Birds of a feather: Where your generation lives save

NEWS.COM.AU has collated demographic information from more than 10,000 suburbs and towns across the nation to visualise where your generation lives - from Gen Y and Gen X to Baby Boomers.

Map data is based on Gen Y (as indicated by purple sector, born between 2000 and 1980) Gen X (as indicated by blue sector, born between 1979 and 1965) and Baby boomers (as indicated by yellow sector, born between 1946 and 1964).

For Gen Y it's a life in the inner-city suburbs such as Carlton in Melbourne, Sydney’s Haymarket and Paddington in Brisbane.

At the other end of the spectrum, Brisbane’s industrial hub of Lytton has no children and lots of retirees. More than 80 per cent its population is over 65, according to government data.

While Gen Y can be found clustered into the vibrant hubs, they are also in the outer fringe first-home buyer suburbs including Quakers Hill and Granville in Sydney’s west.

Gen Xers can be found in suburbs with multi-million-dollar properties such as Balmain, Mosman and Dover Heights in Sydney and also in country outposts including Augathella in western Queensland, Dorrigo in New South Wales and Hallett in South Australia.

Demographer Mark McCrindle says lifestyle choices push generations together into suburbs and towns.

"It is a clear pathway that generations follow each other into areas because of lifestyle decisions," Mr McCrindle said.

"Gen Xers dominate the regional towns because they have children and want housing affordability, backyards, shorter commute times and easily accessible services.

"For Gen Y, it is the reverse, younger people move from the suburbs and towns to the inner-city for lifestyle, education and employment opportunities."

He said regional towns such as Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst in NSW have marketing campaigns to attract Gen Xers to their regions.

"There aren't not too many Gen Ys who want to head to those sort of places for a lifestyle or tree change," he said.

If you live in Sydney's west , you are likely to be sharing your postcode with loads of kids. The area has the highest number of toddlers in Australia, while Campbelltown has more children than any other suburb in the nation. More than 30 per cent of its population is under 15.