Section of State · Area profile
Rural Balance
2,523,003 km²
A growing number of seniors and a rise in typical incomes mark the recent evolution of Rural Balance. This is an older community where the typical resident is 45, and the proportion of people aged 65 and over has climbed by 7.3 percentage points since 2011. It is a place of stable, spacious living, where most people own their homes outright and live in large, detached houses. With very few recent arrivals and low mobility, it remains a settled area with a strong tradition of volunteering.
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The typical resident is 45, making the area noticeably older than the national figure. While the number of children has fallen slightly since 2011, the proportion of seniors has risen to 18.1%.
About 18.2% of people were born overseas, which is higher than most similar areas but well below the national average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 80.8% of the community. Only 6.5% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure.
The number of people with no religion has risen sharply by 17 percentage points since 2011. At 43.7%, this is well above the national figure.
Education levels are lower than the national average, with 14.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the share of people who completed Year 12 has risen to 44.9% since 2011.
Typical weekly household income has risen by $503 since 2011 to $1,725. The area also has a high proportion of top earners, with 13.9% of people earning $2,000 or more a week.
Residents are generally healthier than those in similar areas, as only 3.3% need help with daily activities. This is a little below the national figure of 5.8%.
Volunteering is very common here, with 21.7% of people helping out—well above the national figure of 14.1%. Many residents also spend significant time on unpaid housework.
Homes are larger than usual, with 2.6 people per home. One-parent families are much less common here than in most other areas, at only 8.5%.
Housing is dominated by large, separate houses, with 82.4% having three or more bedrooms. Home ownership is very high, as 43.7% of homes are owned outright.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, with only 2.1% of homes having no motor vehicle. About 15.2% of the workforce works from home.
The community is very stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years is far below the national average. Recent overseas arrivals have also fallen to 6.8% since 2011.
Full-time employment is more common here than across Australia, at 60.8%. Many residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, or mining.
The area is very car-dependent, with a walkability score of 0.6. Only 4.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a variety of essential services.