Comparing Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney
| City | Adelaide | Brisbane | Melbourne | Perth | Sydney |
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| Population | 1.1 million | 1.8 million | 3.8 million | 1.5 million | 4.3 million |
| Born Overseas | 29% | 26% | 35% | 33% | 39% |
| Climate | Hot, dry summers. Mild, wet winters | Hot, wet summers. Warm, dry winters | Hot, changeable summers. Cool unsettled winters | Hot, dry summers. Mild, wet winters | Hot summers. Mild winters. Driest in spring |
| *Median House Price December 2008 | $412,000 | $432,000 | $447,000 | $475,000 | $536,000 |
| *Median Unit Price December 2008 |
$268,000 | $318,000 | $333,000 | $342,000 | $362,000 |
| **Best city for: | Community | Personal well-being, standard of living, safety, environment, social conditions, government, business. | Personal relationships | ||
| Mid Summer Sunrise / set | 5.59 am / 8.29 pm | 4.50 am / 6.43 pm | 5.55 am / 8.41 pm | 5.07 am / 7.21 pm | 5.41 am / 8.06 pm |
| Mid Winter Sunrise / set | 8.24 am / 6.12 pm | 6.38 am / 5.02 pm | 8.36 am / 6.09 pm | 7.16 am / 5.20 pm | 8.00 am / 5.53 pm |
| Traditional Industries | Agri-food products / services, Cars, Insurance/financial services | Agri-food products / services, Tourism, Transportation services | Agri-food products / services, Automotive, Insurance / financial services | Mineral and Petroleum products, education, health | Commercial / business services, Health / education, Insurance / financial services |
| Emerging Industries | Business convention services, Health / education, ICT | Aerospace, Biotechnology, Engineering / environmental technologies | Biotechnology, Engineering / environmental technologies, ICT | Biotechnology, Engineering / environmental technologies, ICT | Biotechnology, ICT, Life sciences |
| Major private sector employers | Holden (Automotive)
Arnott's Biscuits (Agri-food products services) Sola Optical (Instruments / precision manufacturing) |
Bechtel (Engineering / environmental) Boeing (Aerospace) Virgin Airlines (Transportation services) |
CEA Technologies (Defence equipment / services)
Phenomix Corp. (Biotechnology) TransACT & Tower Software (ICT) |
Ford/Toyota (Automotive)
Foster's Group Limited (Agri-food products / services) National Australia Bank (Insurance / financial services) |
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* Home Price Guide.
** Surveys of residents' perceptions carried out by the Australian Centre on Quality of Life, Deakin University.
City Industry data main source http://www.competitivealternatives.com/