Remoteness Area · Area profile
Inner Regional Australia
22,502 km²
An older population defines Inner Regional Australia, where the typical resident is 43 and seniors make up nearly 20% of the community. This is a place of large, mostly detached family homes and a population that has grown by 14% since 2011. It is a predominantly English-speaking area with a strong tradition of volunteering and a high proportion of residents who do not identify with a religion. Overall, it feels like a stable, car-dependent region with a focus on family life and home ownership.
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Residents are noticeably older than the national figure, with the typical age being 43. The senior population has risen 6.3 points since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen by 2.4 points.
English and Australian ancestries are most common, and 73.4% of people were born in Australia. The proportion of people born overseas is 19.8%, which is well below the national figure.
English is the main language for 85.9% of the community. Only 6.2% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average.
Nearly half of the population (48.5%) reports no religion, a figure that is well above the national average and has risen 20 points since 2011.
While 14.2% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, this is far below the national figure of 26.3%. However, the number of people who finished Year 12 rose 7.7 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,525, which is a little below the national figure. The number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 8.8 points since 2011.
A little more than the national average of people (29.3%) have a long-term health condition. Arthritis is the most common reported condition at 9.9%.
Volunteering is common here, with 18.4% of people helping out, which is well above the national figure. There is also a high rate of unpaid housework and childcare compared to other similar areas.
First Nations people make up 3.2% of the population. The typical personal income for this group is $545, and the unemployment rate is 13.8%, which is a little above the national figure.
Families with children are common, making up 54.2% of households. People living alone account for 24.9%, which is much lower than in most similar areas.
The area is dominated by separate houses (90.6%) and large homes, with 85% having three or more bedrooms. Renting is much less common here than nationally, at just 21.9%.
Car use is essential, as 64.2% of people drive to work and only 3.3% of homes have no motor vehicle. Working from home is far less common here than in the rest of Australia.
The area is relatively stable, with 36.1% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas have fallen sharply, from 16.1% in 2011 to 7.1% in 2021.
Health care, construction, and retail are the main industries, with 57% of the workforce in full-time jobs. The unemployment rate is 4.4%, which is lower than in most similar areas.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.3. While 66.9% of homes are near a park, only 34.6% are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.