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Ballarat vs Melbourne

Name: Ballarat vs Melbourne — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Urban Area comparison ≈ 133 km apart · Ballarat profile · Melbourne profile

Ballarat Melbourne

Melbourne and Ballarat are two very different Victorian hubs, separated by about 133 km. Melbourne is a global city with a far more diverse population, where 36.2% of people were born overseas and 34.7% use a language other than English at home. It is also more walkable and better served by transport, with 91.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. In contrast, Ballarat is more residential, with 85% of homes being separate houses. It has a higher share of people with no religion (48.1%) and a higher typical age, as well as a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 18.9%.

Since 2011, the gaps between these two areas have generally widened, particularly in typical weekly income and the share of people working from home. Despite these growing differences, they share some core similarities. Both have a nearly identical share of children under 15 (around 18%) and very similar unemployment rates. They also track closely in terms of typical resident age, with Ballarat being only one year older than Melbourne.

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Where they differ most

Population: 4,705,870 larger in Melbourne Other language: 27.6 pts higher in Melbourne People / bedroom: 0.20 higher in Melbourne Born overseas: 24.8 pts higher in Melbourne Separate houses: 17.7 pts higher in Ballarat

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballarat in Melbourne +4,705,870 larger in Melbourne gap widening

111,973 74th pct 4,817,843 100th pct

Median age in Ballarat in Melbourne +1 yrs older in Ballarat gap steady

38 yrs 29th pct 37 yrs 21st pct

Age structure

26.1% Young adults (25–44) +5.0 pts ▸ 31.1%

23.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.3 pts 23.5%

18.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.9 pts 15.0%

18.8% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.7 pts 18.1%

12.5% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.2 pts 12.3%

Marital status

42.0% Married +4.9 pts ▸ 46.9%

38.7% Never married ◂ +0.6 pts 38.1%

9.5% Divorced ◂ +1.9 pts 7.6%

5.9% Widowed ◂ +1.4 pts 4.5%

3.8% Separated ◂ +0.9 pts 2.9%

Age & sex structure

Ballarat Melbourne

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

83.7% Australia ◂ +24.2 pts 59.5%

1.6% India +3.4 pts ▸ 5.0%

0.6% China +2.8 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.1% England +0.5 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.1% Vietnam +1.7 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.9% New Zealand +0.8 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.6% Philippines +0.6 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.1% Italy +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.2% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

Ancestry

41.8% English ◂ +16.6 pts 25.2%

39.3% Australian ◂ +16.3 pts 23.1%

15.2% Irish ◂ +6.9 pts 8.2%

12.6% Scottish ◂ +5.5 pts 7.0%

1.7% Chinese +6.8 pts ▸ 8.5%

2.7% Italian +3.9 pts ▸ 6.6%

1.8% Indian +3.6 pts ▸ 5.4%

4.4% German ◂ +1.5 pts 2.8%

0.5% Greek +3.0 pts ▸ 3.5%

2.8% Dutch ◂ +1.3 pts 1.5%

0.2% Vietnamese +2.3 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.8% Filipino +0.9 pts ▸ 1.7%

Language

Language used at home

88.0% English only ◂ +27.5 pts 60.5%

0.9% Mandarin +3.6 pts ▸ 4.4%

0.2% Vietnamese +2.2 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.1% Greek +2.0 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.7% Punjabi +1.3 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.2% Arabic +1.7 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.2% Italian +1.6 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.1% Cantonese +1.5 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.3% Hindi +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.2% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

Religion

Religious affiliation

48.1% No religion ◂ +11.0 pts 37.1%

41.9% Christianity ◂ +1.8 pts 40.1%

6.4% Not stated ◂ +0.2 pts 6.2%

0.7% Islam +4.7 pts ▸ 5.4%

1.2% Hinduism +3.0 pts ▸ 4.2%

0.8% Buddhism +3.2 pts ▸ 3.9%

1.0% Other religions +1.2 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.1% Judaism +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

52.8% Year 12 +14.4 pts ▸ 67.2%

15.9% Year 10 ◂ +6.4 pts 9.4%

13.7% Year 11 ◂ +5.2 pts 8.5%

11.2% Year 9 or below ◂ +2.0 pts 9.3%

Highest qualification level

24.5% Bachelor degree +8.1 pts ▸ 32.6%

30.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +11.0 pts 19.0%

15.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.4 pts ▸ 15.3%

8.2% Postgraduate degree +5.5 pts ▸ 13.7%

5.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.7 pts 4.6%

2.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.8 pts 1.3%

Field of qualification

15.2% Management & commerce +5.9 pts ▸ 21.0%

13.5% Health ◂ +3.7 pts 9.8%

13.3% Society & culture ◂ +0.8 pts 12.5%

11.3% Engineering & related +1.0 pts ▸ 12.3%

10.9% Education ◂ +3.5 pts 7.4%

5.9% Architecture & building ◂ +0.7 pts 5.2%

5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.8 pts 4.5%

2.7% Information technology +2.5 pts ▸ 5.3%

4.0% Creative arts +0.8 pts ▸ 4.9%

2.3% Natural & physical sciences +1.6 pts ▸ 3.8%

2.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.9 pts 1.2%

Income

Personal income in Ballarat in Melbourne +$98 higher in Melbourne gap widening

$743 53rd pct $841 82nd pct

Household income in Ballarat in Melbourne +$473 higher in Melbourne gap widening

$1,427 50th pct $1,900 87th pct

Family income in Ballarat in Melbourne +$374 higher in Melbourne gap widening

$1,869 54th pct $2,243 86th pct

Household income distribution

29.0% $1,500–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 30.9%

30.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.0 pts 23.9%

18.4% Under $650 ◂ +4.4 pts 14.0%

7.3% $4,000 or more +7.0 pts ▸ 14.2%

8.4% $3,000–$3,999 +2.8 pts ▸ 11.1%

Personal income distribution

41.7% Under $650 ◂ +3.0 pts 38.8%

33.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.6 pts 30.6%

15.3% $1,500–$2,999 +3.5 pts ▸ 18.9%

3.2% $3,000 or more +2.5 pts ▸ 5.6%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

13.2% Mental health ◂ +5.1 pts 8.1%

11.4% Asthma ◂ +3.6 pts 7.8%

10.5% Arthritis ◂ +3.6 pts 6.9%

9.7% Other condition ◂ +1.9 pts 7.7%

5.2% Diabetes ◂ +0.7 pts 4.5%

4.6% Heart disease ◂ +1.3 pts 3.3%

3.4% Cancer ◂ +1.0 pts 2.5%

2.4% Lung condition ◂ +1.3 pts 1.2%

1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.8% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.2% None +10.3 pts ▸ 67.6%

22.9% One condition ◂ +5.0 pts 17.9%

8.0% Two conditions ◂ +2.9 pts 5.1%

4.1% Three or more ◂ +1.7 pts 2.4%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Ballarat in Melbourne +0.2 larger in Melbourne gap steady

2.4 43rd pct 2.6 86th pct

Family composition

53.5% Couples with children +8.5 pts ▸ 62.0%

27.7% Couples without children ◂ +4.0 pts 23.8%

17.6% One-parent families ◂ +4.7 pts 12.9%

1.1% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

34.1% 2 people ◂ +2.9 pts 31.2%

30.4% 1 person ◂ +5.5 pts 24.9%

13.4% 4 people +3.9 pts ▸ 17.2%

14.3% 3 people +2.7 pts ▸ 16.9%

5.7% 5 people +0.8 pts ▸ 6.6%

2.2% 6 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballarat in Melbourne +$90 higher in Melbourne gap widening

$300 48th pct $390 88th pct

Mortgage in Ballarat in Melbourne +$527 higher in Melbourne gap steady

$1,473 41st pct $2,000 88th pct

People / bedroom in Ballarat in Melbourne +0.20 higher in Melbourne gap widening

0.70 0th pct 0.90 100th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.9% Owned with a mortgage +3.9 pts ▸ 36.9%

32.4% Owned outright ◂ +2.8 pts 29.6%

31.9% Rented ◂ +1.4 pts 30.5%

1.4% Other tenure +0.2 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.4% Not stated even 1.4%

Types of homes

85.0% Separate house ◂ +17.7 pts 67.3%

12.1% Townhouse / semi-detached +4.3 pts ▸ 16.4%

2.5% Flat or apartment +13.3 pts ▸ 15.9%

0.2% Other dwelling +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

47.3% 3 bedrooms ◂ +7.9 pts 39.4%

28.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.7 pts 26.8%

15.8% 2 bedrooms +4.8 pts ▸ 20.6%

3.2% 1 bedroom +2.7 pts ▸ 5.9%

3.7% 5 or more +2.0 pts ▸ 5.7%

0.1% Studio / none +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

53.8% $200–$349 ◂ +30.1 pts 23.7%

26.6% $350–$549 +24.4 pts ▸ 51.0%

15.3% Under $200 ◂ +8.3 pts 7.0%

0.8% $550–$749 +9.2 pts ▸ 10.0%

0.4% $750 or more +4.3 pts ▸ 4.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

45.1% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +19.9 pts 25.2%

22.7% $1,800–$2,999 +12.1 pts ▸ 34.8%

21.1% Under $1,000 ◂ +8.1 pts 13.0%

6.2% $3,000 or more +14.2 pts ▸ 20.5%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

61.6% Car (driver) ◂ +15.3 pts 46.3%

15.4% Worked at home +13.6 pts ▸ 29.0%

4.8% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.6 pts 3.2%

2.4% Walked ◂ +0.4 pts 2.0%

0.3% Train +1.8 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.6% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.5% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

Motor vehicles per home

38.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.7 pts 37.5%

37.6% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.7 pts 36.9%

11.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.8 pts 11.0%

6.1% No vehicle +2.6 pts ▸ 8.7%

6.3% 4 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 5.9%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

19.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +5.7 pts 13.5%

10.9% Education & training ◂ +2.1 pts 8.7%

10.1% Retail trade ◂ +0.7 pts 9.4%

5.4% Professional & technical +4.2 pts ▸ 9.7%

9.5% Construction ◂ +0.4 pts 9.1%

7.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.2 pts 6.1%

7.2% Manufacturing ◂ +0.3 pts 6.9%

6.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.0 pts 5.4%

3.4% Transport & warehousing +1.5 pts ▸ 4.9%

1.7% Finance & insurance +3.0 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.5% Other services even 3.4%

2.7% Administrative & support +0.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

Occupations people work in

22.8% Professionals +4.2 pts ▸ 27.0%

13.8% Community & personal service ◂ +3.4 pts 10.5%

11.2% Managers +2.6 pts ▸ 13.8%

13.8% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.8 pts 12.0%

12.3% Clerical & administrative +0.5 pts ▸ 12.9%

9.9% Labourers ◂ +2.0 pts 7.8%

9.5% Sales workers ◂ +1.2 pts 8.3%

5.2% Machinery operators & drivers +0.6 pts ▸ 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Ballarat in Melbourne +1.4 higher in Melbourne

5.8 79th pct 7.2 100th pct

Types ≤15 min in Ballarat in Melbourne +1.0 more in Melbourne

5.6 84th pct 6.7 99th pct

15-min city in Ballarat in Melbourne +17.1 pts higher in Melbourne

66.4% 76th pct 83.5% 98th pct

Walk to shops in Ballarat in Melbourne +16.6 pts higher in Melbourne

66.3% 78th pct 82.9% 100th pct

Walk to transit in Ballarat in Melbourne +10.1 pts higher in Melbourne

81.6% 45th pct 91.7% 84th pct

Walk to school in Ballarat in Melbourne +15.4 pts higher in Melbourne

72.6% 73rd pct 88.0% 100th pct

Walk to a park in Ballarat in Melbourne +2.1 pts higher in Melbourne

95.8% 88th pct 97.9% 97th pct

Walk to health in Ballarat in Melbourne +24.0 pts higher in Melbourne

49.9% 75th pct 73.9% 100th pct

Amenities/1k in Ballarat in Melbourne +2.2 more in Ballarat

16.1 58th pct 13.9 43rd pct

Intersections/km² in Ballarat in Melbourne +31 higher in Melbourne

74 96th pct 105 100th pct

Mean slope in Ballarat in Melbourne +0.1 pts higher in Ballarat

4.8% 44th pct 4.7% 42nd 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 Melbourne with nearby areas

Warragul - Drouin Gisborne Bacchus Marsh Geelong Traralgon - Morwell Moe - Newborough Castlemaine Ballarat Shepparton - Mooroopna Bendigo Colac Sale

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballarat vs Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/2003/ballarat/vs/2011/melbourne