500 or more

Demographics & education

In the 2011 Census, there were 98,532 people in 500 or more of these 50.2% were male and 49.8% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 9.1% of the population.

The median age of people in 500 or more was 40 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 21.6% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 15.1% of the population.

Of people in 500 or more aged 15 years and over, 51.6% were married and 13.3% were either divorced or separated.

The median age of married people in 500 or more was 53 years and the median age of people never married was 27 years.

In 500 or more, of people aged 15 years and over, 52.0% of people were in a registered marriage and 12.4% were in a de facto marriage.

The median age of people in a registered marriage in 500 or more was 53 years and the median age of people in a de facto marriage was 39 years.

In 500 or more 27.4% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 35.6% were in primary school, 22.4% in secondary school and 10.8% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in 500 or more were Australian 30.8%, English 29.2%, Irish 7.9%, Scottish 7.1% and German 5.6%.

In 500 or more, 82.4% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 4.0%, New Zealand 2.7%, Germany 0.6%, Scotland 0.4% and Netherlands 0.4%.

In 500 or more, 73.6% of people had both parents born in Australia and 15.6% of people had both parents born overseas.

The most common responses for religion in 500 or more were Anglican 22.9%, Catholic 21.2%, No Religion 21.0%, Uniting Church 7.3% and Presbyterian and Reformed 3.7%.

In 500 or more 89.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Guugu Yimidhirr 0.9%, Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) 0.7%, Aboriginal English, so described 0.5%, German 0.4% and Italian 0.3%.

Employment

There were 44,143 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in 500 or more. Of these 57.5% were employed full time, 29.4% were employed part-time and 6.6% were unemployed.

Of employed people in 500 or more, 10.8% worked 1 to 15 hours, 9.1% worked 16 to 24 hours and 44.9% worked 40 hours or more.

The median age of people employed full-time in 500 or more was 44 years and for people who were employed part-time was 43 years.

The most common occupations in 500 or more included Technicians and Trades Workers 17.0%, Labourers 14.2%, Professionals 13.5%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 12.7%, Machinery Operators And Drivers 11.1%, Managers 10.9%, Community and Personal Service Workers 10.2% and Sales Workers 8.5%.

Of the employed people in 500 or more, the most common responses for industry of employment included School Education 6.3%, Local Government Administration 3.8%, Hospitals 3.5%, Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food Services 3.2% and Supermarket and Grocery Stores 3.0%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in 500 or more was $483.

In 500 or more, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 62.9%, Car, as passenger 6.3%, Walked only 6.2%, Truck 2.1% and Bus 1.0%. On the day, 2.5% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 69.5% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In 500 or more, of people aged 15 years and over, 71.8% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 28.7% provided care for children and 11.6% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 20.9% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in 500 or more, 25.6% worked 5 to 14 hours, 14.2% worked 15 to 29 hours and 14.0% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in 500 or more, 40.1% were couple families with children, 44.1% were couple families without children and 14.7% were one parent families.

In 500 or more 19.0% of single parents were male and 81.0% were female.

Weekly incomes

In 500 or more, for couple families with two incomes, the median income for those with children was $2,011 and those without children was $1,718.

Employment status of couple families

In 500 or more, of couple families with children, 18.6% had both partners employed full-time, 3.9% had both employed part-time and 18.3% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In 500 or more, 83.4% of private dwellings were occupied and 16.6% were unoccupied.

Of occupied private dwellings in 500 or more, 92.1% were separate houses, 1.3% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 3.1% were flats, units or apartments and 3.4% were other dwellings.

In 500 or more, of occupied private dwellings 4.7% had 1 bedroom, 15.2% had 2 bedrooms and 44.8% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3.1. The average household size was 2.6 people.

Of occupied private dwellings in 500 or more, 35.3% were owned outright, 35.6% were owned with a mortgage and 25.8% were rented.

Household composition

In 500 or more, of all households, 74.7% were family households, 22.7% were single person households and 2.6% were group households.

In 500 or more, 29.3% of households had a weekly household income of less than $600 and 5.8% of households had a weekly income of more than $3,000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

Proportions in this table are calculated by taking the number of households whose rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure and expressing this number as a proportion of the total number of households in an area, including those households which are not renting their dwelling (excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion. Further information on the method to impute income is available in the income fact sheet.

Proportions in this table are calculated by taking the number of households who own their dwelling, and whose mortgage payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure and expressing this number as a proportion of the total number of households in an area, including those households which were renting their dwelling (excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion. Further information on the method to impute income is available in the income fact sheet.

Number of motor vehicles

In 500 or more, 33.3% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 38.2% had two registered motor vehicles and 19.5% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

People characteristics

In 500 or more, there were 8,945 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Of these, 4,390 (or 49.1%) were male and 4,555 (or 50.9%) were female. The median age was 22 years.

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

Average number of people per bedroom includes a miscalculation. For more information see the persons per bedroom correction page.

In 500 or more, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 3.6, with 1.3 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $894.

In 500 or more, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $125 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,456.