Section of State · Area profile
Rural Balance
1,345,816 km²
A strong presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people defines Rural Balance, where 29.1% of the population identifies as such. This is a young community with a typical resident aged 36 and many children, which helps explain why homes here are larger than usual. While the area has a small population of about 34,172, it is a place where people tend to stay, as far fewer residents have moved house recently compared to the national figure.
Explore Rural Balance by topic
The community is notably young, with 19.7% of people under 15 and a typical age of 36, which is lower than most similar areas. Families are often large, and there is a high proportion of people in de facto relationships at 17.0%.
Most residents were born in Australia, and only 10.0% were born overseas, a figure far below the national average. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, together accounting for over half the population.
Despite few overseas-born residents, 23.1% of people use another language at home, which is higher than in most similar areas. The proportion of people who speak little or no English rose slightly to 4.3% since 2016.
About 39.9% of people report having no religion, a figure similar to the national average. This has seen a significant increase of 16 percentage points since 2011.
Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 10.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, more people have completed Year 12 than in 2011, rising to 35.5%.
Typical household incomes are a little above the national figure at $1,960 a week. High earners are well-represented, with 25.5% of households earning $3,000 or more weekly, a significant increase since 2011.
Residents are generally healthier than those in most similar areas, with only 19.6% reporting a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are also much lower here, affecting 4.3% of the population.
A high number of people serve in the Defence Force, at 5.1%, which is higher than the national figure. Unpaid childcare is also common, with 29.1% of people providing this care.
Homes are larger than average, with 3.0 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 58.9% of families.
Separate houses are very common at 90.8%, though typical monthly mortgage payments are high at $2,167. While typical rents are well below the national figure at $235, there are fewer three-bedroom homes than usual.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 59.9% of people driving to work. Very few people use public transport to commute, at just 1.3%.
This is a stable community where only 28.4% of people moved in the last five years, far below the national average of 40.7%.
Full-time employment is very high at 69.3%, though the overall proportion of adults working or looking for work is well below the national figure. Many people work in public administration and safety, or construction.
The area is almost entirely car-dependent, with a very low walkability score of 0.3. Only 6.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park.