Remoteness Area · Area profile
Inner Regional Australia
93,342 km²
Most people in Inner Regional Australia rely on cars to get around and live in spacious, detached homes. This is a noticeably older community, where the typical resident is 44 and more than one in four are seniors. The population grew by 16% since 2011, adding over 215,000 people to the region. It is a place where home ownership is common and life moves at a slower pace than in the cities.
Explore Inner Regional Australia by topic
The area is noticeably older than the national figure, with a typical age of 44 and a high proportion of seniors. First Nations people make up 6.4% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 11.6%, which is far below the national average. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 87.8% of the population. Only 5.5% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.
Over half of the population identifies as Christian. While those with no religion make up 37.5%, this is a little below the national figure, though it has risen sharply by 19 points since 2011.
A higher number of people here have a bachelor's degree compared to similar regions, though this remains well below the national figure of 26.3%. Year 12 completion rose to 43.7% since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,400, which is a little below the national figure. While typical incomes have risen since 2011, the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week is well below the national average.
Residents are more likely to have long-term health issues than people in other areas, with 33.5% reporting a condition. This includes higher rates of arthritis and mental health conditions compared to the national average.
Unpaid care is common here, with more people providing care for others and doing housework than in most similar areas. There is also a higher proportion of Defence Force veterans than the national average.
First Nations people in this region have a typical personal income of $570 and an unemployment rate of 10.5%, which is a little lower than the national figure.
About 27.9% of people live alone, while 51.5% of households are couples with children. One-parent families are a little more common here than across Australia.
Separate houses are far more common here than nationally, with 85.3% of homes being detached. Home ownership is strong, as 39.2% of homes are owned outright, well above the national figure.
Car travel is essential, as only 0.4% of people use public transport to commute. Working from home has become more popular, rising to 14.1% since 2011.
About 38.5% of people moved house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 12.1% of the population, which is a little below the national average.
Health care and construction are the biggest industries for workers. The unemployment rate is 4.4%, which is about the same as the national figure.
The area is considered somewhat walkable, with about 73.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, fewer than half of the homes are within a similar walk to groceries.