One of our most common requests is for data about a subset of the population who share a demographic characteristic. Answers to these questions require cross-tabulated data, which is only available in some areas, and for certain characteristics.
This article references a lot of the information in a blog post about the Communities of Interest module in profile.id. You can read that full blog here.
Examples of questions that need to be answered with cross-tabulated data
“So we’ve got an ageing population. How many of the people aged 65+ are still living in 3-bedroom homes?
“I see we have an emerging population of Burmese migrants. What qualifications do they have? Have they found jobs?”
How is cross-tabulated data different from standard area profiles?
Our standard Area profiles tell you about people who live in a particular place.
Communities of Interest (cross-tabulated data) tell you about the people who shared a particular characteristic.
Can I cross-tabulate by any demographic characteristic?
No, only a selection of cross-tabulations are available. These typically reflect the community of the local area, allowing commuinty services and planning teams to better target services through a clear understanding of particular communities.
What cross-tabulations are available?
- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) community
- Specific age groups (including school-aged children, young families, elderly people or custom age cohorts)
- People who have arrived from overseas in the last five years
- Non-English speakers
- People from a particular country or ethnic background
- People with a need for assistance
- People living in low-income households
Why can't I find Communities of Interest in my area?
Please note, Communities of Interest is an optional module in profile.id.
As our profiles are commissioned by individual councils, the module is not available in some areas, and not all Communities of interest are available in all areas.
Read our article 'How to find data for your area'.
Where do I find the Communities of Interest module?
This cross-tabulated demographic data can be found in profile.id underneath the standard area profiles (see screenshot below).
