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Ballarat vs Geelong

Urban Area comparison ≈ 64 km apart · Ballarat profile · Geelong profile

Ballarat Geelong

Geelong and Ballarat are two major regional hubs in Victoria located about 64 km apart. Geelong is more diverse, with 17.2% of people born overseas and 11.2% using a language other than English at home, compared to 11.4% and 7.1% in Ballarat. High-income households earning $3,000 or more a week are also well higher in Geelong at 20.8% against Ballarat's 15.7%. In contrast, Ballarat has a much higher street connectivity score of 74 compared to Geelong's 37, and has a higher share of people living alone (30.4%) and renters (31.9%).

Both areas have a similar family makeup, with each having around 18% of their population made up of children under 15, which is close to the national figure. They also share very similar rates of volunteering and unpaid care. While they are alike in these areas, other gaps have shifted since 2011; for example, the difference in typical household income has widened, with Geelong now earning $233 more per week than Ballarat.

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Where they differ most

Population: 177,657 larger in Geelong People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Geelong One-parent: 3.5 pts higher in Ballarat Living alone: 3.4 pts higher in Ballarat Born overseas: 5.8 pts higher in Geelong

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballaratin Geelong +177,657 larger in Geelong gap widening
111,973 74th pct 289,630 86th pct
Median age in Ballaratin Geelong +1 yrs older in Geelong gap steady
38 yrs 29th pct 39 yrs 43rd pct
First Nations in Ballaratin Geelong +0.6 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
1.9% 12th pct 1.3% 0th pct
Aged 65+ in Ballaratin Geelong +0.2 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
18.9% 41st pct 19.1% 43rd pct
Under 15 in Ballaratin Geelong +0.6 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
18.8% 63rd pct 18.1% 50th pct
De facto in Ballaratin Geelong +0.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
12.9% 60th pct 12.3% 39th pct

Age structure

26.1% Young adults (25–44) +0.8 pts ▸ 26.9%
23.7% Older adults (45–64) +0.2 pts ▸ 24.0%
18.9% Seniors (65+) +0.2 pts ▸ 19.1%
18.8% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.6 pts 18.1%
12.5% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.6 pts 11.9%

Marital status

42.0% Married +4.0 pts ▸ 46.1%
38.7% Never married ◂ +2.2 pts 36.5%
9.5% Divorced ◂ +0.7 pts 8.8%
5.9% Widowed ◂ +0.4 pts 5.5%
3.8% Separated ◂ +0.6 pts 3.2%

Age & sex structure

Ballarat Geelong

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Ballaratin Geelong +5.8 pts higher in Geelong gap narrowing
11.4% 35th pct 17.2% 74th pct

Country of birth

83.7% Australia ◂ +5.5 pts 78.2%
2.1% England +1.1 pts ▸ 3.2%
1.6% India +0.1 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.9% New Zealand +0.2 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.6% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.6% China even 0.6%
0.1% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.1% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

41.8% English ◂ +3.0 pts 38.8%
39.3% Australian ◂ +3.4 pts 35.9%
15.2% Irish ◂ +1.9 pts 13.2%
12.6% Scottish ◂ +0.8 pts 11.8%
4.4% German +0.1 pts ▸ 4.5%
2.7% Italian +1.7 pts ▸ 4.4%
2.8% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 2.7%
1.8% Indian even 1.7%
1.7% Chinese ◂ +0.1 pts 1.6%
0.8% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.5% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.2% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Language

Other language in Ballaratin Geelong +4.1 pts higher in Geelong gap narrowing
7.1% 56th pct 11.2% 77th pct
Limited English in Ballaratin Geelong +0.8 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
0.7% 44th pct 1.5% 78th pct

Language used at home

88.0% English only ◂ +4.2 pts 83.8%
0.9% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%
0.7% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.2% Italian +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.3% Hindi even 0.3%
0.1% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.2%

Religion

No religion in Ballaratin Geelong +2.7 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
48.1% 80th pct 45.3% 65th pct

Religious affiliation

48.1% No religion ◂ +2.7 pts 45.3%
41.9% Christianity +1.5 pts ▸ 43.3%
6.4% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 6.6%
0.7% Islam +0.7 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.2% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.8% Buddhism +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%
1.0% Other religions even 0.9%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Ballaratin Geelong +4.0 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
52.8% 80th pct 56.8% 87th pct
Bachelor+ in Ballaratin Geelong +2.3 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
23.3% 84th pct 25.5% 88th pct

Highest year of school

52.8% Year 12 +4.0 pts ▸ 56.8%
15.9% Year 10 ◂ +2.0 pts 13.8%
13.7% Year 11 ◂ +0.3 pts 13.4%
11.2% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.3 pts 9.9%

Highest qualification level

30.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.0 pts 28.0%
24.5% Bachelor degree +2.2 pts ▸ 26.6%
15.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.4 pts ▸ 16.4%
8.2% Postgraduate degree +0.3 pts ▸ 8.5%
5.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.4 pts 4.9%
2.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 1.6%

Field of qualification

15.2% Management & commerce +0.5 pts ▸ 15.7%
13.5% Health ◂ +0.4 pts 13.1%
13.3% Society & culture ◂ +0.7 pts 12.5%
11.3% Engineering & related +1.4 pts ▸ 12.7%
10.9% Education ◂ +0.8 pts 10.1%
5.9% Architecture & building +1.4 pts ▸ 7.3%
5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.3 pts 5.0%
4.0% Creative arts even 4.0%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences +0.6 pts ▸ 2.9%
2.7% Information technology ◂ +0.5 pts 2.3%
2.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.2 pts 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Ballaratin Geelong +$47 higher in Geelong gap widening
$743 53rd pct $790 72nd pct
Household income in Ballaratin Geelong +$233 higher in Geelong gap widening
$1,427 50th pct $1,660 73rd pct
Family income in Ballaratin Geelong +$244 higher in Geelong gap widening
$1,869 54th pct $2,113 79th pct
High earners in Ballaratin Geelong +2.3 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
9.1% 55th pct 11.4% 73rd pct
High-income homes in Ballaratin Geelong +5.1 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
15.7% 54th pct 20.8% 79th pct

Household income distribution

30.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.8 pts 27.1%
29.0% $1,500–$2,999 +0.8 pts ▸ 29.7%
18.4% Under $650 ◂ +2.3 pts 16.2%
8.4% $3,000–$3,999 +2.1 pts ▸ 10.5%
7.3% $4,000 or more +3.0 pts ▸ 10.3%

Personal income distribution

41.7% Under $650 ◂ +2.1 pts 39.6%
33.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.6 pts 31.7%
15.3% $1,500–$2,999 +2.5 pts ▸ 17.8%
3.2% $3,000 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 4.1%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Ballaratin Geelong +4.1 pts higher in Ballarat
35.0% 71st pct 31.0% 36th pct
Mental health in Ballaratin Geelong +2.4 pts higher in Ballarat
13.2% 95th pct 10.8% 56th pct
Needs assistance in Ballaratin Geelong +1.2 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
7.4% 64th pct 6.2% 38th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

13.2% Mental health ◂ +2.4 pts 10.8%
11.4% Asthma ◂ +1.7 pts 9.7%
10.5% Arthritis ◂ +1.6 pts 8.9%
9.7% Other condition ◂ +1.1 pts 8.6%
5.2% Diabetes ◂ +0.6 pts 4.6%
4.6% Heart disease ◂ +0.5 pts 4.2%
3.4% Cancer ◂ +0.3 pts 3.1%
2.4% Lung condition ◂ +0.6 pts 1.8%
1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%
0.8% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.2% None +4.2 pts ▸ 61.4%
22.9% One condition ◂ +1.9 pts 21.0%
8.0% Two conditions ◂ +1.4 pts 6.6%
4.1% Three or more ◂ +0.8 pts 3.4%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Ballaratin Geelong +0.6 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
15.2% 47th pct 14.6% 38th pct
Unpaid carers in Ballaratin Geelong +0.7 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
14.1% 84th pct 13.4% 65th pct
Unpaid child care in Ballaratin Geelong +0.3 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
27.7% 78th pct 28.1% 82nd pct
Defence service in Ballaratin Geelong +0.2 pts higher in Ballarat
2.8% 26th pct 2.5% 16th pct
Housework 15h+ in Ballaratin Geelong +0.3 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
21.6% 50th pct 21.9% 54th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ballaratin Geelong +0.1 larger in Geelong gap widening
2.4 43rd pct 2.5 71st pct
One-parent in Ballaratin Geelong +3.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
17.6% 64th pct 14.1% 21st pct
Living alone in Ballaratin Geelong +3.4 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
30.4% 69th pct 27.0% 29th pct

Family composition

53.5% Couples with children +3.3 pts ▸ 56.8%
27.7% Couples without children +0.3 pts ▸ 28.0%
17.6% One-parent families ◂ +3.5 pts 14.1%
1.1% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%

Household size

34.1% 2 people +0.2 pts ▸ 34.3%
30.4% 1 person ◂ +3.4 pts 27.0%
14.3% 3 people +1.1 pts ▸ 15.3%
13.4% 4 people +1.8 pts ▸ 15.2%
5.7% 5 people +0.3 pts ▸ 6.0%
2.2% 6 or more even 2.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballaratin Geelong +$50 higher in Geelong gap narrowing
$300 48th pct $350 72nd pct
Mortgage in Ballaratin Geelong +$260 higher in Geelong gap widening
$1,473 41st pct $1,733 71st pct
People / bedroom in Ballaratin Geelong +0.10 higher in Geelong gap widening
0.70 0th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Ballaratin Geelong +4.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
31.9% 60th pct 27.5% 32nd pct
Owned outright in Ballaratin Geelong +1.6 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
32.4% 43rd pct 33.9% 52nd pct
Separate houses in Ballaratin Geelong +1.7 pts higher in Geelong gap steady
85.0% 54th pct 86.7% 68th pct
3+ bedrooms in Ballaratin Geelong +0.4 pts higher in Geelong gap narrowing
79.6% 69th pct 80.1% 74th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.9% Owned with a mortgage +2.5 pts ▸ 35.4%
32.4% Owned outright +1.6 pts ▸ 33.9%
31.9% Rented ◂ +4.5 pts 27.5%
1.4% Other tenure +0.4 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.4% Not stated even 1.4%

Types of homes

85.0% Separate house +1.7 pts ▸ 86.7%
12.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.8 pts 10.3%
2.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +0.2 pts 2.4%
0.2% Other dwelling +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

47.3% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.9 pts 46.4%
28.6% 4 bedrooms +0.5 pts ▸ 29.1%
15.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.4 pts 15.3%
3.7% 5 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 4.6%
3.2% 1 bedroom even 3.2%
0.1% Studio / none even 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

53.8% $200–$349 ◂ +18.8 pts 35.0%
26.6% $350–$549 +17.7 pts ▸ 44.3%
15.3% Under $200 ◂ +3.9 pts 11.4%
0.8% $550–$749 +4.2 pts ▸ 5.1%
0.4% $750 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 1.1%

Monthly mortgage distribution

45.1% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +11.3 pts 33.8%
22.7% $1,800–$2,999 +10.5 pts ▸ 33.2%
21.1% Under $1,000 ◂ +5.2 pts 15.8%
6.2% $3,000 or more +5.4 pts ▸ 11.7%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Ballaratin Geelong +1.0 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
6.1% 50th pct 5.1% 29th pct
Work from home in Ballaratin Geelong +4.3 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
15.4% 81st pct 19.7% 89th pct
PT commute in Ballaratin Geelong +0.5 pts higher in Geelong gap narrowing
0.8% 60th pct 1.3% 75th pct

How people get to work

61.6% Car (driver) ◂ +3.7 pts 57.9%
15.4% Worked at home +4.3 pts ▸ 19.7%
4.8% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.9 pts 3.9%
2.4% Walked ◂ +0.4 pts 2.0%
0.5% Bus +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.6% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.3% Train +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

Motor vehicles per home

37.6% 2 vehicles +3.4 pts ▸ 41.1%
38.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.9 pts 35.3%
11.8% 3 vehicles +0.2 pts ▸ 12.0%
6.3% 4 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 6.6%
6.1% No vehicle ◂ +1.0 pts 5.1%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Ballaratin Geelong +0.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
43.5% 74th pct 42.9% 70th pct
Recent arrivals in Ballaratin Geelong +1.3 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
15.5% 63rd pct 14.2% 55th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Ballaratin Geelong +0.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
4.8% 48th pct 4.3% 32nd pct
Participation in Ballaratin Geelong +1.4 pts higher in Geelong gap widening
60.2% 64th pct 61.6% 74th pct
Full-time in Ballaratin Geelong +0.3 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
55.9% 35th pct 55.6% 32nd pct

Industries people work in

19.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +2.1 pts 17.1%
9.5% Construction +1.8 pts ▸ 11.3%
10.9% Education & training ◂ +0.9 pts 10.0%
10.1% Retail trade +0.3 pts ▸ 10.5%
7.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.4 pts 6.9%
7.2% Manufacturing ◂ +1.2 pts 6.0%
6.4% Public administration & safety even 6.5%
5.4% Professional & technical +0.9 pts ▸ 6.3%
3.4% Transport & warehousing +0.5 pts ▸ 3.8%
3.5% Other services ◂ +0.1 pts 3.4%
1.7% Finance & insurance +1.2 pts ▸ 2.9%
2.7% Administrative & support +0.1 pts ▸ 2.8%

Occupations people work in

22.8% Professionals +0.6 pts ▸ 23.5%
13.8% Technicians & trades +0.5 pts ▸ 14.3%
13.8% Community & personal service ◂ +0.4 pts 13.4%
12.3% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.1 pts 11.3%
11.2% Managers +0.9 pts ▸ 12.1%
9.9% Labourers ◂ +0.6 pts 9.3%
9.5% Sales workers ◂ +0.7 pts 8.8%
5.2% Machinery operators & drivers +0.5 pts ▸ 5.7%

Walkability

Walk score in Ballaratin Geelong +0.2 higher in Geelong
5.8 79th pct 6.0 84th pct
Types ≤15 min in Ballaratin Geelong even
5.6 84th pct 5.6 83rd pct
15-min city in Ballaratin Geelong +0.4 pts higher in Geelong
66.4% 76th pct 66.8% 77th pct
Walk to shops in Ballaratin Geelong +0.4 pts higher in Geelong
66.3% 78th pct 66.7% 79th pct
Walk to transit in Ballaratin Geelong +4.7 pts higher in Geelong
81.6% 45th pct 86.3% 64th pct
Walk to school in Ballaratin Geelong +1.9 pts higher in Ballarat
72.6% 73rd pct 70.7% 69th pct
Walk to a park in Ballaratin Geelong +0.3 pts higher in Geelong
95.8% 88th pct 96.1% 89th pct
Walk to health in Ballaratin Geelong +7.2 pts higher in Geelong
49.9% 75th pct 57.0% 88th pct
Amenities/1k in Ballaratin Geelong +4.7 more in Geelong
16.1 58th pct 20.9 78th pct
Intersections/km² in Ballaratin Geelong +37 higher in Ballarat
74 96th pct 37 76th pct
Mean slope in Ballaratin Geelong +0.7 pts higher in Ballarat
4.8% 44th pct 4.1% 31st pct

Compare Ballarat with nearby areas

Castlemaine Bacchus Marsh Geelong Gisborne Colac Bendigo Not in any Significant Urban Area Melbourne Warrnambool Echuca - Moama Horsham Shepparton - Mooroopna

Compare Geelong with nearby areas

Bacchus Marsh Gisborne Ballarat Colac Castlemaine Melbourne Bendigo Warragul - Drouin Not in any Significant Urban Area Warrnambool Shepparton - Mooroopna Echuca - Moama

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballarat vs Geelong [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/2003/ballarat/vs/2008/geelong