ▸ 4.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Urban in Rural Balance

$350 78th pct —

Mortgage in Major Urban in Rural Balance gap narrowing

$1,900 76th pct —

People / bedroom in Major Urban in Rural Balance even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

28.3% Owned outright +15.4 pts ▸ 43.7%

41.7% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +7.6 pts 34.2%

27.0% Rented ◂ +13.0 pts 14.0%

1.7% Other tenure +4.4 pts ▸ 6.1%

1.2% Not stated +0.7 pts ▸ 2.0%

Types of homes

77.2% Separate house +17.6 pts ▸ 94.8%

14.6% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +13.9 pts 0.7%

7.9% Flat or apartment ◂ +7.5 pts 0.3%

0.3% Other dwelling +2.6 pts ▸ 2.9%

Bedrooms per home

38.9% 4 bedrooms ◂ +0.7 pts 38.2%

37.0% 3 bedrooms ◂ +5.0 pts 32.0%

12.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +2.1 pts 10.7%

6.3% 5 or more +5.9 pts ▸ 12.2%

3.6% 1 bedroom +0.4 pts ▸ 4.1%

0.2% Studio / none +0.9 pts ▸ 1.0%

Weekly rent distribution

43.4% $350–$549 ◂ +25.4 pts 18.0%

34.2% $200–$349 ◂ +5.0 pts 29.2%

10.4% Under $200 +22.7 pts ▸ 33.1%

6.4% $550–$749 ◂ +2.0 pts 4.4%

2.5% $750 or more ◂ +0.8 pts 1.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

35.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +4.9 pts 30.5%

30.6% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +6.5 pts 24.1%

15.8% $3,000 or more +4.6 pts ▸ 20.3%

12.7% Under $1,000 +5.5 pts ▸ 18.2%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

62.1% Car (driver) ◂ +9.3 pts 52.8%

7.5% Worked at home +7.7 pts ▸ 15.2%

1.5% Walked +4.3 pts ▸ 5.9%

4.4% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.5 pts 3.9%

3.1% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 2.8%

2.2% Train ◂ +1.9 pts 0.3%

0.7% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

39.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.3 pts 36.7%

35.5% 1 vehicle ◂ +16.6 pts 18.9%

12.8% 3 vehicles +8.9 pts ▸ 21.7%

6.7% 4 or more +14.0 pts ▸ 20.7%

5.1% No vehicle ◂ +3.0 pts 2.1%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

0.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +20.3 pts ▸ 20.9%

14.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +6.5 pts 7.8%

6.5% Mining +4.1 pts ▸ 10.6%

8.9% Retail trade ◂ +3.2 pts 5.8%

8.8% Education & training ◂ +1.5 pts 7.3%

8.8% Construction even 8.8%

7.9% Professional & technical ◂ +4.5 pts 3.4%

6.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.5 pts 5.0%

6.0% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.0 pts 4.9%

5.2% Manufacturing ◂ +0.4 pts 4.9%

4.5% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.7 pts 3.8%

3.9% Other services ◂ +0.5 pts 3.4%

Occupations people work in

24.0% Professionals ◂ +11.1 pts 12.9%

11.8% Managers +12.0 pts ▸ 23.8%

14.5% Technicians & trades +1.6 pts ▸ 16.2%

12.5% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.6 pts 9.8%

12.0% Community & personal service ◂ +3.9 pts 8.2%

8.6% Labourers +3.0 pts ▸ 11.7%

6.9% Machinery operators & drivers +3.4 pts ▸ 10.3%

8.0% Sales workers ◂ +2.7 pts 5.2%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Urban in Rural Balance +5.6 higher in Major Urban

6.2 85th pct 0.6 12th pct

Types ≤15 min in Major Urban in Rural Balance +5.3 more in Major Urban

5.9 86th pct 0.6 13th pct

15-min city in Major Urban in Rural Balance +69.7 pts higher in Major Urban

74.1% 86th pct 4.4% 25th pct

Walk to shops in Major Urban in Rural Balance +66.4 pts higher in Major Urban

70.3% 78th pct 3.9% 16th pct

Walk to transit in Major Urban in Rural Balance +88.6 pts higher in Major Urban

95.3% 88th pct 6.7% 26th pct

Walk to school in Major Urban in Rural Balance +73.9 pts higher in Major Urban

81.3% 86th pct 7.5% 21st pct

Walk to a park in Major Urban in Rural Balance +80.3 pts higher in Major Urban

97.2% 84th pct 16.8% 14th pct

Walk to health in Major Urban in Rural Balance +54.8 pts higher in Major Urban

55.8% 82nd pct 1.0% 14th pct

Amenities/1k in Major Urban in Rural Balance +20.9 more in Rural Balance

15.2 30th pct 36.1 86th pct

Intersections/km² in Major Urban in Rural Balance +166 higher in Major Urban

166 91st pct 0 0th pct

Mean slope in Major Urban in Rural Balance +0.1 pts higher in Rural Balance

6.1% 63rd pct 6.2% 65th pct

Compare Major Urban with nearby areas

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

Compare Rural Balance with nearby areas

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

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/SOS50/major-urban/vs/SOS53/rural-balance