A level-one statistical area typically contains between 200 and 800 inhabitants. There were approximately 57,000 level-one statistical areas in Australia in 2016. The Australian Bureau of Statistics includes level-one statistical areas in census data.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics uses an 11-digit code and a seven-digit code to recognize a level-one statistical area. The 11-digit code contains discrete identifiers for all regions in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard main structure to which the area belongs, including the level-one statistical area itself. The seven-digit code contains identifiers for the level-one statistical area, the level-two statistical area to which the area belongs, and the state or territory in which both areas are found.