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Byron Bay vs Brisbane

Urban Area comparison ≈ 126 km apart · Byron Bay profile · Brisbane profile

Byron Bay Brisbane

Brisbane and Byron Bay are distinct locations with very different scales. Brisbane is a major hub where full-time employment is far higher (60.1% compared to 40.1% in Byron Bay) and children under 15 are more common (19.2% versus 13.7%). Byron Bay stands out for its higher share of people with no religion (59.7% against 42.0% in Brisbane) and significantly higher typical weekly rents, which are $620 compared to $380 in Brisbane.

Both areas are very walkable and share almost identical typical weekly personal incomes of around $840. While they share these traits, other gaps are shifting; the difference in rent has widened since 2016, and the gap in the share of people who are working or looking for work has narrowed since 2011. Byron Bay also has a far higher share of recent overseas arrivals (29.1%) than Brisbane (14.1%), a trend that has shifted since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Population: 2,436,366 larger in Brisbane PT commute: 4.5 pts higher in Brisbane Full-time: 19.9 pts higher in Brisbane Unpaid child care: 6.8 pts higher in Brisbane No religion: 17.7 pts higher in Byron Bay

Demographics & Identity

Population in Byron Bayin Brisbane +2,436,366 larger in Brisbane gap widening
10,914 10th pct 2,447,280 93rd pct
Median age in Byron Bayin Brisbane +3 yrs older in Byron Bay gap narrowing
39 yrs 43rd pct 36 yrs 14th pct
First Nations in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.1 pts higher in Brisbane gap steady
1.8% 12th pct 3.0% 23rd pct
Aged 65+ in Byron Bayin Brisbane +2.7 pts higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing
17.2% 26th pct 14.5% 15th pct
Under 15 in Byron Bayin Brisbane +5.6 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
13.7% 3rd pct 19.2% 72nd pct
De facto in Byron Bayin Brisbane +5.3 pts higher in Byron Bay gap widening
17.9% 92nd pct 12.6% 49th pct

Age structure

35.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +5.8 pts 29.3%
25.3% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.6 pts 23.7%
13.7% Children (0–14) +5.6 pts ▸ 19.2%
17.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +2.7 pts 14.5%
8.8% Youth (15–24) +4.5 pts ▸ 13.2%

Marital status

51.6% Never married ◂ +12.9 pts 38.7%
30.5% Married +14.4 pts ▸ 44.9%
11.9% Divorced ◂ +3.0 pts 8.8%
3.6% Widowed +0.6 pts ▸ 4.2%
2.4% Separated +0.9 pts ▸ 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Byron Bay Brisbane

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Byron Bayin Brisbane +0.1 pts higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing
27.8% 93rd pct 27.6% 93rd pct

Country of birth

63.6% Australia +4.4 pts ▸ 68.0%
5.6% England ◂ +1.8 pts 3.8%
2.6% New Zealand +1.9 pts ▸ 4.5%
0.3% India +1.8 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.2% China +1.6 pts ▸ 1.7%
1.3% Italy ◂ +1.0 pts 0.3%
0.3% Philippines +0.8 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.6% South Africa +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Vietnam +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Ancestry

39.2% English ◂ +2.9 pts 36.3%
27.3% Australian +4.0 pts ▸ 31.3%
14.7% Irish ◂ +3.6 pts 11.1%
11.3% Scottish ◂ +1.2 pts 10.1%
6.0% German ◂ +0.4 pts 5.5%
5.5% Italian ◂ +2.8 pts 2.8%
0.8% Chinese +4.0 pts ▸ 4.8%
0.6% Indian +2.2 pts ▸ 2.8%
2.0% Dutch ◂ +0.3 pts 1.6%
0.5% Filipino +1.1 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.2% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.9% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

Language

Other language in Byron Bayin Brisbane +4.4 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
13.8% 86th pct 18.2% 88th pct
Limited English in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.8 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
0.8% 51st pct 2.5% 87th pct

Language used at home

77.6% English only ◂ +0.6 pts 77.0%
0.2% Mandarin +2.4 pts ▸ 2.6%
1.4% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 0.4%
0.1% Vietnamese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Punjabi +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.0% Cantonese +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.1% Hindi +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.1% Arabic +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.1% Tagalog +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.2% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Religion

No religion in Byron Bayin Brisbane +17.7 pts higher in Byron Bay gap widening
59.7% 100th pct 42.0% 47th pct

Religious affiliation

59.7% No religion ◂ +17.7 pts 42.0%
24.9% Christianity +19.3 pts ▸ 44.2%
11.3% Not stated ◂ +4.7 pts 6.6%
2.2% Buddhism ◂ +0.2 pts 1.9%
0.5% Hinduism +1.6 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.2% Islam +1.7 pts ▸ 1.9%
0.5% Other religions +0.7 pts ▸ 1.2%
1.0% Judaism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Byron Bayin Brisbane +2.1 pts higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing
66.8% 100th pct 64.6% 97th pct
Bachelor+ in Byron Bayin Brisbane +5.7 pts higher in Byron Bay gap widening
33.2% 100th pct 27.5% 91st pct

Highest year of school

66.8% Year 12 ◂ +2.1 pts 64.6%
14.3% Year 10 +2.8 pts ▸ 17.1%
3.7% Year 9 or below +3.4 pts ▸ 7.1%
5.3% Year 11 +0.3 pts ▸ 5.6%

Highest qualification level

33.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +5.0 pts 28.5%
18.2% Certificate III / IV +7.9 pts ▸ 26.2%
15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.1 pts ▸ 15.3%
9.2% Postgraduate degree +0.8 pts ▸ 10.0%
2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.2 pts ▸ 4.1%
1.4% Certificate I / II +0.7 pts ▸ 2.1%

Field of qualification

16.5% Management & commerce +4.3 pts ▸ 20.9%
13.8% Society & culture ◂ +1.0 pts 12.8%
6.7% Engineering & related +7.1 pts ▸ 13.7%
10.2% Health +0.7 pts ▸ 10.9%
10.7% Creative arts ◂ +6.6 pts 4.0%
6.8% Education +0.7 pts ▸ 7.5%
6.6% Architecture & building ◂ +1.3 pts 5.3%
6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.1 pts 5.0%
1.2% Information technology +2.4 pts ▸ 3.5%
2.9% Natural & physical sciences +0.1 pts ▸ 3.0%
2.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.7 pts 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Byron Bayin Brisbane +$14 higher in Brisbane gap narrowing
$837 81st pct $851 84th pct
Household income in Byron Bayin Brisbane +$122 higher in Brisbane gap widening
$1,748 79th pct $1,870 86th pct
Family income in Byron Bayin Brisbane +$104 higher in Brisbane gap widening
$2,091 77th pct $2,195 85th pct
High earners in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.5 pts higher in Brisbane gap steady
11.4% 73rd pct 13.0% 81st pct
High-income homes in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.5 pts higher in Brisbane gap steady
22.6% 84th pct 24.1% 87th pct

Household income distribution

27.8% $1,500–$2,999 +3.5 pts ▸ 31.3%
23.3% $650–$1,499 +1.6 pts ▸ 25.0%
17.1% Under $650 ◂ +3.8 pts 13.3%
13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 13.1%
9.1% $3,000–$3,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 11.1%

Personal income distribution

33.5% Under $650 +4.2 pts ▸ 37.8%
35.3% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.2 pts 32.2%
14.4% $1,500–$2,999 +4.5 pts ▸ 19.0%
5.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 4.9%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Byron Bayin Brisbane +6.7 pts higher in Brisbane
21.6% 7th pct 28.3% 23rd pct
Mental health in Byron Bayin Brisbane +3.0 pts higher in Brisbane
7.1% 11th pct 10.1% 41st pct
Needs assistance in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.7 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
3.9% 9th pct 5.7% 26th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Mental health +3.0 pts ▸ 10.1%
5.8% Asthma +3.0 pts ▸ 8.8%
6.7% Other condition +2.1 pts ▸ 8.8%
6.2% Arthritis +1.7 pts ▸ 7.8%
1.8% Diabetes +2.6 pts ▸ 4.4%
2.8% Heart disease +1.0 pts ▸ 3.8%
2.7% Cancer +0.1 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.5% Lung condition +0.3 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.8% Stroke even 0.9%
0.6% Dementia even 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.1% None ◂ +2.7 pts 64.4%
15.9% One condition +3.4 pts ▸ 19.3%
4.1% Two conditions +1.9 pts ▸ 6.0%
1.7% Three or more +1.4 pts ▸ 3.1%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Byron Bayin Brisbane +4.1 pts higher in Byron Bay gap widening
17.9% 81st pct 13.8% 29th pct
Unpaid carers in Byron Bayin Brisbane +2.4 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
9.1% 9th pct 11.4% 25th pct
Unpaid child care in Byron Bayin Brisbane +6.8 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
21.2% 8th pct 28.0% 81st pct
Defence service in Byron Bayin Brisbane +2.1 pts higher in Brisbane
1.6% 1st pct 3.7% 71st pct
Housework 15h+ in Byron Bayin Brisbane +2.9 pts higher in Brisbane gap narrowing
17.2% 7th pct 20.1% 28th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Byron Bayin Brisbane +0.2 larger in Brisbane gap widening
2.4 43rd pct 2.6 86th pct
One-parent in Byron Bayin Brisbane +0.4 pts higher in Brisbane gap narrowing
14.5% 25th pct 14.9% 29th pct
Living alone in Byron Bayin Brisbane +5.5 pts higher in Byron Bay gap widening
29.1% 57th pct 23.6% 11th pct

Family composition

50.0% Couples with children +8.3 pts ▸ 58.4%
34.5% Couples without children ◂ +9.1 pts 25.4%
14.5% One-parent families +0.4 pts ▸ 14.9%
0.9% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

33.6% 2 people ◂ +0.3 pts 33.3%
29.1% 1 person ◂ +5.5 pts 23.6%
16.3% 3 people +0.5 pts ▸ 16.8%
13.9% 4 people +2.2 pts ▸ 16.1%
5.1% 5 people +1.5 pts ▸ 6.6%
1.9% 6 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 3.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Byron Bayin Brisbane +$240 higher in Byron Bay gap widening
$620 100th pct $380 85th pct
Mortgage in Byron Bayin Brisbane +$444 higher in Byron Bay gap widening
$2,340 100th pct $1,896 83rd pct
People / bedroom in Byron Bayin Brisbane +0.10 higher in Byron Bay gap steady
0.90 100th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.2 pts higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing
36.8% 83rd pct 35.6% 79th pct
Owned outright in Byron Bayin Brisbane +9.2 pts higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing
34.7% 56th pct 25.5% 13th pct
Separate houses in Byron Bayin Brisbane +11.0 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
61.6% 4th pct 72.6% 15th pct
3+ bedrooms in Byron Bayin Brisbane +8.7 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
68.4% 8th pct 77.2% 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.8% Rented ◂ +1.2 pts 35.6%
24.3% Owned with a mortgage +11.8 pts ▸ 36.1%
34.7% Owned outright ◂ +9.2 pts 25.5%
2.2% Other tenure ◂ +0.7 pts 1.5%
2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.8 pts 1.3%

Types of homes

61.6% Separate house +11.0 pts ▸ 72.6%
25.2% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +13.6 pts 11.7%
8.0% Flat or apartment +7.1 pts ▸ 15.1%
4.0% Other dwelling ◂ +3.7 pts 0.4%

Bedrooms per home

40.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +4.5 pts 36.0%
21.9% 4 bedrooms +10.0 pts ▸ 31.9%
18.0% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.9 pts 16.1%
9.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +4.3 pts 5.0%
6.0% 5 or more +3.2 pts ▸ 9.2%
1.8% Studio / none ◂ +1.4 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

16.2% $350–$549 +36.0 pts ▸ 52.2%
30.6% $750 or more ◂ +28.2 pts 2.4%
28.6% $550–$749 ◂ +20.1 pts 8.5%
11.8% $200–$349 +14.1 pts ▸ 26.0%
7.6% Under $200 +0.6 pts ▸ 8.2%

Monthly mortgage distribution

27.6% $1,800–$2,999 +7.6 pts ▸ 35.3%
32.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +17.0 pts 15.4%
18.3% $1,000–$1,799 +12.8 pts ▸ 31.2%
14.7% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.9 pts 12.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.2 pts higher in Brisbane gap steady
5.3% 33rd pct 6.5% 56th pct
Work from home in Byron Bayin Brisbane +8.2 pts higher in Byron Bay gap widening
25.8% 99th pct 17.6% 86th pct
PT commute in Byron Bayin Brisbane +4.5 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
0.2% 7th pct 4.7% 100th pct

How people get to work

44.2% Car (driver) +10.8 pts ▸ 55.0%
25.8% Worked at home ◂ +8.2 pts 17.6%
5.2% Walked ◂ +3.0 pts 2.2%
2.5% Car (passenger) +1.6 pts ▸ 4.1%
4.0% Bicycle ◂ +3.2 pts 0.7%
0.2% Bus +2.3 pts ▸ 2.5%
0.0% Train +2.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

Motor vehicles per home

38.5% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.0 pts 36.4%
36.7% 2 vehicles +1.1 pts ▸ 37.8%
12.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.1 pts 12.4%
7.0% 4 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 6.9%
5.3% No vehicle +1.2 pts ▸ 6.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Byron Bayin Brisbane +2.4 pts higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing
48.8% 92nd pct 46.4% 87th pct
Recent arrivals in Byron Bayin Brisbane +15.0 pts higher in Byron Bay gap widening
29.1% 97th pct 14.1% 54th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Byron Bayin Brisbane +0.3 pts higher in Brisbane gap steady
5.2% 62nd pct 5.5% 72nd pct
Participation in Byron Bayin Brisbane +3.8 pts higher in Brisbane gap narrowing
61.1% 71st pct 65.0% 88th pct
Full-time in Byron Bayin Brisbane +19.9 pts higher in Brisbane gap widening
40.1% 0th pct 60.1% 69th pct

Industries people work in

20.1% Accommodation & food ◂ +13.6 pts 6.5%
12.1% Health care & social assistance +3.3 pts ▸ 15.4%
9.6% Professional & technical ◂ +0.9 pts 8.6%
7.3% Education & training +1.7 pts ▸ 9.0%
8.6% Retail trade +0.4 pts ▸ 9.0%
8.0% Construction +0.5 pts ▸ 8.6%
2.2% Public administration & safety +4.5 pts ▸ 6.7%
3.3% Manufacturing +2.7 pts ▸ 6.0%
1.9% Transport & warehousing +3.4 pts ▸ 5.3%
4.5% Administrative & support ◂ +1.1 pts 3.4%
3.3% Other services +0.5 pts ▸ 3.8%
1.7% Finance & insurance +1.6 pts ▸ 3.3%

Occupations people work in

25.2% Professionals ◂ +0.2 pts 25.0%
17.7% Managers ◂ +5.1 pts 12.6%
13.8% Community & personal service ◂ +2.2 pts 11.6%
13.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.5 pts 12.2%
7.3% Clerical & administrative +6.2 pts ▸ 13.6%
9.1% Labourers ◂ +0.4 pts 8.8%
8.3% Sales workers ◂ +0.1 pts 8.2%
2.3% Machinery operators & drivers +4.0 pts ▸ 6.2%

Walkability

Walk score in Byron Bayin Brisbane +0.4 higher in Byron Bay
6.6 96th pct 6.3 90th pct
Types ≤15 min in Byron Bayin Brisbane +0.4 more in Byron Bay
6.3 94th pct 5.9 89th pct
15-min city in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.0 pts higher in Brisbane
72.7% 87th pct 73.7% 88th pct
Walk to shops in Byron Bayin Brisbane +4.5 pts higher in Byron Bay
78.7% 95th pct 74.2% 89th pct
Walk to transit in Byron Bayin Brisbane +7.6 pts higher in Byron Bay
92.5% 87th pct 84.9% 57th pct
Walk to school in Byron Bayin Brisbane +17.5 pts higher in Brisbane
61.0% 41st pct 78.5% 86th pct
Walk to a park in Byron Bayin Brisbane even
94.8% 82nd pct 94.9% 83rd pct
Walk to health in Byron Bayin Brisbane +10.6 pts higher in Byron Bay
70.3% 98th pct 59.7% 90th pct
Amenities/1k in Byron Bayin Brisbane +13.1 more in Byron Bay
26.8 88th pct 13.6 39th pct
Intersections/km² in Byron Bayin Brisbane +8 higher in Brisbane
33 72nd pct 41 79th pct
Mean slope in Byron Bayin Brisbane +1.3 pts higher in Brisbane
4.7% 41st pct 6.0% 65th pct

Compare Byron Bay with nearby areas

Ballina Lismore Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Brisbane Grafton Coffs Harbour Warwick Toowoomba Sunshine Coast Kempsey Armidale Gympie

Compare Brisbane with nearby areas

Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Lismore Toowoomba Warwick Byron Bay Ballina Sunshine Coast Gympie Kingaroy Grafton Maryborough Coffs Harbour

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Byron Bay vs Brisbane [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1008/byron-bay/vs/3002/brisbane