Rachel Lloyd, Mandy Yap and Ann Harding examine trends in income for different regions of Australia between 1996 and 2001, using census data.

Most regions and states experienced strong income growth during the five years, although incomes in the capital cities remained much higher than in other areas of Australia. Sharp rises in housing costs offset part of the income gain in the capital cities. The paper also examines trends in a range of other socioeconomic characteristics, including education and labour force status.