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Broken Hill vs Merbein

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

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 252 km apart · Broken Hill profile · Merbein profile

Broken Hill Merbein

Broken Hill and Merbein are two regional centres with distinct profiles. Broken Hill has a much larger population and a higher number of people born overseas recently (21.0% compared to 4.0%). It is also more accessible on foot, with 72.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services, while Merbein has none. Broken Hill also has a higher share of outright homeowners at 42.1% and more residents identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (10.0% compared to 6.0%).

Both areas sit near the national figure for the number of people per home, with each averaging 2.2. They also share very similar rates of unpaid care and volunteering. While some gaps have widened, others have shifted since 2011; for example, Broken Hill now has a higher share of people with bachelor degrees and full-time employment than it did relative to Merbein a decade ago.

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Where they differ most

Population: 15,379 larger in Broken Hill Recent arrivals: 17.1 pts higher in Broken Hill Owned outright: 10.9 pts higher in Broken Hill People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Merbein Full-time: 6.8 pts higher in Broken Hill

Demographics & Identity

Population in Broken Hill in Merbein +15,379 larger in Broken Hill gap widening

17,456 86th pct 2,077 72nd pct

Median age in Broken Hill in Merbein +1 yrs older in Merbein gap steady

44 yrs 46th pct 45 yrs 50th pct

Age structure

26.0% Older adults (45–64) +0.1 pts ▸ 26.1%

23.3% Seniors (65+) +1.7 pts ▸ 24.9%

23.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +1.7 pts 21.4%

17.0% Children (0–14) +1.1 pts ▸ 18.2%

10.6% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.6 pts 9.1%

Marital status

37.6% Married +1.6 pts ▸ 39.2%

39.2% Never married ◂ +4.2 pts 35.0%

10.7% Divorced ◂ +0.7 pts 10.0%

8.2% Widowed +1.6 pts ▸ 9.9%

4.2% Separated +1.4 pts ▸ 5.5%

Age & sex structure

Broken Hill Merbein

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

86.0% Australia ◂ +2.1 pts 83.9%

1.2% Philippines ◂ +1.0 pts 0.2%

0.8% England +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.4% New Zealand +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.4% India ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.1% Italy even 0.1%

0.1% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.0% Vietnam even 0.0%

0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

37.8% English +6.5 pts ▸ 44.3%

43.1% Australian ◂ +1.0 pts 42.1%

8.6% Scottish +1.2 pts ▸ 9.7%

9.0% Irish +0.5 pts ▸ 9.5%

4.5% German +0.8 pts ▸ 5.4%

3.1% Italian +0.2 pts ▸ 3.3%

1.5% Filipino ◂ +1.0 pts 0.5%

0.6% Dutch +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.6% Indian ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%

0.4% Greek even 0.4%

0.3% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

88.0% English only +0.6 pts ▸ 88.6%

0.4% Tagalog ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

0.3% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.0% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.0% Cantonese even 0.0%

0.0% Hindi even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

49.2% No religion +0.9 pts ▸ 50.1%

39.2% Christianity ◂ +1.0 pts 38.2%

10.1% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 10.4%

0.3% Other religions +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.5% Buddhism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

0.4% Hinduism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% Islam ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

33.5% Year 10 ◂ +9.7 pts 23.8%

29.0% Year 12 ◂ +1.5 pts 27.5%

19.4% Year 9 or below +1.0 pts ▸ 20.4%

7.7% Year 11 +8.3 pts ▸ 16.0%

Highest qualification level

39.3% Certificate III / IV +4.7 pts ▸ 44.0%

13.6% Bachelor degree ◂ +4.7 pts 8.9%

11.6% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.9 pts ▸ 12.5%

2.7% Certificate I / II +0.8 pts ▸ 3.5%

3.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +2.5 pts 0.9%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.0 pts 1.9%

Field of qualification

18.3% Engineering & related ◂ +4.0 pts 14.3%

10.3% Society & culture +2.8 pts ▸ 13.1%

12.6% Health ◂ +3.3 pts 9.4%

12.5% Management & commerce ◂ +3.5 pts 9.0%

7.8% Education ◂ +2.1 pts 5.7%

5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +2.0 pts ▸ 7.3%

1.4% Agriculture & environment +3.7 pts ▸ 5.1%

4.4% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 5.0%

1.9% Information technology ◂ +1.1 pts 0.7%

1.1% Creative arts +0.4 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.9% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%

Income

Personal income in Broken Hill in Merbein +$66 higher in Broken Hill gap widening

$646 46th pct $580 33rd pct

Household income in Broken Hill in Merbein +$95 higher in Broken Hill gap widening

$1,167 41st pct $1,072 31st pct

Family income in Broken Hill in Merbein +$159 higher in Broken Hill gap widening

$1,617 53rd pct $1,458 41st pct

Household income distribution

30.6% $650–$1,499 +2.0 pts ▸ 32.5%

24.9% Under $650 +1.9 pts ▸ 26.8%

23.9% $1,500–$2,999 +2.7 pts ▸ 26.6%

7.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.5 pts 3.7%

4.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.3 pts 1.6%

Personal income distribution

44.9% Under $650 +4.0 pts ▸ 48.9%

27.0% $650–$1,499 +5.0 pts ▸ 32.0%

15.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +7.9 pts 7.6%

2.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.6 pts 0.5%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

14.2% Arthritis +0.3 pts ▸ 14.6%

11.9% Mental health +1.6 pts ▸ 13.5%

12.1% Asthma +0.6 pts ▸ 12.7%

8.4% Other condition +1.9 pts ▸ 10.3%

8.2% Diabetes ◂ +0.3 pts 7.8%

6.1% Heart disease +0.9 pts ▸ 7.0%

3.4% Cancer +0.4 pts ▸ 3.8%

3.4% Lung condition +0.4 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.3% Stroke +0.8 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.0% Dementia +0.7 pts ▸ 1.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

49.7% None ◂ +1.2 pts 48.5%

22.8% One condition +1.4 pts ▸ 24.2%

9.3% Two conditions ◂ +0.5 pts 8.9%

6.1% Three or more +1.3 pts ▸ 7.4%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Broken Hill in Merbein even gap narrowing

2.2 36th pct 2.2 36th pct

Family composition

43.6% Couples with children +2.0 pts ▸ 45.6%

31.6% Couples without children ◂ +0.6 pts 31.0%

23.2% One-parent families ◂ +1.0 pts 22.2%

1.6% Other families ◂ +0.4 pts 1.1%

Household size

37.2% 1 person ◂ +1.8 pts 35.4%

34.4% 2 people +0.5 pts ▸ 34.9%

12.9% 3 people +0.5 pts ▸ 13.4%

10.0% 4 people ◂ +0.3 pts 9.7%

3.8% 5 people +1.9 pts ▸ 5.7%

1.8% 6 or more even 1.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Broken Hill in Merbein +$10 higher in Broken Hill gap narrowing

$220 29th pct $210 26th pct

Mortgage in Broken Hill in Merbein +$86 higher in Merbein gap narrowing

$867 14th pct $953 20th pct

People / bedroom in Broken Hill in Merbein +0.10 higher in Merbein gap widening

0.70 14th pct 0.80 57th pct

How homes are owned or rented

42.1% Owned outright ◂ +10.9 pts 31.2%

30.1% Owned with a mortgage +6.6 pts ▸ 36.6%

23.8% Rented +2.1 pts ▸ 25.8%

2.2% Not stated +1.7 pts ▸ 3.9%

1.9% Other tenure ◂ +0.5 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

94.6% Separate house ◂ +7.1 pts 87.5%

2.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.3 pts ▸ 7.7%

2.6% Flat or apartment +0.7 pts ▸ 3.2%

0.1% Other dwelling +2.2 pts ▸ 2.4%

Bedrooms per home

54.2% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.7 pts 53.4%

19.7% 2 bedrooms +0.9 pts ▸ 20.6%

16.5% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.6 pts 14.9%

4.0% 1 bedroom +1.3 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.4% 5 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 1.4%

0.2% Studio / none +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%

Weekly rent distribution

52.7% $200–$349 +4.1 pts ▸ 56.7%

35.2% Under $200 +2.3 pts ▸ 37.5%

7.4% $350–$549 ◂ +3.6 pts 3.8%

0.0% $750 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.5% $550–$749 ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

52.7% Under $1,000 ◂ +4.5 pts 48.1%

32.3% $1,000–$1,799 +3.3 pts ▸ 35.6%

6.8% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 4.4%

2.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

70.2% Car (driver) +4.6 pts ▸ 74.7%

6.7% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.8 pts 4.9%

4.0% Worked at home +0.3 pts ▸ 4.4%

3.7% Walked ◂ +1.5 pts 2.2%

0.1% Bus +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% Bicycle ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

43.0% 1 vehicle ◂ +6.9 pts 36.1%

33.1% 2 vehicles +4.1 pts ▸ 37.1%

9.9% 3 vehicles +4.8 pts ▸ 14.7%

9.9% No vehicle ◂ +2.9 pts 7.0%

4.1% 4 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 5.8%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

21.9% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.8 pts 17.1%

10.9% Retail trade +1.6 pts ▸ 12.5%

10.8% Mining ◂ +9.4 pts 1.4%

8.5% Education & training ◂ +0.8 pts 7.7%

8.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.9 pts 7.6%

6.1% Construction +1.9 pts ▸ 8.0%

6.7% Public administration & safety ◂ +2.3 pts 4.4%

3.9% Transport & warehousing +2.6 pts ▸ 6.4%

2.0% Manufacturing +3.8 pts ▸ 5.8%

0.8% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +4.5 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.2% Administrative & support +1.6 pts ▸ 4.8%

4.0% Other services +0.4 pts ▸ 4.4%

Occupations people work in

10.2% Labourers +6.8 pts ▸ 17.0%

16.5% Professionals ◂ +5.7 pts 10.8%

16.4% Community & personal service ◂ +0.5 pts 15.9%

15.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.5 pts 14.0%

10.5% Clerical & administrative +1.4 pts ▸ 12.0%

8.9% Sales workers +2.0 pts ▸ 11.0%

10.3% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.9 pts 9.4%

9.3% Managers ◂ +1.4 pts 7.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Broken Hill in Merbein +0.6 higher in Broken Hill

6.8 96th pct 6.2 87th pct

Types ≤15 min in Broken Hill in Merbein +1.0 more in Broken Hill

7.1 92nd pct 6.1 77th pct

15-min city in Broken Hill in Merbein +11.9 pts higher in Broken Hill

93.5% 87th pct 81.6% 72nd pct

Walk to shops in Broken Hill in Merbein +6.6 pts higher in Broken Hill

88.2% 79th pct 81.5% 71st pct

Walk to transit in Broken Hill in Merbein +3.9 pts higher in Broken Hill

98.3% 98th pct 94.4% 90th pct

Walk to school in Broken Hill in Merbein +0.7 pts higher in Merbein

87.8% 75th pct 88.5% 76th pct

Walk to a park in Broken Hill in Merbein +1.7 pts higher in Merbein

97.7% 70th pct 99.4% 84th pct

Walk to health in Broken Hill in Merbein +72.3 pts higher in Broken Hill

72.3% 76th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Amenities/1k in Broken Hill in Merbein +10.6 more in Merbein

15.4 41st pct 26.0 67th pct

Intersections/km² in Broken Hill in Merbein +19 higher in Broken Hill

92 90th pct 73 86th pct

Mean slope in Broken Hill in Merbein even

3.2% 25th pct 3.2% 25th pct

Compare Broken Hill with nearby areas

Menindee Wilcannia Wentworth Dareton Merbein Paringa Renmark Cabarita

Compare Merbein with nearby areas

Cabarita Dareton Mildura - Buronga (Mildura Part) Mildura - Buronga (Buronga Part) Wentworth Nichols Point Red Cliffs Euston

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Broken Hill vs Merbein [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL113003/broken-hill/vs/UCL215054/merbein