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Ballarat vs Swan Hill

Urban Area comparison ≈ 245 km apart · Ballarat profile · Swan Hill profile

Ballarat Swan Hill

Ballarat and Swan Hill are two Victorian regional centres with very different profiles. Swan Hill has a much higher share of recent overseas arrivals (34.2% compared to 15.5% in Ballarat) and more people using a language other than English at home. In contrast, Ballarat has a more highly qualified workforce, with 23.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher compared to 13.4% in Swan Hill. Ballarat also has much higher street connectivity, with 74 intersections per square kilometre against just 11 in Swan Hill.

Since 2011, the two areas have drifted apart in several key ways, including a widening gap in typical rents and the number of people working from home. Despite these trends, they remain very similar in other areas; the typical resident in both is 38 years old, and typical weekly household incomes are nearly identical at around $1,400. Both areas also have about the same share of children under 15 and people living alone.

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Where they differ most

Population: 100,787 larger in Ballarat Recent arrivals: 18.8 pts higher in Swan Hill People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Swan Hill PT commute: 0.7 pts higher in Ballarat Bachelor+: 9.9 pts higher in Ballarat

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballaratin Swan Hill +100,787 larger in Ballarat gap widening
111,973 74th pct 11,186 10th pct
Median age in Ballaratin Swan Hill even gap steady
38 yrs 29th pct 38 yrs 29th pct
First Nations in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.4 pts higher in Swan Hill gap steady
1.9% 12th pct 4.2% 36th pct
Aged 65+ in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.2 pts higher in Swan Hill gap widening
18.9% 41st pct 21.1% 58th pct
Under 15 in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.4 pts higher in Swan Hill gap narrowing
18.8% 63rd pct 19.2% 71st pct
De facto in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.9 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
12.9% 60th pct 10.9% 13th pct

Age structure

26.1% Young adults (25–44) +0.5 pts ▸ 26.7%
23.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.8 pts 22.0%
18.9% Seniors (65+) +2.2 pts ▸ 21.1%
18.8% Children (0–14) +0.4 pts ▸ 19.2%
12.5% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.3 pts 11.2%

Marital status

42.0% Married +5.8 pts ▸ 47.8%
38.7% Never married ◂ +5.6 pts 33.1%
9.5% Divorced ◂ +1.5 pts 8.1%
5.9% Widowed +1.8 pts ▸ 7.7%
3.8% Separated ◂ +0.5 pts 3.3%

Age & sex structure

Ballarat Swan Hill

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.8 pts higher in Swan Hill gap narrowing
11.4% 35th pct 13.2% 51st pct

Country of birth

83.7% Australia ◂ +3.5 pts 80.2%
2.1% England ◂ +1.2 pts 0.9%
1.6% India +0.2 pts ▸ 1.9%
0.1% Vietnam +1.1 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.6% Philippines +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Italy +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.9% New Zealand ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%
0.6% China +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.2% South Africa +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Nepal even 0.2%

Ancestry

41.8% English ◂ +4.5 pts 37.3%
39.3% Australian ◂ +0.6 pts 38.7%
15.2% Irish ◂ +3.2 pts 11.9%
12.6% Scottish ◂ +2.8 pts 9.8%
2.7% Italian +3.3 pts ▸ 6.0%
4.4% German ◂ +0.5 pts 3.9%
2.8% Dutch ◂ +1.7 pts 1.1%
1.7% Chinese +0.1 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.8% Indian ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%
0.8% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.2% Vietnamese +1.1 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.5% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

Language

Other language in Ballaratin Swan Hill +5.3 pts higher in Swan Hill gap narrowing
7.1% 56th pct 12.4% 81st pct
Limited English in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.4 pts higher in Swan Hill gap steady
0.7% 44th pct 3.0% 89th pct

Language used at home

88.0% English only ◂ +7.0 pts 81.0%
0.7% Punjabi +1.1 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.2% Vietnamese +1.3 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.2% Italian +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.9% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.2% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.2% Arabic even 0.1%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%
0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Ballaratin Swan Hill +8.9 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
48.1% 80th pct 39.1% 33rd pct

Religious affiliation

48.1% No religion ◂ +8.9 pts 39.1%
41.9% Christianity +4.7 pts ▸ 46.6%
6.4% Not stated +1.3 pts ▸ 7.7%
0.7% Islam +2.2 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.0% Other religions +0.8 pts ▸ 1.7%
1.2% Hinduism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
0.8% Buddhism +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Ballaratin Swan Hill +8.9 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
52.8% 80th pct 43.9% 49th pct
Bachelor+ in Ballaratin Swan Hill +9.9 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
23.3% 84th pct 13.4% 33rd pct

Highest year of school

52.8% Year 12 ◂ +8.9 pts 43.9%
15.9% Year 10 +1.3 pts ▸ 17.2%
13.7% Year 11 +1.7 pts ▸ 15.4%
11.2% Year 9 or below +3.9 pts ▸ 15.1%

Highest qualification level

30.0% Certificate III / IV +5.4 pts ▸ 35.4%
24.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +6.6 pts 17.8%
15.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.8 pts ▸ 15.8%
8.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.7 pts 3.6%
5.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.6 pts 3.7%
2.1% Certificate I / II +0.1 pts ▸ 2.2%

Field of qualification

15.2% Management & commerce ◂ +1.8 pts 13.3%
13.5% Health ◂ +1.1 pts 12.4%
13.3% Society & culture ◂ +2.2 pts 11.1%
11.3% Engineering & related +1.9 pts ▸ 13.2%
10.9% Education ◂ +0.1 pts 10.8%
5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.9 pts ▸ 6.2%
5.9% Architecture & building even 5.9%
2.1% Agriculture & environment +2.3 pts ▸ 4.4%
4.0% Creative arts ◂ +2.6 pts 1.4%
2.7% Information technology ◂ +1.5 pts 1.2%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.3 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Ballaratin Swan Hill +$11 higher in Swan Hill gap steady
$743 53rd pct $754 57th pct
Household income in Ballaratin Swan Hill +$37 higher in Ballarat gap widening
$1,427 50th pct $1,390 46th pct
Family income in Ballaratin Swan Hill +$67 higher in Ballarat gap steady
$1,869 54th pct $1,802 48th pct
High earners in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.8 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
9.1% 55th pct 6.3% 22nd pct
High-income homes in Ballaratin Swan Hill +3.2 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
15.7% 54th pct 12.4% 32nd pct

Household income distribution

30.9% $650–$1,499 +0.3 pts ▸ 31.2%
29.0% $1,500–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 30.9%
18.4% Under $650 +0.9 pts ▸ 19.3%
8.4% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.4 pts 7.0%
7.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.9 pts 5.4%

Personal income distribution

41.7% Under $650 ◂ +2.1 pts 39.6%
33.2% $650–$1,499 +3.9 pts ▸ 37.1%
15.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.6 pts 12.7%
3.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 2.2%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Ballaratin Swan Hill +3.9 pts higher in Ballarat
35.0% 71st pct 31.1% 38th pct
Mental health in Ballaratin Swan Hill +4.5 pts higher in Ballarat
13.2% 95th pct 8.6% 22nd pct
Needs assistance in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.8 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
7.4% 64th pct 6.6% 48th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

13.2% Mental health ◂ +4.5 pts 8.6%
11.4% Asthma ◂ +0.6 pts 10.8%
10.5% Arthritis +0.3 pts ▸ 10.8%
9.7% Other condition ◂ +2.8 pts 6.9%
5.2% Diabetes ◂ +0.2 pts 5.0%
4.6% Heart disease ◂ +0.1 pts 4.6%
3.4% Cancer ◂ +0.4 pts 3.1%
2.4% Lung condition ◂ +0.4 pts 2.1%
1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%
0.8% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.2% None +2.0 pts ▸ 59.3%
22.9% One condition ◂ +2.5 pts 20.4%
8.0% Two conditions ◂ +1.0 pts 7.0%
4.1% Three or more ◂ +0.4 pts 3.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.8 pts higher in Swan Hill gap steady
15.2% 47th pct 17.9% 81st pct
Unpaid carers in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
14.1% 84th pct 13.6% 71st pct
Unpaid child care in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.8 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
27.7% 78th pct 25.9% 54th pct
Defence service in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.3 pts higher in Ballarat
2.8% 26th pct 2.5% 14th pct
Housework 15h+ in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.1 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
21.6% 50th pct 20.5% 34th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.1 larger in Ballarat gap steady
2.4 43rd pct 2.3 14th pct
One-parent in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.2 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
17.6% 64th pct 16.5% 49th pct
Living alone in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.3 pts higher in Swan Hill gap narrowing
30.4% 69th pct 30.6% 72nd pct

Family composition

53.5% Couples with children ◂ +1.5 pts 52.0%
27.7% Couples without children +2.6 pts ▸ 30.3%
17.6% One-parent families ◂ +1.2 pts 16.5%
1.1% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

34.1% 2 people +1.3 pts ▸ 35.4%
30.4% 1 person +0.3 pts ▸ 30.6%
14.3% 3 people ◂ +0.3 pts 13.9%
13.4% 4 people ◂ +1.6 pts 11.8%
5.7% 5 people +0.1 pts ▸ 5.9%
2.2% 6 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 2.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballaratin Swan Hill +$65 higher in Ballarat gap widening
$300 48th pct $235 11th pct
Mortgage in Ballaratin Swan Hill +$173 higher in Ballarat gap widening
$1,473 41st pct $1,300 29th pct
People / bedroom in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.10 higher in Swan Hill gap widening
0.70 0th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.2 pts higher in Ballarat gap narrowing
31.9% 60th pct 31.8% 59th pct
Owned outright in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.6 pts higher in Swan Hill gap steady
32.4% 43rd pct 35.0% 57th pct
Separate houses in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.0 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
85.0% 54th pct 83.0% 42nd pct
3+ bedrooms in Ballaratin Swan Hill +3.0 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
79.6% 69th pct 76.6% 40th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.4% Owned outright +2.6 pts ▸ 35.0%
32.9% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +2.9 pts 30.0%
31.9% Rented ◂ +0.2 pts 31.8%
1.4% Not stated +0.5 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.4% Other tenure +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

Types of homes

85.0% Separate house ◂ +2.0 pts 83.0%
12.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +3.7 pts 8.5%
2.5% Flat or apartment +5.2 pts ▸ 7.8%
0.2% Other dwelling +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

Bedrooms per home

47.3% 3 bedrooms +2.3 pts ▸ 49.7%
28.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +5.0 pts 23.6%
15.8% 2 bedrooms +0.6 pts ▸ 16.4%
3.2% 1 bedroom +1.6 pts ▸ 4.8%
3.7% 5 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 3.4%
0.1% Studio / none even 0.1%

Weekly rent distribution

53.8% $200–$349 ◂ +1.1 pts 52.7%
15.3% Under $200 +15.2 pts ▸ 30.5%
26.6% $350–$549 ◂ +15.6 pts 11.0%
0.8% $550–$749 ◂ +0.8 pts 0.0%
0.4% $750 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

45.1% $1,000–$1,799 +1.6 pts ▸ 46.7%
21.1% Under $1,000 +6.4 pts ▸ 27.5%
22.7% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +6.3 pts 16.5%
6.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.4 pts 3.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.4 pts higher in Swan Hill gap steady
6.1% 50th pct 7.5% 81st pct
Work from home in Ballaratin Swan Hill +9.1 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
15.4% 81st pct 6.3% 34th pct
PT commute in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.7 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
0.8% 60th pct 0.2% 4th pct

How people get to work

61.6% Car (driver) +8.6 pts ▸ 70.2%
15.4% Worked at home ◂ +9.1 pts 6.3%
4.8% Car (passenger) +1.7 pts ▸ 6.5%
2.4% Walked +2.4 pts ▸ 4.8%
0.6% Bicycle +0.6 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.5% Bus ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.3% Train ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.6% 2 vehicles +1.6 pts ▸ 39.2%
38.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +3.0 pts 35.2%
11.8% 3 vehicles +0.7 pts ▸ 12.4%
6.1% No vehicle +1.4 pts ▸ 7.5%
6.3% 4 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 5.9%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Ballaratin Swan Hill +6.9 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
43.5% 74th pct 36.5% 25th pct
Recent arrivals in Ballaratin Swan Hill +18.8 pts higher in Swan Hill gap widening
15.5% 63rd pct 34.2% 100th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.8 pts higher in Ballarat gap widening
4.8% 48th pct 3.0% 3rd pct
Participation in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.5 pts higher in Ballarat gap steady
60.2% 64th pct 59.8% 60th pct
Full-time in Ballaratin Swan Hill +4.1 pts higher in Swan Hill gap widening
55.9% 35th pct 60.0% 69th pct

Industries people work in

19.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.5 pts 15.7%
10.9% Education & training ◂ +1.6 pts 9.3%
10.1% Retail trade ◂ +0.3 pts 9.8%
9.5% Construction ◂ +0.8 pts 8.8%
1.4% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +7.7 pts ▸ 9.0%
7.2% Manufacturing +1.1 pts ▸ 8.3%
7.3% Accommodation & food +0.2 pts ▸ 7.5%
6.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.6 pts 4.8%
5.4% Professional & technical ◂ +2.1 pts 3.3%
3.4% Transport & warehousing +0.7 pts ▸ 4.1%
3.5% Other services +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%
1.8% Wholesale trade +1.4 pts ▸ 3.2%

Occupations people work in

22.8% Professionals ◂ +5.7 pts 17.2%
9.9% Labourers +5.1 pts ▸ 14.9%
13.8% Community & personal service ◂ +1.0 pts 12.8%
13.8% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.1 pts 13.6%
11.2% Managers +2.5 pts ▸ 13.7%
12.3% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.2 pts 11.2%
9.5% Sales workers +0.1 pts ▸ 9.6%
5.2% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.2 pts 5.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.6 higher in Swan Hill
5.8 79th pct 6.3 91st pct
Types ≤15 min in Ballaratin Swan Hill +0.2 more in Swan Hill
5.6 84th pct 5.8 87th pct
15-min city in Ballaratin Swan Hill +7.9 pts higher in Swan Hill
66.4% 76th pct 74.3% 89th pct
Walk to shops in Ballaratin Swan Hill +7.2 pts higher in Swan Hill
66.3% 78th pct 73.5% 88th pct
Walk to transit in Ballaratin Swan Hill +9.0 pts higher in Swan Hill
81.6% 45th pct 90.6% 80th pct
Walk to school in Ballaratin Swan Hill +1.6 pts higher in Swan Hill
72.6% 73rd pct 74.2% 77th pct
Walk to a park in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.8 pts higher in Swan Hill
95.8% 88th pct 98.6% 100th pct
Walk to health in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.0 pts higher in Ballarat
49.9% 75th pct 47.9% 70th pct
Amenities/1k in Ballaratin Swan Hill +24.8 more in Swan Hill
16.1 58th pct 40.9 100th pct
Intersections/km² in Ballaratin Swan Hill +63 higher in Ballarat
74 96th pct 11 28th pct
Mean slope in Ballaratin Swan Hill +2.3 pts higher in Ballarat
4.8% 44th pct 2.5% 0th 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 Swan Hill with nearby areas

Not in any Significant Urban Area Echuca - Moama Bendigo Castlemaine Mildura - Buronga Horsham Shepparton - Mooroopna Ballarat Gisborne Bacchus Marsh Geelong Griffith

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballarat vs Swan Hill [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/2003/ballarat/vs/2017/swan-hill