Remoteness Area · Area profile
Outer Regional Australia
89,656 km²
Spanning nearly 90,000 square kilometres of the landscape, Outer Regional Australia is a vast area where residents are noticeably older than the national average. The community is shifting, with the proportion of people aged 65 and over rising by 6.4 percentage points since 2011. It is a place of spacious living, where nearly 90% of homes are separate houses and most families live in dwellings with three or more bedrooms. This combination of an aging population and large, detached housing defines the region's residential character.
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The typical resident is 43, making this area noticeably older than the national figure. Seniors make up 20.2% of the population, a figure that has risen significantly since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen by 3.0 percentage points.
Most people here were born in Australia, and the area has a far lower proportion of overseas-born residents (17.6%) than the national average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 41.5% and 38.4% respectively.
English is the primary language for 83.2% of the population. Only 7.2% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A large number of residents report having no religion, at 45.4%. This is well above the national average and represents a significant increase of 19 percentage points since 2011.
The area has a lower rate of higher education than the national average, with 13.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen by 5.7 percentage points since 2011 to reach 42.6%.
Typical weekly family incomes are $1,939, which is a little below the national figure. While a typical household earns $1,475 a week, the number of households earning $3,000 or more has risen by 8.8 percentage points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are slightly more common here than across Australia, affecting 29.1% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition, affecting 9.7% of the population.
Residents are very active in their local areas, with 20.6% volunteering—a rate well above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid housework is also slightly more common here than in most other areas.
First Nations people make up 5.9% of the population. This community faces higher challenges than the national average, with an unemployment rate of 16.3% and a lower Year 12 completion rate of 27.4%.
About 29.2% of people live alone, which is well above the national average. However, couples with children remain the most common household type, making up 52.4% of families.
Homes here are typically large, with 80.5% having three or more bedrooms. Detached houses are far more common than across the country, and 36.0% of homes are owned outright.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 1.4% of people commute by public transport. Very few homes are without a vehicle, at just 4.3%, which is well below the national figure.
Movement into the area has slowed, with 35.4% of people moving in the last five years. The proportion of recent overseas arrivals has also fallen by 11 percentage points since 2011.
Agriculture, health care, and mining are the most common industries for workers. Full-time employment is slightly more common here than nationally, at 60.1%.
The region is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 3.6. While 67.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, only 36.5% are near health services.