145,402 ▲ +6.3%
Higher than 63% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 136,802
- 2016: 142,568
- 2021: 145,402
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Rural Balance · Section of State
Demographics & Identity in Rural Balance
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
More than half of the people in Rural Balance are married, reflecting a stable and aging community. The area is far older than the national average, with a typical resident now aged 47. This shift is part of a broader trend where the population has grown by 6.3% since 2011 while becoming notably older.
145,402
▲ +6.3%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–5: 0 areas
- 5–9: 0 areas
- 9–16: 2 areas
- 16–28: 1 area
- 28–49: 1 area
- 49–85: 0 areas
- 85–149: 1 area
- 149–260: 1 area
- 260–453: 0 areas
- 453–789: 4 areas
- 789–1,376: 2 areas
- 1,376–2,399: 1 area
- 2,399–4,182: 3 areas
- 4,182–7,292: 0 areas
- 7,292–12,713: 3 areas
- 12,713–22,166: 1 area
- 22,166–38,647: 3 areas
- 38,647–67,381: 3 areas
- 67,381–117,481: 2 areas
- 117,481–204,831: 6 areas
- 204,831–357,126: 2 areas
- 357,126–622,657: 5 areas
- 622,657–1,085,615: 2 areas
- 1,085,615–1,892,791: 2 areas
- 1,892,791–3,300,120: 1 area
- 3,300,120–5,753,827: 3 areas
All section of state areas, 2021. The marker is Rural Balance — higher than 63% of areas.
| Rural Balance | 145,402 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical resident is 47, which is much higher than most similar areas and 9 years older than the national figure. Rural Balance has 145,402 people, a total that is larger than about 65% of peer areas.
47 yrs ▲ +9.3%
Older than 86% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 43 yrs
- 2016: 45 yrs
- 2021: 47 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors aged 65 and over make up 20.5% of the population, a figure well above the national average. This age group rose by 7.4 percentage points since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 fell to 17.2%.
20.5% ▲ +56.0%
Higher than 71% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 13.2%
- 2016: 17.1%
- 2021: 20.5%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
17.2% ▼ -13.1%
Higher than 51% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 19.8%
- 2016: 18.0%
- 2021: 17.2%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Rural Balance, the largest group is Older adults (45–64) at 32%, followed by Seniors (65+) (21%) and Young adults (25–44) (20%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
About 2.8% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is lower than most similar areas. People in de facto relationships make up 12.0% of the population, a figure that has risen slightly since 2011.
2.8% ▲ +11.0%
Lower than 69% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 2.5%
- 2016: 2.5%
- 2021: 2.8%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
12.0% ▲ +22.4%
Lower than 74% of section of state areas.
- 2011: 9.8%
- 2016: 10.9%
- 2021: 12.0%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Rural Balance, Married is the majority at 55%; Never married is next at 30%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Rural Balance
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Rural Balance [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sos/SOS43/rural-balance/topic/demographics-identity