Suburb showdown · Across Australia
Different places.
Shared patterns.
Compare the same 2021 Census measures across 15,334 suburbs/localities and 547 local government areas. Choose matching geography types for numeric differences and statistical twins.
Swap areasDownload comparison card
| Measure | Melbourne | North Wollongong | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population people | 54,941 | 2,299 | +52,642 |
| Median age years | 29 | 30 | -1 |
| Median household income AUD/week | $1,448 | $1,549 | -$101 |
| Rented homes % | 71% | 65.7% | +5.3 pp |
| Unemployment (Census) % | 8.6% | 8.5% | +0.1 pp |
“pp” means percentage points. Population is context, not a ranking of places. Area size differs; housing rates and income definitions are explained on each area page.
ABS: Melbourne · ABS: North Wollongong · CC BY 4.0
Melbourne’s closest statistical match
North Wollongong, NSW (SAL) is the closest of 7,845 eligible areas nationwide under the method below.
- Median age: 29 versus 30.
- Median household income: $1,448 versus $1,549.
- Rented homes: 71% versus 65.7%.
- Unemployment (Census): 8.6% versus 8.5%.
How statistical twins work
We use median age, weekly household income, rented-home percentage and Census unemployment percentage. Each gets equal weight. Divide the absolute difference by a fixed comparison scale: 10 years of age, $500 weekly income, 10 percentage points rented and 5 percentage points unemployment. Then average the four values. Each standardized measure has equal weight. A smaller distance means a closer match. All four values, the same year and geography type, at least 50 households and 50 labour-force participants are required for both areas. Exclude the selected area; break ties by stable area ID. Population is excluded.
The scales stay fixed, so adding an extreme outlier does not change the distance between existing areas. The eligible pool covers all qualifying areas in this national snapshot. The method does not predict lived experience, political preference or which place is better.
Melbourne definitions and source detailsNorth Wollongong details
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