People who can least afford it cover the bulk of the cost for a public transport system they hardly use, new analysis of census commuter data reveals.

According to studies of ABS figures from transport specialist Chris Loader from chartingtransport.com, public transport use in Brisbane drops off dramatically the further people live from the centre of Brisbane.

Where people travel to work (darker green denotes a higher percentage). Source: Chartingtransport.com

But the finding follows a report that shows Brisbane's highest-paying jobs are concentrated in the CBD, even though most of Brisbane's employment opportunities exist in the suburbs according to local urban planning analyst Ross Elliott.

It means people who use public transport the most are also more likely to earn more money, and people who use it the least are likely to earn less Mr Elliott said, who used analysis from Brisbane firm Urban Economics to forward the argument.