Remoteness Area · Area profile
Inner Regional Australia
46,086 km²
A significant gap exists between Inner Regional Australia and the national average, particularly in age and income. This area is noticeably older than the rest of the country, with a population that has grown by 13% since 2011. It is a place of large family homes and high rates of home ownership, though typical incomes remain well below national figures. The community is predominantly Australian-born and English-speaking, reflecting a traditional regional character.
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The typical resident is 43, making the area noticeably older than Australia. This is driven by a large senior population, with those aged 65 and over making up 21.5% of the community, a figure that rose 5.7 points since 2011.
The area is far less diverse than the national average, with only 13.5% of people born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 41.5% and 39.2% respectively.
English is the dominant language for 87.6% of residents. Only 5.5% use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
About 39.2% of people report having no religion, which is about the same as the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 19 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is far below the national average, with only 14.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion rose to 45.1% since 2011.
Typical incomes are well below national figures, with the usual household earning $1,373 a week. The number of households earning $3,000 or more per week rose 8.2 points since 2011 to reach 14.5%.
Health challenges are more common here than in most similar areas. Long-term health conditions affect 33.3% of people, and 7.6% need help with daily activities, which is higher than the national average.
Unpaid care is a notable feature of the area, with 12.9% of people providing unpaid care, a rate much higher than in most similar areas. There is also a higher proportion of Defence Force veterans at 4.4%.
First Nations people make up 5.5% of the population, which is a little above the national figure. This community is among the youngest at this level, with a typical age of 22.
Homes tend to be larger, with 2.5 people per household. One-parent families are more common than in most areas, making up 15.9% of the community.
Separate houses are very common at 87.2%, and 79.5% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Home ownership is strong, with 35.9% of properties owned outright, well above the national figure.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.7% of people commute by public transport. Working from home is also far less common than across Australia, at just 8.5%.
The community has seen significant movement, with 40.9% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas fell 4.5 points since 2011 to 12.6%.
About 55.3% of adults are working or looking for work, which is well below the national average. The unemployment rate is 5.6%, slightly higher than the national figure.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 3.3. While 68% of homes are near a park, only 32.1% are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.