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Ballarat vs Portland

Urban Area comparison ≈ 217 km apart · Ballarat profile · Portland profile

Ballarat Portland

Ballarat and Portland are two Victorian regional centres with very different profiles. Ballarat has a much younger population, with a typical resident aged 38 compared to 47 in Portland. Educational levels are also far higher in Ballarat, where 23.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, compared to 11.4% in Portland. This difference extends to school completion, with 52.8% of Ballarat residents finishing Year 12, which is 16.4 percentage points higher than in Portland.

Both areas are very similar in their unemployment rates, which sit at 4.8% for Ballarat and 5.0% for Portland. However, many other gaps have grown since 2011. The age difference has widened from four to nine years, and the gap in university qualifications has also increased. While Ballarat is more walkable, with 66.4% of homes in a 15-minute-city walkshed compared to 34.5% in Portland, both areas share a similar housing style, with most homes being separate houses.

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Where they differ most

Population: 100,743 larger in Ballarat Bachelor+: 11.9 pts higher in Ballarat Year 12: 16.4 pts higher in Ballarat Unpaid child care: 5.3 pts higher in Ballarat Median age: 9 yrs older in Portland

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballaratin Portland +100,743 larger in Ballarat gap widening
111,973 74th pct 11,230 11th pct
Median age in Ballaratin Portland +9 yrs older in Portland gap widening
38 yrs 29th pct 47 yrs 86th pct
First Nations in Ballaratin Portland +1.1 pts higher in Portland gap steady
1.9% 12th pct 3.0% 23rd pct
Aged 65+ in Ballaratin Portland +5.9 pts higher in Portland gap widening
18.9% 41st pct 24.8% 78th pct
Under 15 in Ballaratin Portland +3.1 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
18.8% 63rd pct 15.7% 12th pct
De facto in Ballaratin Portland +0.7 pts higher in Portland gap steady
12.9% 60th pct 13.6% 74th pct

Age structure

23.7% Older adults (45–64) +5.0 pts ▸ 28.7%
26.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +5.8 pts 20.4%
18.9% Seniors (65+) +5.9 pts ▸ 24.8%
18.8% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.1 pts 15.7%
12.5% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.0 pts 10.4%

Marital status

42.0% Married +1.9 pts ▸ 44.0%
38.7% Never married ◂ +4.7 pts 34.0%
9.5% Divorced +1.5 pts ▸ 11.0%
5.9% Widowed +1.2 pts ▸ 7.1%
3.8% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Ballarat Portland

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Ballaratin Portland +2.0 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
11.4% 35th pct 9.4% 15th pct

Country of birth

83.7% Australia +0.2 pts ▸ 83.9%
2.1% England +0.3 pts ▸ 2.4%
1.6% India ◂ +1.3 pts 0.3%
0.9% New Zealand +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.6% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.6% China ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.2% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Italy even 0.1%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

41.8% English +1.2 pts ▸ 43.1%
39.3% Australian +2.7 pts ▸ 42.0%
15.2% Irish ◂ +4.7 pts 10.5%
12.6% Scottish ◂ +0.3 pts 12.2%
4.4% German +1.2 pts ▸ 5.6%
2.8% Dutch ◂ +0.6 pts 2.2%
2.7% Italian ◂ +1.2 pts 1.5%
1.8% Indian ◂ +1.3 pts 0.5%
1.7% Chinese ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%
0.8% Filipino even 0.8%
0.5% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Other language in Ballaratin Portland +3.6 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
7.1% 56th pct 3.4% 9th pct
Limited English in Ballaratin Portland +0.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
0.7% 44th pct 0.2% 0th pct

Language used at home

88.0% English only +2.2 pts ▸ 90.2%
0.9% Mandarin ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%
0.7% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.1%
0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.2% Tagalog even 0.2%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Italian even 0.1%
0.2% Vietnamese even 0.1%
0.1% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Ballaratin Portland +1.0 pts higher in Portland gap steady
48.1% 80th pct 49.0% 86th pct

Religious affiliation

48.1% No religion +1.0 pts ▸ 49.0%
41.9% Christianity ◂ +0.8 pts 41.1%
6.4% Not stated +1.9 pts ▸ 8.3%
1.2% Hinduism ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%
1.0% Other religions ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%
0.8% Buddhism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%
0.7% Islam ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Ballaratin Portland +16.4 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
52.8% 80th pct 36.5% 15th pct
Bachelor+ in Ballaratin Portland +11.9 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
23.3% 84th pct 11.4% 16th pct

Highest year of school

52.8% Year 12 ◂ +16.4 pts 36.5%
15.9% Year 10 +5.6 pts ▸ 21.4%
13.7% Year 11 +4.7 pts ▸ 18.4%
11.2% Year 9 or below +4.7 pts ▸ 16.0%

Highest qualification level

30.0% Certificate III / IV +10.5 pts ▸ 40.5%
24.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +9.4 pts 15.1%
15.0% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.3 pts 14.7%
8.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +5.4 pts 2.8%
5.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.9 pts 3.4%
2.1% Certificate I / II +0.1 pts ▸ 2.2%

Field of qualification

11.3% Engineering & related +5.3 pts ▸ 16.6%
15.2% Management & commerce ◂ +3.8 pts 11.4%
13.5% Health ◂ +1.0 pts 12.5%
13.3% Society & culture ◂ +0.9 pts 12.4%
10.9% Education ◂ +1.6 pts 9.3%
5.9% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 6.5%
5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.8 pts ▸ 6.1%
4.0% Creative arts ◂ +2.3 pts 1.7%
2.1% Agriculture & environment +0.9 pts ▸ 3.0%
2.7% Information technology ◂ +1.9 pts 0.9%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.2 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Ballaratin Portland +$112 higher in Ballarat gap steady
$743 53rd pct $631 18th pct
Household income in Ballaratin Portland +$227 higher in Ballarat gap steady
$1,427 50th pct $1,200 20th pct
Family income in Ballaratin Portland +$318 higher in Ballarat gap widening
$1,869 54th pct $1,551 21st pct
High earners in Ballaratin Portland +1.9 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
9.1% 55th pct 7.2% 32nd pct
High-income homes in Ballaratin Portland +5.2 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
15.7% 54th pct 10.5% 19th pct

Household income distribution

30.9% $650–$1,499 +1.9 pts ▸ 32.8%
29.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.0 pts 26.0%
18.4% Under $650 +4.2 pts ▸ 22.6%
8.4% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.1 pts 6.3%
7.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.0 pts 4.2%

Personal income distribution

41.7% Under $650 +5.4 pts ▸ 47.2%
33.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.0 pts 30.2%
15.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.2 pts 13.1%
3.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 1.6%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Ballaratin Portland +1.3 pts higher in Portland
35.0% 71st pct 36.4% 80th pct
Mental health in Ballaratin Portland +1.7 pts higher in Ballarat
13.2% 95th pct 11.5% 68th pct
Needs assistance in Ballaratin Portland +0.9 pts higher in Portland gap narrowing
7.4% 64th pct 8.3% 79th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.5% Arthritis +4.2 pts ▸ 14.6%
13.2% Mental health ◂ +1.7 pts 11.5%
11.4% Asthma ◂ +1.9 pts 9.5%
9.7% Other condition ◂ +0.4 pts 9.3%
5.2% Diabetes +1.4 pts ▸ 6.5%
4.6% Heart disease +0.6 pts ▸ 5.3%
3.4% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 4.0%
2.4% Lung condition +0.5 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.2% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.8% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.2% None ◂ +2.7 pts 54.5%
22.9% One condition ◂ +0.3 pts 22.6%
8.0% Two conditions +0.5 pts ▸ 8.5%
4.1% Three or more +1.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Ballaratin Portland +2.3 pts higher in Portland gap narrowing
15.2% 47th pct 17.4% 77th pct
Unpaid carers in Ballaratin Portland +0.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
14.1% 84th pct 13.6% 72nd pct
Unpaid child care in Ballaratin Portland +5.3 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
27.7% 78th pct 22.5% 14th pct
Defence service in Ballaratin Portland +0.3 pts higher in Portland
2.8% 26th pct 3.0% 43rd pct
Housework 15h+ in Ballaratin Portland +1.9 pts higher in Portland gap steady
21.6% 50th pct 23.5% 79th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ballaratin Portland +0.2 larger in Ballarat gap widening
2.4 43rd pct 2.2 6th pct
One-parent in Ballaratin Portland +0.4 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
17.6% 64th pct 17.2% 57th pct
Living alone in Ballaratin Portland +1.9 pts higher in Portland gap narrowing
30.4% 69th pct 32.2% 82nd pct

Family composition

53.5% Couples with children ◂ +7.1 pts 46.4%
27.7% Couples without children +7.8 pts ▸ 35.5%
17.6% One-parent families ◂ +0.4 pts 17.2%
1.1% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%

Household size

34.1% 2 people +3.6 pts ▸ 37.8%
30.4% 1 person +1.9 pts ▸ 32.2%
14.3% 3 people ◂ +0.7 pts 13.6%
13.4% 4 people ◂ +2.3 pts 11.0%
5.7% 5 people ◂ +2.2 pts 3.6%
2.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 1.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballaratin Portland +$50 higher in Ballarat gap steady
$300 48th pct $250 15th pct
Mortgage in Ballaratin Portland +$368 higher in Ballarat gap widening
$1,473 41st pct $1,105 2nd pct
People / bedroom in Ballaratin Portland even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Ballaratin Portland +7.2 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
31.9% 60th pct 24.8% 20th pct
Owned outright in Ballaratin Portland +8.9 pts higher in Portland gap widening
32.4% 43rd pct 41.2% 85th pct
Separate houses in Ballaratin Portland +4.3 pts higher in Portland gap narrowing
85.0% 54th pct 89.3% 85th pct
3+ bedrooms in Ballaratin Portland +1.0 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
79.6% 69th pct 78.7% 58th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.4% Owned outright +8.9 pts ▸ 41.2%
32.9% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +2.0 pts 30.9%
31.9% Rented ◂ +7.2 pts 24.8%
1.4% Not stated +0.4 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.4% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 1.3%

Types of homes

85.0% Separate house +4.3 pts ▸ 89.3%
12.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +3.5 pts 8.7%
2.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +1.4 pts 1.2%
0.2% Other dwelling +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%

Bedrooms per home

47.3% 3 bedrooms +6.6 pts ▸ 53.9%
28.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +7.0 pts 21.5%
15.8% 2 bedrooms +0.5 pts ▸ 16.3%
3.7% 5 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 3.2%
3.2% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.2 pts 3.0%
0.1% Studio / none +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

53.8% $200–$349 ◂ +2.4 pts 51.4%
15.3% Under $200 +12.9 pts ▸ 28.2%
26.6% $350–$549 ◂ +11.1 pts 15.5%
0.8% $550–$749 ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%
0.4% $750 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

45.1% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +4.3 pts 40.8%
21.1% Under $1,000 +16.9 pts ▸ 38.0%
22.7% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +10.5 pts 12.2%
6.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.9 pts 3.4%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Ballaratin Portland +0.4 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
6.1% 50th pct 5.7% 43rd pct
Work from home in Ballaratin Portland +9.3 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
15.4% 81st pct 6.1% 32nd pct
PT commute in Ballaratin Portland +0.8 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
0.8% 60th pct 0.1% 0th pct

How people get to work

61.6% Car (driver) +8.2 pts ▸ 69.8%
15.4% Worked at home ◂ +9.3 pts 6.1%
4.8% Car (passenger) +0.3 pts ▸ 5.2%
2.4% Walked +0.8 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.6% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.5% Bus ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.3% Train ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +1.7 pts 36.4%
37.6% 2 vehicles +0.4 pts ▸ 38.0%
11.8% 3 vehicles +1.8 pts ▸ 13.5%
6.3% 4 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 6.4%
6.1% No vehicle ◂ +0.4 pts 5.7%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Ballaratin Portland +6.0 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
43.5% 74th pct 37.4% 29th pct
Recent arrivals in Ballaratin Portland +5.4 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
15.5% 63rd pct 10.1% 32nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Ballaratin Portland +0.3 pts higher in Portland gap narrowing
4.8% 48th pct 5.0% 55th pct
Participation in Ballaratin Portland +7.2 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
60.2% 64th pct 53.0% 24th pct
Full-time in Ballaratin Portland +2.1 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
55.9% 35th pct 53.8% 19th pct

Industries people work in

19.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.2 pts 16.0%
7.2% Manufacturing +7.5 pts ▸ 14.7%
10.9% Education & training ◂ +2.4 pts 8.5%
10.1% Retail trade ◂ +1.7 pts 8.4%
9.5% Construction ◂ +2.4 pts 7.1%
7.3% Accommodation & food +0.5 pts ▸ 7.7%
3.4% Transport & warehousing +3.2 pts ▸ 6.5%
6.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.6 pts 5.9%
5.4% Professional & technical ◂ +3.1 pts 2.3%
1.4% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +3.3 pts ▸ 4.7%
3.5% Other services +0.5 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.7% Administrative & support even 2.7%

Occupations people work in

22.8% Professionals ◂ +7.4 pts 15.4%
13.8% Technicians & trades +0.9 pts ▸ 14.7%
13.8% Community & personal service +0.6 pts ▸ 14.4%
9.9% Labourers +4.1 pts ▸ 13.9%
12.3% Clerical & administrative ◂ +3.1 pts 9.2%
5.2% Machinery operators & drivers +6.7 pts ▸ 11.9%
11.2% Managers ◂ +1.8 pts 9.4%
9.5% Sales workers ◂ +1.1 pts 8.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Ballaratin Portland +1.5 higher in Ballarat
5.8 79th pct 4.3 30th pct
Types ≤15 min in Ballaratin Portland +1.8 more in Ballarat
5.6 84th pct 3.9 22nd pct
15-min city in Ballaratin Portland +31.9 pts higher in Ballarat
66.4% 76th pct 34.5% 11th pct
Walk to shops in Ballaratin Portland +19.0 pts higher in Ballarat
66.3% 78th pct 47.2% 30th pct
Walk to transit in Ballaratin Portland +1.0 pts higher in Ballarat
81.6% 45th pct 80.7% 42nd pct
Walk to school in Ballaratin Portland +11.6 pts higher in Ballarat
72.6% 73rd pct 61.0% 41st pct
Walk to a park in Ballaratin Portland +40.8 pts higher in Ballarat
95.8% 88th pct 55.0% 3rd pct
Walk to health in Ballaratin Portland +18.7 pts higher in Ballarat
49.9% 75th pct 31.1% 23rd pct
Amenities/1k in Ballaratin Portland +3.3 more in Ballarat
16.1 58th pct 12.8 28th pct
Intersections/km² in Ballaratin Portland +62 higher in Ballarat
74 96th pct 12 31st pct
Mean slope in Ballaratin Portland +0.9 pts higher in Ballarat
4.8% 44th pct 3.9% 26th 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 Portland with nearby areas

Mount Gambier Warrnambool Horsham Colac Ballarat Not in any Significant Urban Area Geelong Castlemaine Bacchus Marsh Gisborne Bendigo Swan Hill

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballarat vs Portland [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/2003/ballarat/vs/2014/portland