Section of State Range
Section of State Range (SOSR) groups together Urban Centres and Localities (UCLs) into comparable classes based on the population of the UCL according to the 2021 Census of Population and Housing. This classification further breaks down Section of State categories and correspondingly enables the comparison of similar sized UCLs using a range of Census data.
SOSR design criteria
Section of State Range categories are also determined by the populations of Urban Centres and Localities. Section of State Range further divides the four Section of State population categories into eleven categories described in the table below.
| SOSR identifier | SOSR name | SOS name |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1 million or more | Major Urban |
| 02 | 250,000 to 999,999 | Major Urban |
| 03 | 100,000 to 249,999 | Major Urban |
| 11 | 50,000 to 99,999 | Other Urban |
| 12 | 20,000 to 49,999 | Other Urban |
| 13 | 10,000 to 19,999 | Other Urban |
| 14 | 5,000 to 9,999 | Other Urban |
| 15 | 4,999 or less | Other Urban |
| 21 | 500 or more | Bounded Locality |
| 22 | 499 or less | Bounded Locality |
| 31 | Remainder of State/Territory | Rural Balance |
SOSR name criteria
The eleven different Section of State Range categories are named for their population ranges. State and territory identifiers are not added to Section of State Range names, meaning they are not unique.
SOSR coding structure
Section of State Range is identifiable by a 3-digit hierarchical code. This is created by combining a state or territory identifier, a SOS identifier and a SOSR identifier. A SOSR identifier is only unique if it is preceded by the State/Territory and SOS identifiers.
The examples below show how the SOSR codes are assigned.
| S/T | SOS | SOSR | SOSR name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 million or more |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | Remainder of State/Territory |
Non-spatial special purpose codes are also part of the Section of State Range classification.
- 79 is reserved for cases where people are coded to Migratory – Offshore – Shipping Statistical Areas Level 1.
- 99 is reserved for cases where people are coded to No usual address Statistical Areas level 1.
- ZZZ is reserved for cases where people are coded to Outside Australia.
| S/T | SOS | SOSR | SOSR name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7 | 9 | Migratory - Offshore - Shipping (Qld) |
| 8 | 9 | 9 | No usual address (ACT) |