Remoteness Area · Area profile
Inner Regional Australia
15,568 km²
A sprawling landscape of detached houses and open space, Inner Regional Australia is a predominantly older community. The typical resident is 48, and over a quarter of the population are seniors, making it far older than the national figure. It is a place where people have deep roots, shown by high rates of home ownership and low migration. This stability, combined with a strong tradition of volunteering, marks it as a settled and mature regional area.
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This is a notably older community, with a typical age of 48 and a senior population that is well above the national figure. Since 2011, the number of people aged 65 and over has risen by 7.7 points to reach 25.6%.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 13.9% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the dominant language here, with only 3.9% of people using another language at home, a figure far below the national average. Only 0.5% of residents speak little or no English.
A majority of people here report no religion, at 50.1%, which is far above the national figure. This has been a significant trend, rising 20 points since 2011.
While 14.7% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, this is far below the national figure of 26.3%. However, Year 12 completion has risen to 44.4% since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,296, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. This trend is consistent across the area, with typical personal incomes also sitting a little below the national level.
Long-term health conditions are common here, affecting 34.6% of people, which is well above the national figure. About 6.8% of residents need help with daily activities, a figure that has risen since 2011.
Community spirit is strong, with 22.1% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. Residents also provide more unpaid care and do more housework than those in most other areas.
First Nations people make up 2.1% of the population. The community is notably young, with a typical age of 23, and the unemployment rate is a little below the national figure at 11.0%.
Most households consist of couples, with 51.7% having children. People living alone make up 26.9% of the community, a figure that has risen slightly since 2011.
The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 93.4% of all dwellings. A high 40.4% of homes are owned outright, and typical weekly rent at $260 is well below the national figure.
Car dependence is very high, with 66.2% of people driving to work and only 0.6% using public transport. Very few homes, just 3.5%, have no motor vehicle.
The population is relatively stable, as only 33.5% of people moved in the last five years, well below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals have also fallen to 5.7% since 2011.
Health care, manufacturing, and construction are the biggest industries. Full-time employment is well below the national figure, with 54.5% of the workforce employed full-time.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 2.8. While 59.2% of homes are near a park, only 24% are within a 15-minute walk of health services.