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Major Urban vs Rural Balance

Section of State comparison ≈ 26 km apart · Major Urban profile · Rural Balance profile

Major Urban Rural Balance

Major Urban and Rural Balance are nearby but offer very different ways of living. Major Urban is a populous hub where 28.8% of people were born overseas and 24.6% use another language at home. It is a highly educated and high-earning area, with 43% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 22.1% earning over $2,000 a week. In contrast, Rural Balance is sparsely populated and car-dependent, with a high proportion of separate houses (91.3%) and a much lower share of overseas-born residents (14%).

Both areas sit close to the national figure for the share of people who own their homes outright, at around 26%. While they share similar typical weekly incomes, other gaps have grown since 2011. Major Urban has become even more distinct in its walkability, with a very walkable score of 7.0 compared to 1.4 in Rural Balance. At the same time, the gap in educational attainment and high incomes has widened, while the difference in the share of people who rent has narrowed.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 28.2 pts higher in Rural Balance Population: 452,065 larger in Major Urban PT commute: 4.6 pts higher in Major Urban Bachelor+: 18.9 pts higher in Major Urban Limited English: 2.5 pts higher in Major Urban

Demographics & Identity

Population in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +452,065 larger in Major Urban gap widening
452,670 77th pct 605 20th pct
Median age in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +5 yrs older in Major Urban gap widening
35 yrs 10th pct 30 yrs 0th pct
First Nations in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +0.8 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
2.0% 19th pct 2.8% 31st pct
Aged 65+ in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +1.1 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
13.7% 34th pct 12.6% 28th pct
Under 15 in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +3.9 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
18.3% 71st pct 14.4% 30th pct
De facto in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +3.0 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
12.5% 43rd pct 15.5% 92nd pct

Age structure

32.4% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +3.6 pts 28.8%
22.3% Older adults (45–64) +1.5 pts ▸ 23.8%
13.3% Youth (15–24) +7.5 pts ▸ 20.8%
18.3% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.9 pts 14.4%
13.7% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.1 pts 12.6%

Marital status

39.2% Never married +8.9 pts ▸ 48.2%
46.8% Married ◂ +8.0 pts 38.7%
7.7% Divorced ◂ +1.6 pts 6.2%
2.5% Separated +1.3 pts ▸ 3.9%
3.7% Widowed ◂ +2.9 pts 0.8%

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

Born overseas in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +14.8 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
28.8% 86th pct 14.0% 43rd pct

Country of birth

67.5% Australia +5.1 pts ▸ 72.6%
2.9% England +0.9 pts ▸ 3.8%
3.8% India ◂ +3.8 pts 0.0%
2.7% China ◂ +2.7 pts 0.0%
1.3% Nepal ◂ +1.3 pts 0.0%
1.1% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%
1.1% Philippines ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%
0.9% Vietnam ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.5% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.4% Italy ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

31.5% Australian +9.3 pts ▸ 40.8%
32.0% English +0.4 pts ▸ 32.4%
10.0% Scottish +3.6 pts ▸ 13.6%
11.6% Irish +0.5 pts ▸ 12.1%
5.7% Chinese ◂ +4.6 pts 1.2%
4.5% Indian ◂ +3.8 pts 0.7%
4.2% German +0.1 pts ▸ 4.3%
1.7% Dutch +2.4 pts ▸ 4.1%
3.4% Italian ◂ +1.9 pts 1.5%
1.6% Filipino ◂ +1.6 pts 0.0%
1.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%
1.2% Greek ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

Language

Other language in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +17.9 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
24.6% 82nd pct 6.8% 33rd pct
Limited English in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +2.5 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
2.5% 73rd pct 0.0% 0th pct

Language used at home

71.2% English only +8.3 pts ▸ 79.5%
3.2% Mandarin ◂ +3.2 pts 0.0%
1.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%
1.1% Punjabi ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%
1.1% Hindi ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%
0.9% Cantonese ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.9% Arabic ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.6% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.6% Greek ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.5% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +3.0 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
44.2% 67th pct 41.2% 50th pct

Religious affiliation

44.2% No religion ◂ +3.0 pts 41.2%
38.1% Christianity +3.2 pts ▸ 41.3%
5.6% Not stated +10.6 pts ▸ 16.2%
4.5% Hinduism ◂ +4.5 pts 0.0%
3.2% Islam ◂ +1.9 pts 1.3%
2.8% Buddhism ◂ +2.0 pts 0.8%
1.3% Other religions ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%
0.2% Judaism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +12.8 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
77.1% 100th pct 64.3% 90th pct
Bachelor+ in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +18.9 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
43.0% 100th pct 24.1% 82nd pct

Highest year of school

77.1% Year 12 ◂ +12.8 pts 64.3%
10.5% Year 10 +2.5 pts ▸ 13.0%
4.2% Year 9 or below +0.9 pts ▸ 5.2%
3.5% Year 11 ◂ +1.3 pts 2.2%

Highest qualification level

33.9% Bachelor degree ◂ +9.4 pts 24.5%
15.0% Certificate III / IV +11.7 pts ▸ 26.7%
19.9% Postgraduate degree ◂ +16.7 pts 3.2%
13.0% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.0 pts 12.0%
6.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.7 pts 5.6%
1.3% Certificate I / II +1.6 pts ▸ 2.9%

Field of qualification

20.1% Society & culture ◂ +4.6 pts 15.5%
20.1% Management & commerce ◂ +8.6 pts 11.5%
3.9% Architecture & building +5.4 pts ▸ 9.3%
8.7% Health ◂ +0.4 pts 8.3%
8.4% Engineering & related ◂ +0.4 pts 8.0%
7.6% Information technology ◂ +6.8 pts 0.8%
6.9% Education ◂ +1.9 pts 5.1%
5.6% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.3 pts 5.3%
4.2% Creative arts ◂ +0.8 pts 3.5%
1.6% Agriculture & environment +2.4 pts ▸ 4.0%
3.3% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.7 pts 2.7%

Income

Personal income in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +$75 higher in Major Urban gap steady
$1,204 84th pct $1,129 81st pct
Household income in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +$190 higher in Rural Balance gap steady
$2,372 88th pct $2,562 90th pct
Family income in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +$174 higher in Major Urban gap widening
$2,871 95th pct $2,697 91st pct
High earners in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +10.6 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
22.1% 93rd pct 11.6% 69th pct
High-income homes in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +2.0 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
36.4% 94th pct 38.4% 97th pct

Household income distribution

32.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.3 pts 28.3%
21.9% $4,000 or more +2.0 pts ▸ 23.9%
17.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.5 pts 15.9%
14.5% $3,000–$3,999 even 14.5%
8.6% Under $650 ◂ +0.6 pts 8.0%

Personal income distribution

29.7% $650–$1,499 +8.7 pts ▸ 38.3%
29.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +13.0 pts 16.8%
27.9% Under $650 ◂ +9.0 pts 18.9%
7.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 5.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +4.1 pts higher in Major Urban
28.1% 53rd pct 24.0% 30th pct
Mental health in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +2.1 pts higher in Major Urban
10.0% 65th pct 7.9% 41st pct
Needs assistance in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +1.6 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
4.6% 42nd pct 3.0% 14th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.0% Mental health ◂ +2.1 pts 7.9%
9.7% Other condition ◂ +3.8 pts 6.0%
9.0% Asthma ◂ +0.2 pts 8.8%
7.7% Arthritis ◂ +0.8 pts 6.9%
3.9% Diabetes ◂ +1.4 pts 2.5%
3.1% Heart disease ◂ +0.6 pts 2.5%
2.7% Cancer ◂ +0.9 pts 1.8%
1.3% Lung condition +0.7 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.7% Stroke even 0.7%
0.6% Dementia ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

66.0% None ◂ +5.8 pts 60.2%
19.8% One condition ◂ +3.1 pts 16.7%
5.8% Two conditions +0.5 pts ▸ 6.3%
2.4% Three or more ◂ +0.5 pts 2.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +1.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
18.4% 67th pct 19.7% 77th pct
Unpaid carers in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +1.9 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
12.0% 57th pct 10.0% 30th pct
Unpaid child care in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +6.1 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
28.3% 87th pct 22.2% 32nd pct
Defence service in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +8.8 pts higher in Rural Balance
6.0% 93rd pct 14.8% 100th pct
Housework 15h+ in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +1.0 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
19.3% 42nd pct 18.3% 38th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +0.5 larger in Rural Balance gap widening
2.5 57th pct 3.0 95th pct
One-parent in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +2.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
11.9% 27th pct 14.1% 49th pct
Living alone in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +6.9 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
25.8% 47th pct 18.8% 7th pct

Family composition

59.8% Couples with children ◂ +5.3 pts 54.5%
27.2% Couples without children +1.9 pts ▸ 29.1%
11.9% One-parent families +2.2 pts ▸ 14.1%
1.1% Other families +1.5 pts ▸ 2.5%

Household size

32.7% 2 people +1.4 pts ▸ 34.1%
25.8% 1 person ◂ +6.9 pts 18.8%
16.5% 3 people ◂ +0.6 pts 15.9%
16.4% 4 people ◂ +0.5 pts 15.9%
2.5% 6 or more +5.4 pts ▸ 8.0%
6.0% 5 people ◂ +2.4 pts 3.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +$70 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
$450 100th pct $380 86th pct
Mortgage in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +$280 higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
$2,080 88th pct $1,800 69th pct
People / bedroom in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +0.20 higher in Rural Balance gap widening
0.80 29th pct 1.00 87th pct
Renting in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +10.6 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
30.7% 58th pct 41.3% 88th pct
Owned outright in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +0.5 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
26.6% 17th pct 26.1% 14th pct
Separate houses in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +28.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap widening
63.1% 9th pct 91.3% 55th pct
3+ bedrooms in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +5.6 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
73.0% 37th pct 67.4% 18th pct

How homes are owned or rented

30.7% Rented +10.6 pts ▸ 41.3%
40.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +17.0 pts 23.2%
26.6% Owned outright ◂ +0.5 pts 26.1%
1.6% Other tenure +10.7 pts ▸ 12.3%
0.9% Not stated +1.3 pts ▸ 2.2%

Types of homes

63.1% Separate house +28.2 pts ▸ 91.3%
19.4% Flat or apartment ◂ +19.4 pts 0.0%
17.2% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +17.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

37.1% 3 bedrooms ◂ +8.2 pts 29.0%
28.8% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.1 pts 24.6%
17.5% 2 bedrooms +2.8 pts ▸ 20.3%
7.1% 5 or more +6.7 pts ▸ 13.8%
8.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.5 pts 8.0%
0.2% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

45.8% $350–$549 ◂ +0.2 pts 45.6%
12.4% $200–$349 +17.4 pts ▸ 29.8%
21.2% $550–$749 ◂ +14.2 pts 7.0%
12.5% Under $200 +5.1 pts ▸ 17.5%
5.0% $750 or more +2.1 pts ▸ 7.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

38.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +29.1 pts 9.4%
25.6% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +3.7 pts 21.9%
20.9% $3,000 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 21.9%
11.0% Under $1,000 ◂ +11.0 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +5.6 pts higher in Major Urban gap widening
5.6% 52nd pct 0.0% 0th pct
Work from home in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +6.7 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
10.9% 56th pct 17.6% 86th pct
PT commute in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +4.6 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
4.6% 81st pct 0.0% 0th pct

How people get to work

59.0% Car (driver) ◂ +14.2 pts 44.9%
10.9% Worked at home +6.7 pts ▸ 17.6%
4.0% Walked +8.2 pts ▸ 12.2%
5.0% Car (passenger) ◂ +2.5 pts 2.6%
3.6% Bus ◂ +3.6 pts 0.0%
2.1% Bicycle ◂ +2.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +19.8 pts 19.4%
38.7% 2 vehicles ◂ +2.9 pts 35.8%
5.5% 4 or more +22.8 pts ▸ 28.4%
10.9% 3 vehicles +10.0 pts ▸ 20.9%
5.6% No vehicle ◂ +5.6 pts 0.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +0.2 pts higher in Rural Balance gap narrowing
46.1% 82nd pct 46.3% 82nd pct
Recent arrivals in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +8.0 pts higher in Rural Balance gap steady
16.7% 69th pct 24.7% 82nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +2.4 pts higher in Major Urban gap steady
3.8% 23rd pct 1.4% 0th pct
Participation in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +1.2 pts higher in Major Urban gap narrowing
69.6% 99th pct 68.4% 96th pct
Full-time in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +4.9 pts higher in Rural Balance gap widening
65.8% 81st pct 70.7% 87th pct

Industries people work in

29.8% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.7 pts 28.1%
0.2% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +13.7 pts ▸ 13.9%
6.6% Construction +5.3 pts ▸ 11.9%
11.5% Health care & social assistance ◂ +6.4 pts 5.1%
10.9% Professional & technical ◂ +4.1 pts 6.8%
9.4% Education & training ◂ +2.3 pts 7.1%
6.5% Retail trade ◂ +3.0 pts 3.4%
6.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.7 pts 3.7%
1.8% Arts & recreation +4.1 pts ▸ 6.0%
2.9% Other services ◂ +0.3 pts 2.6%
2.6% Administrative & support ◂ +0.6 pts 2.0%
2.1% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.3 pts 0.9%

Occupations people work in

17.8% Managers +19.7 pts ▸ 37.5%
31.5% Professionals ◂ +15.0 pts 16.5%
14.6% Clerical & administrative ◂ +4.0 pts 10.5%
9.6% Technicians & trades +4.3 pts ▸ 13.9%
10.9% Community & personal service ◂ +2.7 pts 8.2%
5.0% Labourers +3.6 pts ▸ 8.5%
6.1% Sales workers ◂ +3.6 pts 2.6%
2.4% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.4 pts 0.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +5.6 higher in Major Urban
7.0 96th pct 1.4 29th pct
Types ≤15 min in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +5.4 more in Major Urban
6.5 96th pct 1.1 29th pct
15-min city in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +80.8 pts higher in Major Urban
82.5% 96th pct 1.8% 9th pct
Walk to shops in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +79.2 pts higher in Major Urban
80.6% 90th pct 1.5% 6th pct
Walk to transit in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +90.4 pts higher in Major Urban
98.2% 100th pct 7.9% 29th pct
Walk to school in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +76.3 pts higher in Major Urban
86.0% 94th pct 9.7% 29th pct
Walk to a park in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +38.2 pts higher in Major Urban
99.7% 99th pct 61.5% 36th pct
Walk to health in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +64.0 pts higher in Major Urban
64.8% 93rd pct 0.8% 11th pct
Amenities/1k in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +301.9 more in Rural Balance
18.8 46th pct 320.7 100th pct
Intersections/km² in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +242 higher in Major Urban
246 100th pct 4 23rd pct
Mean slope in Major Urbanin Rural Balance +0.6 pts higher in Rural Balance
5.5% 51st pct 6.1% 63rd pct

Compare Major Urban with nearby areas

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

Compare Rural Balance with nearby areas

Major Urban Bounded Locality Bounded Locality Major Urban Other Urban Rural Balance Other Urban Bounded Locality Major Urban Rural Balance 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/SOS80/major-urban/vs/SOS83/rural-balance