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Major Urban vs Other Urban

Section of State comparison ≈ 1,987 km apart · Major Urban profile · Other Urban profile

Major Urban Other Urban

Major Urban and Other Urban are very different places, separated by nearly 2,000 km. Other Urban has a far higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 39.8%, compared to just 1.9% in Major Urban. In contrast, Major Urban is far more diverse in terms of overseas birth, with 36.4% of people born abroad compared to 18.5% in Other Urban. Major Urban is also more walkable; 95.3% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, while only 55.2% of homes in Other Urban have the same access.

These two areas have tracked in different directions since 2011, as the gap for recent overseas arrivals has widened. However, they share similar typical weekly personal incomes, with Major Urban at $862 and Other Urban at $842. They also have an identical share of people living alone at 25.2%. While Other Urban is far more likely to be rented (53.2% compared to 27.0% in Major Urban), both areas have a similar share of households earning $3,000 or more a week.

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Where they differ most

First Nations: 37.8 pts higher in Other Urban Renting: 26.1 pts higher in Other Urban Population: 1,995,306 larger in Major Urban De facto: 3.9 pts higher in Other Urban Born overseas: 17.8 pts higher in Major Urban

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Urbanin Other Urban +1,995,306 larger in Major Urban gap widening
2,043,762 89th pct 48,456 49th pct
Median age in Major Urbanin Other Urban +5 yrs older in Major Urban gap narrowing
37 yrs 14th pct 32 yrs 4th pct
First Nations in Major Urbanin Other Urban +37.8 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
1.9% 18th pct 39.8% 98th pct
Aged 65+ in Major Urbanin Other Urban +8.2 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
15.7% 45th pct 7.5% 11th pct
Under 15 in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.7 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
19.0% 79th pct 22.7% 99th pct
De facto in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.9 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
11.5% 17th pct 15.5% 90th pct

Age structure

29.1% Young adults (25–44) +5.3 pts ▸ 34.3%
24.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.8 pts 22.3%
19.0% Children (0–14) +3.7 pts ▸ 22.7%
15.7% Seniors (65+) ◂ +8.2 pts 7.5%
12.1% Youth (15–24) +1.0 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

47.5% Married ◂ +8.5 pts 39.0%
36.2% Never married +11.3 pts ▸ 47.4%
8.7% Divorced ◂ +2.2 pts 6.5%
4.4% Widowed ◂ +1.0 pts 3.4%
3.2% Separated +0.4 pts ▸ 3.6%

Age & sex structure

Major Urban Other Urban

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Major Urbanin Other Urban +17.8 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
36.4% 98th pct 18.5% 65th pct

Country of birth

59.1% Australia +14.7 pts ▸ 73.9%
7.9% England ◂ +6.3 pts 1.6%
2.8% India ◂ +0.5 pts 2.4%
2.8% New Zealand ◂ +0.5 pts 2.3%
1.5% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.8% South Africa ◂ +1.4 pts 0.5%
1.3% China ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%
0.2% Nepal +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.8% Vietnam ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%
0.8% Italy ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

Ancestry

36.8% English ◂ +17.1 pts 19.7%
27.8% Australian ◂ +7.6 pts 20.2%
8.8% Irish ◂ +2.1 pts 6.8%
8.7% Scottish ◂ +3.0 pts 5.7%
5.5% Italian ◂ +4.0 pts 1.5%
5.5% Chinese ◂ +3.9 pts 1.5%
2.8% German +0.8 pts ▸ 3.6%
3.6% Indian ◂ +1.2 pts 2.4%
1.9% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 2.3%
2.0% Dutch ◂ +1.0 pts 1.0%
1.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%
0.7% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

Language

Other language in Major Urbanin Other Urban +17.8 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
21.4% 78th pct 39.2% 93rd pct
Limited English in Major Urbanin Other Urban +2.7 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
2.7% 74th pct 5.3% 88th pct

Language used at home

73.6% English only ◂ +21.6 pts 52.0%
2.4% Mandarin ◂ +1.7 pts 0.7%
1.1% Italian ◂ +0.9 pts 0.2%
1.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%
1.0% Punjabi even 1.0%
0.9% Cantonese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%
0.7% Tagalog +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.8% Arabic ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%
0.6% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%
0.2% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Major Urbanin Other Urban +5.3 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
42.1% 55th pct 36.8% 30th pct

Religious affiliation

41.8% Christianity +1.6 pts ▸ 43.5%
42.1% No religion ◂ +5.3 pts 36.8%
6.5% Not stated +4.8 pts ▸ 11.3%
1.3% Other religions +3.3 pts ▸ 4.6%
3.1% Islam ◂ +2.3 pts 0.8%
2.6% Buddhism ◂ +1.5 pts 1.1%
2.4% Hinduism ◂ +0.5 pts 1.9%
0.3% Judaism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Major Urbanin Other Urban +15.4 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
62.4% 87th pct 46.9% 72nd pct
Bachelor+ in Major Urbanin Other Urban +6.7 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
27.0% 86th pct 20.3% 76th pct

Highest year of school

62.4% Year 12 ◂ +15.4 pts 46.9%
17.4% Year 10 +0.1 pts ▸ 17.5%
6.2% Year 9 or below +6.3 pts ▸ 12.5%
8.1% Year 11 +4.4 pts ▸ 12.4%

Highest qualification level

28.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +5.8 pts 22.6%
25.9% Certificate III / IV ◂ +0.9 pts 25.1%
15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +3.3 pts 11.8%
9.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.1 pts 9.2%
3.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.1 pts ▸ 4.0%
2.3% Certificate I / II +0.3 pts ▸ 2.6%

Field of qualification

19.0% Management & commerce ◂ +5.5 pts 13.5%
16.7% Engineering & related ◂ +6.0 pts 10.7%
11.4% Society & culture +2.1 pts ▸ 13.5%
11.0% Health +2.5 pts ▸ 13.5%
7.9% Education +0.7 pts ▸ 8.6%
5.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.5 pts 4.6%
4.9% Architecture & building ◂ +0.6 pts 4.3%
3.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +2.1 pts 1.7%
3.5% Creative arts ◂ +1.0 pts 2.5%
2.9% Information technology ◂ +1.3 pts 1.5%
1.5% Agriculture & environment +0.7 pts ▸ 2.1%

Income

Personal income in Major Urbanin Other Urban +$20 higher in Major Urban gap widening
$862 72nd pct $842 71st pct
Household income in Major Urbanin Other Urban +$123 higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
$1,863 71st pct $1,986 77th pct
Family income in Major Urbanin Other Urban +$234 higher in Major Urban gap widening
$2,262 77th pct $2,028 62nd pct
High earners in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.3 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
15.2% 84th pct 11.9% 71st pct
High-income homes in Major Urbanin Other Urban +0.1 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
24.3% 74th pct 24.2% 74th pct

Household income distribution

29.2% $1,500–$2,999 +2.4 pts ▸ 31.6%
23.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.0 pts 21.4%
14.3% Under $650 ◂ +2.4 pts 12.0%
13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 12.0%
10.8% $3,000–$3,999 +1.4 pts ▸ 12.2%

Personal income distribution

38.3% Under $650 +1.2 pts ▸ 39.5%
29.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.4 pts 25.8%
20.1% $1,500–$2,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 20.6%
6.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.6 pts 3.6%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Major Urbanin Other Urban +5.8 pts higher in Major Urban
26.0% 41st pct 20.2% 19th pct
Mental health in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.4 pts higher in Major Urban
8.4% 46th pct 5.0% 19th pct
Needs assistance in Major Urbanin Other Urban +0.9 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
4.6% 43rd pct 3.8% 29th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

8.4% Mental health ◂ +3.4 pts 5.0%
7.6% Other condition ◂ +1.4 pts 6.2%
7.4% Arthritis ◂ +3.9 pts 3.5%
7.3% Asthma ◂ +1.4 pts 5.9%
4.3% Diabetes +0.4 pts ▸ 4.7%
3.5% Heart disease +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.7% Cancer ◂ +1.4 pts 1.3%
1.5% Lung condition ◂ +0.5 pts 1.1%
0.8% Stroke ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%
0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

66.6% None +2.5 pts ▸ 69.1%
18.2% One condition ◂ +3.2 pts 15.0%
5.3% Two conditions ◂ +1.8 pts 3.5%
2.5% Three or more ◂ +0.8 pts 1.7%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Major Urbanin Other Urban +1.2 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
15.1% 44th pct 13.9% 38th pct
Unpaid carers in Major Urbanin Other Urban +0.9 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
10.8% 42nd pct 9.9% 29th pct
Unpaid child care in Major Urbanin Other Urban +4.6 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
29.2% 89th pct 33.8% 97th pct
Defence service in Major Urbanin Other Urban +0.1 pts higher in Major Urban
2.8% 26th pct 2.7% 24th pct
Housework 15h+ in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.5 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
19.6% 45th pct 16.1% 29th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Major Urbanin Other Urban +0.3 larger in Other Urban gap steady
2.6 71st pct 2.9 92nd pct
One-parent in Major Urbanin Other Urban +7.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
13.4% 43rd pct 20.5% 94th pct
Living alone in Major Urbanin Other Urban even gap steady
25.2% 42nd pct 25.2% 42nd pct

Family composition

60.0% Couples with children ◂ +2.2 pts 57.8%
25.4% Couples without children ◂ +5.7 pts 19.7%
13.4% One-parent families +7.1 pts ▸ 20.5%
1.2% Other families +0.7 pts ▸ 1.9%

Household size

32.8% 2 people ◂ +5.7 pts 27.2%
25.2% 1 person even 25.2%
16.5% 4 people ◂ +2.5 pts 14.0%
16.4% 3 people ◂ +0.6 pts 15.8%
2.8% 6 or more +7.6 pts ▸ 10.4%
6.3% 5 people +1.1 pts ▸ 7.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Urbanin Other Urban +$90 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
$350 78th pct $260 43rd pct
Mortgage in Major Urbanin Other Urban +$167 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
$1,900 76th pct $1,733 65th pct
People / bedroom in Major Urbanin Other Urban +0.30 higher in Other Urban gap widening
0.80 29th pct 1.10 94th pct
Renting in Major Urbanin Other Urban +26.1 pts higher in Other Urban gap narrowing
27.0% 43rd pct 53.2% 96th pct
Owned outright in Major Urbanin Other Urban +16.4 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
28.3% 29th pct 11.9% 1st pct
Separate houses in Major Urbanin Other Urban +7.0 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
77.2% 25th pct 70.2% 16th pct
3+ bedrooms in Major Urbanin Other Urban +15.6 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
82.2% 85th pct 66.6% 16th pct

How homes are owned or rented

27.0% Rented +26.1 pts ▸ 53.2%
41.7% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +15.9 pts 25.9%
28.3% Owned outright ◂ +16.4 pts 11.9%
1.7% Other tenure +4.7 pts ▸ 6.5%
1.2% Not stated +1.5 pts ▸ 2.7%

Types of homes

77.2% Separate house ◂ +7.0 pts 70.2%
14.6% Townhouse / semi-detached +8.5 pts ▸ 23.1%
7.9% Flat or apartment ◂ +3.8 pts 4.0%
0.3% Other dwelling +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%

Bedrooms per home

37.0% 3 bedrooms +8.8 pts ▸ 45.8%
38.9% 4 bedrooms ◂ +21.5 pts 17.4%
12.8% 2 bedrooms +9.0 pts ▸ 21.8%
3.6% 1 bedroom +4.4 pts ▸ 8.0%
6.3% 5 or more ◂ +2.9 pts 3.4%
0.2% Studio / none +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%

Weekly rent distribution

43.4% $350–$549 ◂ +17.2 pts 26.2%
10.4% Under $200 +26.2 pts ▸ 36.6%
34.2% $200–$349 ◂ +15.5 pts 18.6%
6.4% $550–$749 +1.1 pts ▸ 7.5%
2.5% $750 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 2.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

30.6% $1,000–$1,799 +7.1 pts ▸ 37.7%
35.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.0 pts 34.4%
15.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +6.3 pts 9.5%
12.7% Under $1,000 +1.2 pts ▸ 13.9%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Major Urbanin Other Urban +12.0 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
5.1% 45th pct 17.0% 94th pct
Work from home in Major Urbanin Other Urban +4.8 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
7.5% 35th pct 2.8% 7th pct
PT commute in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.8 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
5.3% 87th pct 1.5% 45th pct

How people get to work

62.1% Car (driver) ◂ +0.4 pts 61.7%
1.5% Walked +8.1 pts ▸ 9.6%
4.4% Car (passenger) +4.0 pts ▸ 8.4%
7.5% Worked at home ◂ +4.8 pts 2.8%
0.7% Bicycle +2.7 pts ▸ 3.4%
3.1% Bus ◂ +1.6 pts 1.4%
2.2% Train ◂ +2.2 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +8.8 pts 31.2%
35.5% 1 vehicle +0.8 pts ▸ 36.3%
5.1% No vehicle +12.0 pts ▸ 17.0%
12.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.2 pts 10.6%
6.7% 4 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 4.9%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Major Urbanin Other Urban +0.1 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
39.6% 57th pct 39.4% 57th pct
Recent arrivals in Major Urbanin Other Urban +13.9 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
10.7% 42nd pct 24.6% 82nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Major Urbanin Other Urban +1.7 pts higher in Other Urban gap steady
5.3% 52nd pct 7.0% 72nd pct
Participation in Major Urbanin Other Urban +6.6 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
65.3% 88th pct 58.8% 58th pct
Full-time in Major Urbanin Other Urban +11.0 pts higher in Other Urban gap widening
60.0% 68th pct 71.0% 87th pct

Industries people work in

14.2% Health care & social assistance +8.2 pts ▸ 22.4%
6.0% Public administration & safety +11.1 pts ▸ 17.1%
8.8% Education & training +2.4 pts ▸ 11.3%
8.9% Retail trade ◂ +1.4 pts 7.5%
8.8% Construction ◂ +1.9 pts 6.8%
7.9% Professional & technical ◂ +3.8 pts 4.1%
6.5% Mining ◂ +4.5 pts 2.0%
6.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.0 pts 5.5%
5.2% Manufacturing ◂ +3.6 pts 1.7%
4.5% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.2 pts 3.3%
3.9% Other services +0.4 pts ▸ 4.3%
3.1% Administrative & support ◂ +0.7 pts 2.5%

Occupations people work in

24.0% Professionals +0.8 pts ▸ 24.8%
12.0% Community & personal service +6.4 pts ▸ 18.4%
14.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +2.1 pts 12.5%
12.5% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.3 pts 12.2%
11.8% Managers even 11.8%
8.6% Labourers ◂ +1.2 pts 7.5%
8.0% Sales workers ◂ +2.1 pts 5.9%
6.9% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.9 pts 3.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Urbanin Other Urban +1.5 higher in Major Urban
6.2 85th pct 4.7 63rd pct
Types ≤15 min in Major Urbanin Other Urban +1.1 more in Major Urban
5.9 86th pct 4.8 62nd pct
15-min city in Major Urbanin Other Urban +17.1 pts higher in Major Urban
74.1% 86th pct 56.9% 60th pct
Walk to shops in Major Urbanin Other Urban +10.4 pts higher in Major Urban
70.3% 78th pct 59.9% 65th pct
Walk to transit in Major Urbanin Other Urban +40.1 pts higher in Major Urban
95.3% 88th pct 55.2% 56th pct
Walk to school in Major Urbanin Other Urban +2.7 pts higher in Major Urban
81.3% 86th pct 78.7% 83rd pct
Walk to a park in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.9 pts higher in Major Urban
97.2% 84th pct 93.3% 71st pct
Walk to health in Major Urbanin Other Urban +10.9 pts higher in Major Urban
55.8% 82nd pct 44.9% 63rd pct
Amenities/1k in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.5 more in Major Urban
15.2 30th pct 11.7 0th pct
Intersections/km² in Major Urbanin Other Urban +146 higher in Major Urban
166 91st pct 20 44th pct
Mean slope in Major Urbanin Other Urban +3.0 pts higher in Major Urban
6.1% 63rd pct 3.0% 5th 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 Other Urban with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Major Urban vs Other Urban [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sos/SOS50/major-urban/vs/SOS71/other-urban