Hobart: Oldest Australian capital city

Hobart is Australia’s oldest capital city according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Of the capital cities, Hobart had the oldest population, with a median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of 39.7 years at June 2016, ahead of Adelaide (38.6 years).

Many of the areas with the oldest median ages were popular coastal retirement destinations. These included Tea Gardens – Hawks Nest (61.6 years) and Tuncurry (60.7) in New South Wales, and Bribie Island (59.0) in Queensland.

The areas with the youngest median ages in Australia often had large populations of students or military personnel, including Acton (20.9 years) and Duntroon (21.4) in Canberra.

Darwin is the only capital city with more males than females, with a ratio of 110 males per 100 females at June 2016.

Darwin’s median age was 33.5 years at June 2016, more than a year younger than Canberra (34.7 years), its nearest rival.

“The areas where females outnumbered males most in Australia were generally within capital cities, including Deakin (81 males per 100 females) and Page (85 males per 100 females) in Canberra, and Castle Hill – East (83 males per 100 females) in Sydney, ” ABS Director of Demography Andrew Howe said.

“Many of Australia’s areas with a larger proportion of males than females had strong links to the resource sector, such as East Pilbara (265 males per 100 females) and Ashburton (251), both in Western Australia,”

SEX RATIOS AND MEDIAN AGES – Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs), 2016
	Sex Ratio	Median Age(a)
GCCSA	males per 100 females	years
Greater Sydney	98.5	35.8
Greater Melbourne	97.7	35.7
Greater Brisbane	98.0	35.2
Greater Adelaide	96.9	38.6
Greater Perth	99.9	35.8
Greater Hobart	98.7	39.7
Greater Darwin	109.5	33.5
Australian Capital Territory	98.8	34.7
Total Greater Capital Cities	98.4	35.9
Total Australia	98.5	37.2
Median age – the age at which half the population is older and half is younger.