What Australia's 2021 Census reveals about the changing face of our neighbourhoods

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From the remote town leading the nation on housework to our most irreligious postcode, few datasets dig as deeply into the good, the bad and just plain weird of our neighbourhoods as the country's five-yearly census.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) began releasing the results of the 2021 Census last week, with more on the way in October. We've poured over the data to answer some of the burning questions you might have about your local area.

Or skip ahead to see how your neighbourhood compares

For the first time, millennials and boomers are facing off in roughly equal numbers across the nation. But, across our capital cities, hundreds of neighbourhoods have already changed hands.

According to an ABC analysis of census data, boomers — born 1946-1965 — remain the most populous generation in some 445 greater capital city postcodes, compared to roughly 410 in millennial territory. Ninety-seven postcodes are dominated by gen X, 41 by gen Z and just three where the silent or interwar generation — born 1945 or earlier — remain top dog.

If boomer territory had a capital, it might be Portsea (postcode 3944) in outer Melbourne, the only greater capital city postcode where they make up more than half the population, at just under 51 per cent.

Just over one in five (21.5 per cent) of the national population is a baby boomer.

Millennials — born 1981-1995 — who also make up 21.5 per cent off the national population, have captured the majority in five capital city postcodes: Southbank (postcode 3006) in inner Melbourne would be a top contender for the millennial capital, with nearly 54 per cent of residents belonging to this generation.

Other millennial strongholds include West Melbourne (postcode 3003, 51.1 per cent); Docklands (3008, 50.9 per cent); Sydney and Haymarket (2000, 50.3 per cent) and Waterloo (2017, also 50.3 per cent).

Gen X, which accounts for 19.3 per cent of Australia's population, is the only generation without a majority in any capital city postcode. Their strongest base is Malaga (postcode 6090) in suburban Perth, where they make up 40 per cent of the population.

Our youngest adult generation, gen Z — born 1996-2010 — form just 18.2 per cent of the national population but already have a majority in three postcodes, although all have fewer than 8,000 residents.

Their capital might be Edinburgh in suburban Adelaide (postcode 5111), where two in three (63.3 per cent) of the 376 residents belong to gen Z, thanks to the presence of RAAF Base Edinburgh.

Also flying the gen Z flag are HMAS Cerberus in Melbourne (postcode 3920) and Canberra City (postcode 2601), where gen Z make up 58.9 per cent and 56.8 per cent, respectively.

If a territory ruled by children under 10 sounds like your worst nightmare, take comfort.

Alphas — born 2011-present — who form just 7.5 per cent of the population, is yet to claim a majority in any capital city postcode.

Not to be underestimated, however, it is the most populous generation in four regional postcodes with at least 100 residents: Ucarty (postcode 6462, 27.1 per cent) and Scaddan (6447, 24.1 per cent) in WA, Toobeah (postcode 4498, 23.9 per cent) in Queensland and Tatyoon (postcode 3378, 17.1 per cent) in Victoria.

All four areas have a large Indigenous population, which has a much younger age profile than the non-Indigenous population.

The median age — meaning half the population is younger and half are older — for Indigenous Australians is 24, compared to 38 nationally.

Meanwhile, the silent or interwar generation are well in retreat, making up fewer than one in 10 residents in every capital city postcode.

They are the largest generation in Rosebud West, on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula, where they make up 28.1 per cent of residents, compared to 12 per cent of the national population.

The division of territory between the generations comes down to where people can afford to live, given their stage of life and housing needs, according to demographers.

"Inner city areas are typically occupied by younger people because they tend not to have children, they're studying and want to be close to universities, or they're working and enjoying apartment living and the city lifestyle," says ANU demographer Liz Allen.

"People then typically move out to the suburbs to have children, raise a family and so on, because that's where they can afford larger, family-style homes."

Gen Z tend to be the biggest group in areas where substantial residential development has attracted young families or in areas with large houses and large families, according to Macquarie University demographer Nick Parr.

"In other areas, we see a pattern of ageing where, in the past, this is where young families moved. Many of those families have continued to live on in that area, and the parents' ages have increased," Professor Parr says.

"For example, Castle Hill and Rouse Hill in north-west Sydney saw lots of residential development in the 1990s, which drew in lots of young families. [Yet], 30 years later, those gen X or young boomer parents are still living in the family home — 'ageing in place' is the phrase often used."

Skip ahead to see how your neighbourhood compares

Looking for love in the big city? Well we've got good or bad news for you, depending on your preference, because these maps make at least one thing clear: the man-drought is real.

Women outnumber men in more than 720 of Australia's 1,000-or-so capital city postcodes, an ABC analysis of census data reveals. In nearly 60 postcodes, men number as few as 90 per 100 women. (The 2021 Census is the first to collect data on non-binary people but is yet to release this data.)

In nearly every capital city in Australia (with the exception of Darwin, which has its own quirks), women outnumber men, whereas men outnumber women in regional areas.

It's a pattern mirrored elsewhere, and perhaps part of the reason the reality TV series Farmer Wants a Wife — where farmers choose a wife from a selection of women from the city — had such global appeal.

Much of this gender imbalance is related to the kind of work an area supports, Dr Allen says.

Industrial and agricultural work, which tends to be done by men, is more common in regional Australia while service, retail, clerical and professional jobs, which are more likely to be done by women, are closely tied to cities.

Even within cities, there are geographical patterns associated with economic resources.

For example, Woollahra and Double Bay in Sydney's east, have some of the lowest ratios of men to women of any capital city (81.2 and 81.4 men per 100 women, respectively) and are among the nation's wealthiest neighbourhoods.

And the pattern holds across the city, Professor Parr says: The more prosperous areas in Sydney's East and the North Shore tend to have more women than men, whereas lower socio-economic areas in the West and South-West tend to have more men.

Some of this is linked to the rise of women in higher education.

"Children in prosperous areas are more likely to go to university. More women than men attend university, so some are daughters who are living in the family home while finishing their studies," according to Professor Parr.

However, age also plays a key role, with higher socio-economic areas tending to have older residents, something worth remembering if you're thinking of heading to these places to find a wealthy wife.

"Birth rates are lower and perhaps people need to be older to afford to live in these areas," Professor Parr says.

So, the older the population, the more likely women are to outnumber men.

"Women have longer life expectancy and lower death rates, so are more likely to survive in older age groups," Professor Parr notes.

Bethania (postcode 4250) in Logan City Council, for example, has roughly a dozen retirement villages and a ratio of just 80.7 men per 100 women, the lowest of any greater capital city postcode with at least 100 residents.

It demonstrates how strongly local factors can skew the equation, an especially valuable lesson for those looking to maximise their odds of finding a man in the big smoke.

At first glance, for example, Wooroloo (postcode 6558), on the fringes of Perth, looks like a solid bet. It boasts an impressive 569 men per 100 women, by far the highest ratio of any capital city postcode.

But, before you pack your bags, you might want to know the likely reason for this huge imbalance: it is home to Wooroloo prison farm for men and Acacia prison for men.

Skip ahead to see how your neighbourhood compares

A decade ago, "no religion" was the top response to the census in less than half (48 per cent) of capital city postcodes. In 2021, that number swelled to more than four in five (85 per cent) postcodes. This includes one in five postcodes (22 per cent) where non-believers are the majority, an ABC analysis of census figures has found.

Wandiligong in Victoria's north-east (postcode 3744), Erskineville in Sydney's inner-west (postcode 2043), and Maslin Beach (postcode 5170) in Adelaide take the crown for Australia's most irreligious neighbourhoods that have at least 100 residents, with 66.1, 65.8 and 65.6 per cent of residents reporting "no religion".

They're followed by Cremorne in Hobart (7024), Fitzroy North and Clifton Hill (3068) in inner Melbourne and Newtown (2042) in inner-west Sydney, where between 64 and 65 per cent of residents say they have no religion.

Across Australia, just under 40 per cent of the population told the 2021 Census they have "no religion", up from 22 per cent in 2011.

Deakin University Associate Professor of Sociology Anna Halafoff says governments, non-religious communities and interest groups have taken over many of the functions that previously fell to the church.

"Modern societies are providing support, entertainment, education, all kinds of things that religious groups used to provide. When people are looking for support or care, the secular state now provides much of that," she says.

Also driving people away is the association of religion with violence.

"That's not just war or terrorism, it's also structural violence … such as religious conservative views around gender and sexual diversity, and the scandals around clergy and sexual abuse."

This is especially true among younger generations, who believe very strongly in "secular norms" around respecting diversity, especially LGBTQ and transgender communities, Dr Halafoff adds.

"Research [in Australia] and globally shows that juncture is a deal-breaker for young people," she says.

However, it's not only young people who are reshaping this landscape, according to University of Sydney sociologist Anna Boucher, who says immigration also plays a role.

"Most of our demographic change is driven by migration. It's the biggest source of population change — more than fertility, more than death," she says.

"It could be that the types of people who migrate through high-skilled programs … are more likely to be atheist since, in general, people who have more education are more likely to be atheist … For example, many Chinese immigrants are atheist and many enter on skilled migrant visas."

On the other hand, immigration has had the opposite effect on minority religions, which have boosted their numbers thanks to increased migration from regions where Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism are widely practised, Dr Halafoff says.

Skip ahead to see how your neighbourhood compares

For the first time, first- and second-generation migrants — meaning people born overseas (1st generation) or with at least parents born overseas (2nd generation) — make up more than half of Australians (51.5 per cent).

They hail from some 220 countries but only 37 countries feature on a map of each postcode's most-populous overseas-born group, according to an ABC analysis of census figures.

England remains the most-populous overseas-born group in more than half of capital city postcodes (55 per cent) but each city also boasts pockets of diversity, from Bangladesh to Brazil, Iraq, Afghanistan and Malaysia.

Melbourne's 17 top countries of birth outside Australia include Sri Lanka (Endeavour Hills, 3802), Pakistan (Fawkner, 3060) and North Macedonia (Donnybrook 3751).

Sydney's 15 top countries of birth outside Australia include Malta (Orchard Hills, 2748), South Korea (Silverwater, 2128) and South Africa (Rose Bay and Vaucluse, 2029 and 2039).

These settlement patterns reflect Australia's waves of migration and the wealth of the countries of origin, according to ANU's Dr Allen.

Immigrants from China, for example, tend to be younger, and come seeking skills and education.

They typically have higher incomes than other migrants, so often settle in higher socio-economic areas that reflect their upward mobility, she says.

On the other hand, migrants from countries such as India or the Philippines, for example, cluster in more-affordable areas.

Long-established migrants who arrived in earlier waves — such as the Italians and Greeks, who dominated post-war immigration — are more dispersed, so may not feature as the largest group in as many postcodes, despite large numbers.

"Migrants take a massive risk in coming to a new country, so they seek to maximise their education and employment opportunities, and also find a community that supports their cultural practices," Dr Allen says.

"Once they're established and they have more economic security, they've put down roots and made social connections, they can look around and ask, 'Where else could I live? What might be a better place to go?'"

This upward mobility helps groups to mix, which is one of the defining features of Australian cities that is not always seen elsewhere.

"Even within the same postcode, there are several country of birth groups that are substantial in number. Also, the highest percentages we see in an area typically only account for a minority of the population," Professor Parr says.

In fact, Australia has only two postcodes where an overseas-born group from one country has reached a one-third share: Cabramatta in Sydney's south-west (postcode 2166), where those born in Vietnam make up 33.2 per cent of residents, and Parramatta (postcode 2150) in Sydney's west, where those born in India account for 33 per cent of residents.

"We don't see 'ethnic ghettos' — the term sometimes used — with people almost exclusively from one particular migrant origin. We see a mixing of people across a range of different birthplaces."

Skip ahead to see how your neighbourhood compares

Fed up with doing the lion's share of the washing, cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping and other chores that form the endless drudgery of domestic work? You might consider moving to the remote outback town of Oodnadatta (postcode 5734) in South Australia.

It is the only postcode in the country where men and women aged 15 and older are equally likely to do "heavy amounts" of unpaid housework, meaning at least 15 hours a week of unpaid housework, according to an ABC analysis of 2021 Census figures.

The maps below show how much more likely women are than men to do "heavy amounts" of unpaid housework.

At Oodnadatta's Pink Roadhouse, famous for its locally-sourced kangaroo and camel "Oodnaburgers", manager Emily Roberts reckons the data sounds about right, with the caveat that she lives alone.

Roberts, 35, has lived in the town, population 115, for almost six years.

"I'd say it's probably correct, looking at the locals. Everyone does a bit of everything," she says. "But I don't know what the difference is here … Everyone just chips in."

Whatever the explanation, this haven of equality — at least in terms of unpaid domestic labour — is a far cry from life across the rest of Australia, where women are 2.4 times as likely as men to do heavy amounts of unpaid chores.

In more than 50 postcodes across Australia, women are at least five times as likely to do heavy amounts of unpaid domestic work.

These include Puckapunyal (postcode 3662) in central Victoria, a large military base and home to roughly 210 families, Silverwater (postcode 2128) in western Sydney, where Silverwater Correctional Complex accounts for nearly half the population when operating at maximum capacity, and Darra and Wacol (postcode 4076) in south-west Brisbane, where a number of correctional facilities are located and men outnumber women by more than two to one.

If we use census data to turn Australia into 100 dots, it can tell us a lot about who we are and how we're changing. 

Dr Allen says the map reveals much more than the gender gap in unpaid housework.

"This is a map of women under stress," Dr Allen says. "The more extreme the difference between men and women, the more women are under stress."

The maps suggest that lower socio-economic areas with higher birth rates — and therefore, larger families — tend to have the biggest gender differences in unpaid housework, she said.

"These are also areas where commutes are longest. This really worries me because we don't know if women are doing the largest share of unpaid housework because they're not in paid work or they're doing the greater share of unpaid work, despite being in paid work — and barely surviving from one day to the next."

Other research has shown the gender pay gap plays a role, although not necessarily the way you might expect.

Studies have found that women who are equal earners to men report the most equal division of housework.

And yet women who earn more than their male partners spend more, not less, time on housework than women who have equal earnings as their male partners.

Dr Halafoff says religion can play a role, with the gender gap in housework typically larger in areas where people hold conservative religious views.

"Conservative norms across many religions typically coincide with conservative gender norms and assumptions about the role of women being at home, looking after the children," she says.

However, she points out that religiosity on its own does not indicate support for traditional gender roles.

"Within that, progressive religious people would have a different view."

Reporting: Inga Ting Design: Alex Palmer Development: Katia Shatoba

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