Remoteness Area · Area profile
Outer Regional Australia
3,168 km²
High weekly incomes and a strong employment rate define Outer Regional Australia. This is a relatively young community where the typical resident is just 34, and families with children are common. It is a diverse and growing area, with a significant First Nations population and a rising number of people born overseas. While many residents earn well above the national figure, a large proportion of the community rents their homes.
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This is a noticeably young area compared to the rest of the country. Children under 15 make up 20.2% of the population, while seniors aged 65 and over are much less common here than in most other areas at 9.9%.
People born overseas make up 27.8% of the community, a figure that rose 6.1 percentage points since 2011. The most common ancestries are Australian (28.9%) and English (27.7%).
Language diversity is high, with 23.6% of people using a language other than English at home, which is a little above the national figure. This trend has climbed 7.8 percentage points since 2011.
About 42.1% of residents report having no religion, a figure that is well above the national average and has risen 16 percentage points since 2011.
The area is well-qualified, with 26.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is much higher than most similar areas, and the proportion of people finishing Year 12 rose 12 percentage points since 2011.
Weekly incomes are high, with a typical family earning $2,485, which is a little above the national figure. Typical personal income is also well above the national average at $1,120 per week.
Residents are generally healthier than those in most other areas, with only 20.2% reporting a long-term health condition. This is well below the national figure of 27.7%.
The community has a strong connection to the Defence Force, with 6.7% of people having served, which is well above the national figure. About 15.9% of residents also regularly volunteer.
First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, with a typical personal income of $699 that is well above the national figure. Around 13.8% speak a First Nations language, which is much higher than most areas.
Families with children are common, and households are slightly larger than the national average with 2.6 people per home. Only 23.4% of people live alone, which is much lower than most areas.
Renting is very common here, with 43.8% of households renting, which is far above the national figure. Typical weekly rents are $385, and homes owned outright are far less common than in the rest of Australia.
Most people rely on cars, with 67.8% driving to work. Working from home is very rare here at 4.3%, which is far below the national figure of 21.0%.
The population is quite mobile, with 47.5% of people having moved in the last five years. This is well above the national figure, consistent with the 19.8% who arrived recently from overseas.
Employment is strong, with 69.7% of adults working or looking for work, which is well above the national figure. Full-time employment is also much higher than in most similar areas at 68.5%.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 85.3% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 85.2% near a park.