GLOSSARY

For a comprehensive definition of terms, see the Census of Population and Housing: Census Dictionary, 2016 (cat. no. 2901.0). For information on distance to work, see Census of Population and Housing: Understanding the Census and Census Data (cat. no. 2900.0).

Active transport

Active transport refers to people whose Mode of Travel to Work on Census day was walked only or bicycle.

Australian Standard Geographical Standard (ASGS)

This publication presents information for a range of geographies defined under the ASGS, including Statistical Level 2 (SA2), Statistical Area Level 3 (SA2), Statistical Level 4 (SA4), Local Government Areas (LGA), Significant Urban Areas (SUA), Destination Zones (DZN) and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas. For more information, see Statistical Geography.

Average commuting distance

The average (mean) distance is the sum of the commuting distances travelled by a group of people divided by the number of people in that group. In this publication, this statistic excludes people who commuted 250 km or more and includes those who commuted nil distance. Average commuting distance can be based on either people's Place of Usual Residence or Place of Work. See the Explanatory Notes tab at the top of this page for more information.

Choropleth map

A map where geographic areas are shaded in proportion to the measurement of a statistical variable.

Distance to Work

The Distance to Work, or commuting distance, data provides a measurement of the distance travelled between a person's Mesh Block of Usual Residence and Mesh Block of Place of Work. An assumption in the calculation of this data is that a person has followed the shortest path with no stops when commuting to work. See the Explanatory Notes tab at the top of this page for more information.

Employed

For Census purposes, employed people are those aged 15 years and over who:

• work for payment or profit, or as an unpaid helper in a family business, during the week prior to Census night
• have a job from which they are on leave or otherwise temporarily absent, or
• are on strike or stood down temporarily.

Employed people living in region

Employed people living in region (in the Interactive maps and data cubes) refers to the number of employed people living in a region, excluding those who commuted 250 km or more or those with non-spatial geographies.

Employed people working in region

Employed people working in region (in the Interactive maps and data cubes) refers to the number of employed people working in a region, excluding those who commuted 250 km or more or those with non-spatial geographies.

Interquartile range

The interquartile range is the difference between the upper and lower quartiles and describes the middle 50% of values when ordered from lowest to highest. Quartiles divide an ordered dataset into four equal parts and refer to the values of the point between the quarters. The upper quartile is the point between the lowest 75% and highest 25% of values (also called the 75th percentile). The lower quartile is the point between the lowest 25% of values and the highest 75% of values (25th percentile). In this publication, this statistic excludes people who commuted 250 km or more and includes those who commuted nil distance.

Median commuting distance

This is the level of commuting distance which divides the units in a group into two equal parts, one half having distance above the median and the other half distances below the median. In this publication, this statistic excludes people who commuted 250 km or more and includes those who commuted nil distance.

Mode of travel to work

The Mode of Travel to Work (MTW06P, MTW15P) is a variable derived from the Census item Method of Travel to Work (MTWP) which records the method used to travel to work on the day of the Census. Each commuter is only counted once based on their first response on the Census form, even if they reported multiple modes of transport. For example, if their method of travel to work was 'Train, ferry' they were placed in the count for the Train category but not for the Ferry category.

Net effect

Net effect is the sum of net flows from a location to all other regions, or in other words, the total of all inflows minus the total of all outflows for a single region.

Net flows

Net flows are the total inflow minus the total outflow between two specified regions.

Percent of commutes

Percent of commutes (in the Journey to Work interactive maps) represents the percentage of employed people commuting to or from the selected SA2, for other SA2s on the map.

Place of Usual Residence

This is the place where a person usually lives. It may, or may not be the place where the person was counted on Census night.

Place of Work

Place of Work data provide information on the address of the person's workplace in the week prior to Census night.

Private transport

Private transport refers to people whose mode of travel to work on Census day was car (as driver or passenger), truck or motorbike/scooter.

Public transport

Public transport refers to people whose mode of travel to work on Census day was train, bus, ferry, tram or taxi.

Rank

Rank (in the Journey to Work interactive maps) represents the top commutes associated with the selected SA2.

Self-containment

Self-containment is when a person's place of work was in the same SA4 as their place of usual residence.

Special Purpose Codes

Special Purpose Codes allow address data to be coded to a non-spatial value. This occurs when there is insufficient information to code to a physical geographic area. For example, when someone is in transit on Census night or where an incomplete address has been supplied.

Standard deviation

Standard deviation measures the spread of data around the mean. It summarises how close each observed value is to the mean. Groups with a small spread of values are very close to the mean, resulting in a small standard deviation. Groups with more dispersed values are spread further away from the mean, leading to a larger standard deviation. In this publication, this statistic excludes people who commuted 250 km or more and includes those who commuted nil distance.