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Fairfax vs Wide Bay

Federal Electorate comparison ≈ 78 km apart · Fairfax profile · Wide Bay profile

Fairfax Wide Bay

Fairfax and Wide Bay are two Queensland regions with distinct living patterns. Fairfax is more developed, with a far higher share of people who finished Year 12 (57.3% versus 44.4%) and more adults with bachelor degrees. It also has higher incomes, where the typical household earns $1,605 a week compared to $1,213 in Wide Bay. In contrast, Wide Bay is more rural, with a far higher share of separate houses (86.8% versus 72.2%) and a much longer typical drive time to the city of 143 minutes.

Both areas share very similar home sizes, with about 2.5 people per home and similar rates of volunteering. However, several gaps have grown since 2011. Residents in Wide Bay are now noticeably older, with the typical age being 49 compared to 43 in Fairfax. The income gap has also widened, as the typical household income in Fairfax is now $392 higher than in Wide Bay.

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Where they differ most

Rent: $135 higher in Fairfax Separate houses: 14.6 pts higher in Wide Bay Year 12: 12.9 pts higher in Fairfax Unemployment: 1.8 pts higher in Wide Bay Participation: 10.8 pts higher in Fairfax

Demographics & Identity

Population in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +17,230 larger in Fairfax gap widening
169,466 59th pct 152,236 27th pct
Median age in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +6 yrs older in Wide Bay gap widening
43 yrs 86th pct 49 yrs 100th pct
First Nations in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +2.2 pts higher in Wide Bay gap steady
2.4% 52nd pct 4.5% 73rd pct
Aged 65+ in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +5.1 pts higher in Wide Bay gap widening
21.5% 83rd pct 26.6% 98th pct
Under 15 in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.9 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
17.6% 45th pct 15.7% 21st pct
De facto in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.4 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
12.4% 60th pct 12.0% 52nd pct

Age structure

27.1% Older adults (45–64) +2.2 pts ▸ 29.3%
21.5% Seniors (65+) +5.1 pts ▸ 26.6%
23.5% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.7 pts 18.8%
17.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.9 pts 15.7%
10.4% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.8 pts 9.6%

Marital status

48.9% Married ◂ +1.2 pts 47.7%
31.3% Never married ◂ +1.3 pts 30.0%
11.1% Divorced +1.1 pts ▸ 12.2%
5.4% Widowed +0.9 pts ▸ 6.3%
3.4% Separated +0.5 pts ▸ 3.9%

Age & sex structure

Fairfax Wide Bay

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +5.7 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
21.1% 42nd pct 15.3% 27th pct

Country of birth

74.0% Australia +3.7 pts ▸ 77.8%
6.0% England ◂ +1.2 pts 4.8%
4.1% New Zealand ◂ +1.2 pts 2.9%
1.3% South Africa ◂ +0.7 pts 0.7%
0.6% India ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.5% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Italy even 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

45.7% English ◂ +1.2 pts 44.5%
34.9% Australian +2.6 pts ▸ 37.6%
12.7% Irish ◂ +1.0 pts 11.7%
12.5% Scottish ◂ +0.9 pts 11.7%
6.7% German +0.9 pts ▸ 7.6%
2.6% Italian ◂ +0.6 pts 2.0%
2.1% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 1.6%
1.0% Chinese ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%
0.8% Indian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%
0.7% Filipino +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.5% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Language

Other language in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +2.4 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
6.1% 18th pct 3.8% 0th pct
Limited English in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.2 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
0.5% 10th pct 0.3% 0th pct

Language used at home

88.7% English only +0.7 pts ▸ 89.4%
0.3% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.3% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.1% Tagalog even 0.1%
0.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%
0.1% Arabic even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +2.3 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
47.1% 84th pct 44.8% 71st pct

Religious affiliation

47.1% No religion ◂ +2.3 pts 44.8%
43.2% Christianity +1.0 pts ▸ 44.2%
7.1% Not stated +2.2 pts ▸ 9.3%
1.0% Buddhism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%
0.7% Hinduism ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%
0.5% Other religions even 0.5%
0.3% Islam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +12.9 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
57.3% 52nd pct 44.4% 26th pct
Bachelor+ in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +7.9 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
22.3% 53rd pct 14.5% 21st pct
Schools/1k kids in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.95 more in Wide Bay
1.24 8th pct 3.19 85th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +39 more in Wide Bay
37 8th pct 76 77th pct
Students in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +5,846 more in Fairfax
28,927 63rd pct 23,081 22nd pct
Avg size in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +478 larger in Fairfax
782 94th pct 304 18th pct
ICSEA in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +68 higher in Fairfax
1,061 67th pct 993 27th pct

Highest year of school

57.3% Year 12 ◂ +12.9 pts 44.4%
22.0% Year 10 +6.5 pts ▸ 28.5%
6.6% Year 9 or below +4.6 pts ▸ 11.2%
7.8% Year 11 +0.1 pts ▸ 7.8%

Highest qualification level

31.2% Certificate III / IV +5.0 pts ▸ 36.2%
23.8% Bachelor degree ◂ +6.1 pts 17.6%
17.0% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.5 pts 15.5%
6.5% Postgraduate degree ◂ +2.4 pts 4.1%
3.8% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.9 pts 2.9%
2.0% Certificate I / II +0.8 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

17.2% Management & commerce ◂ +2.4 pts 14.8%
12.9% Engineering & related +2.4 pts ▸ 15.2%
12.8% Health ◂ +2.8 pts 10.0%
11.5% Society & culture ◂ +0.3 pts 11.3%
9.4% Education ◂ +0.6 pts 8.8%
7.5% Architecture & building ◂ +0.6 pts 6.9%
6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.5 pts ▸ 6.6%
3.8% Creative arts ◂ +0.9 pts 2.9%
2.3% Agriculture & environment +0.8 pts ▸ 3.0%
2.1% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.4 pts 1.7%
1.6% Information technology ◂ +0.6 pts 1.1%

Income

Personal income in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +$163 higher in Fairfax gap widening
$763 40th pct $600 0th pct
Household income in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +$392 higher in Fairfax gap widening
$1,605 36th pct $1,213 1st pct
Family income in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +$472 higher in Fairfax gap widening
$1,933 36th pct $1,461 0th pct
High earners in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +3.2 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
9.8% 43rd pct 6.6% 16th pct
High-income homes in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +6.5 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
18.3% 36th pct 11.8% 5th pct

Household income distribution

28.6% $650–$1,499 +5.4 pts ▸ 34.0%
30.2% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +5.7 pts 24.5%
15.2% Under $650 +6.2 pts ▸ 21.4%
9.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.4 pts 5.8%
9.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.1 pts 6.0%

Personal income distribution

40.5% Under $650 +8.2 pts ▸ 48.7%
33.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.4 pts 29.1%
15.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.7 pts 10.9%
3.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.2 pts 2.6%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +4.8 pts higher in Wide Bay
29.8% 63rd pct 34.6% 93rd pct
Mental health in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.5 pts higher in Wide Bay
9.3% 54th pct 10.8% 78th pct
Needs assistance in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +2.4 pts higher in Wide Bay gap steady
6.1% 57th pct 8.5% 100th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.3% Arthritis +2.8 pts ▸ 13.1%
9.3% Mental health +1.5 pts ▸ 10.8%
8.7% Other condition +1.0 pts ▸ 9.7%
8.1% Asthma +0.7 pts ▸ 8.8%
4.6% Heart disease +1.3 pts ▸ 5.9%
3.5% Diabetes +1.8 pts ▸ 5.3%
3.7% Cancer +0.6 pts ▸ 4.3%
2.1% Lung condition +1.3 pts ▸ 3.4%
1.1% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.9% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.0% None ◂ +6.4 pts 55.6%
20.0% One condition +1.6 pts ▸ 21.5%
6.5% Two conditions +1.6 pts ▸ 8.1%
3.3% Three or more +1.6 pts ▸ 5.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Fairfaxin Wide Bay even gap steady
16.0% 67th pct 16.0% 67th pct
Unpaid carers in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.8 pts higher in Wide Bay gap steady
11.8% 49th pct 13.6% 86th pct
Unpaid child care in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +4.7 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
26.5% 53rd pct 21.8% 15th pct
Defence service in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.5 pts higher in Wide Bay
3.8% 79th pct 4.3% 87th pct
Housework 15h+ in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +2.2 pts higher in Wide Bay gap steady
23.2% 79th pct 25.4% 96th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.1 larger in Fairfax gap steady
2.5 43rd pct 2.4 29th pct
One-parent in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +2.1 pts higher in Wide Bay gap steady
13.6% 43rd pct 15.8% 71st pct
Living alone in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +3.2 pts higher in Wide Bay gap widening
23.5% 36th pct 26.8% 59th pct

Family composition

53.6% Couples with children ◂ +7.1 pts 46.5%
32.0% Couples without children +4.9 pts ▸ 36.9%
13.6% One-parent families +2.1 pts ▸ 15.8%
0.8% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Household size

38.2% 2 people +3.0 pts ▸ 41.2%
23.5% 1 person +3.2 pts ▸ 26.8%
15.2% 3 people ◂ +2.2 pts 13.1%
14.8% 4 people ◂ +3.5 pts 11.3%
5.9% 5 people ◂ +1.0 pts 4.9%
2.5% 6 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 2.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +$135 higher in Fairfax gap widening
$435 83rd pct $300 20th pct
Mortgage in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +$460 higher in Fairfax gap widening
$1,900 50th pct $1,440 12th pct
People / bedroom in Fairfaxin Wide Bay even gap steady
0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct
Renting in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +4.8 pts higher in Fairfax gap widening
27.0% 43rd pct 22.2% 18th pct
Owned outright in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +9.9 pts higher in Wide Bay gap widening
33.3% 59th pct 43.2% 100th pct
Separate houses in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +14.6 pts higher in Wide Bay gap widening
72.2% 35th pct 86.8% 69th pct
3+ bedrooms in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.7 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
76.5% 41st pct 75.8% 40th pct

How homes are owned or rented

33.3% Owned outright +9.9 pts ▸ 43.2%
35.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +4.6 pts 30.6%
27.0% Rented ◂ +4.8 pts 22.2%
3.0% Other tenure ◂ +0.8 pts 2.2%
1.4% Not stated +0.4 pts ▸ 1.8%

Types of homes

72.2% Separate house +14.6 pts ▸ 86.8%
14.5% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +7.2 pts 7.3%
12.2% Flat or apartment ◂ +7.8 pts 4.4%
0.8% Other dwelling +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

Bedrooms per home

38.1% 3 bedrooms +4.4 pts ▸ 42.5%
30.9% 4 bedrooms ◂ +3.9 pts 27.1%
17.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.5 pts 17.2%
7.5% 5 or more ◂ +1.3 pts 6.2%
3.8% 1 bedroom +0.4 pts ▸ 4.3%
0.5% Studio / none +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%

Weekly rent distribution

50.0% $350–$549 ◂ +24.7 pts 25.3%
18.0% $200–$349 +25.4 pts ▸ 43.4%
17.5% $550–$749 ◂ +9.6 pts 7.9%
7.8% Under $200 +8.2 pts ▸ 15.9%
3.5% $750 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 3.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

37.1% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +14.2 pts 22.9%
28.8% $1,000–$1,799 +7.8 pts ▸ 36.6%
14.3% Under $1,000 +11.1 pts ▸ 25.4%
13.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +4.8 pts 8.6%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.9 pts higher in Wide Bay gap steady
3.9% 15th pct 4.8% 35th pct
Work from home in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.9 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
15.2% 48th pct 13.3% 43rd pct
PT commute in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.2 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
0.8% 19th pct 0.6% 15th pct
PT stops in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +29 more in Fairfax
407 10th pct 378 10th pct
Stops/1k in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.08 more in Wide Bay
2.40 10th pct 2.48 10th pct
Departures/1k in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +86.6 more in Fairfax
431.0 22nd pct 344.4 18th pct
PT routes in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +14 more in Fairfax
44 34th pct 30 14th pct
Stop walk in Fairfaxin Wide Bay
19 73rd pct —
Drive to city in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +66 longer in Wide Bay
77 86th pct 143 97th pct

How people get to work

62.7% Car (driver) ◂ +0.3 pts 62.3%
15.2% Worked at home ◂ +1.9 pts 13.3%
3.8% Car (passenger) +1.0 pts ▸ 4.7%
1.9% Walked +1.1 pts ▸ 2.9%
0.7% Bus ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%
0.6% Bicycle even 0.6%
0.1% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

40.2% 2 vehicles ◂ +2.4 pts 37.8%
35.0% 1 vehicle +0.1 pts ▸ 35.0%
13.4% 3 vehicles +0.5 pts ▸ 13.9%
7.5% 4 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 8.4%
3.9% No vehicle +0.9 pts ▸ 4.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +7.8 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
48.0% 86th pct 40.2% 54th pct
Recent arrivals in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +3.1 pts higher in Fairfax gap narrowing
10.6% 30th pct 7.5% 13th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.8 pts higher in Wide Bay gap steady
4.3% 29th pct 6.1% 77th pct
Participation in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +10.8 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
59.7% 40th pct 48.9% 11th pct
Full-time in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.0 pts higher in Fairfax gap steady
52.1% 10th pct 51.0% 7th pct

Industries people work in

17.8% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.1 pts 14.7%
11.8% Construction ◂ +1.7 pts 10.1%
9.8% Retail trade +0.7 pts ▸ 10.4%
9.1% Education & training ◂ +0.6 pts 8.6%
8.3% Accommodation & food +0.5 pts ▸ 8.8%
6.6% Professional & technical ◂ +1.7 pts 4.9%
4.7% Manufacturing +1.8 pts ▸ 6.5%
1.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +3.5 pts ▸ 4.9%
3.8% Public administration & safety +1.0 pts ▸ 4.8%
4.1% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 4.3%
3.6% Administrative & support even 3.6%
3.1% Transport & warehousing +0.5 pts ▸ 3.6%

Occupations people work in

21.5% Professionals ◂ +5.5 pts 15.9%
15.0% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.1 pts 14.9%
13.4% Community & personal service +0.3 pts ▸ 13.7%
12.6% Managers +0.6 pts ▸ 13.1%
9.6% Labourers +3.0 pts ▸ 12.6%
12.0% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.8 pts 11.2%
9.4% Sales workers +0.3 pts ▸ 9.8%
4.8% Machinery operators & drivers +1.9 pts ▸ 6.7%

Walkability

Walk score in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.6 higher in Fairfax
4.8 32nd pct 3.2 8th pct
Types ≤15 min in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.4 more in Fairfax
4.5 29th pct 3.1 6th pct
15-min city in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +14.1 pts higher in Fairfax
50.5% 29th pct 36.4% 9th pct
Walk to shops in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +14.1 pts higher in Fairfax
53.1% 35th pct 39.0% 10th pct
Walk to transit in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +29.3 pts higher in Fairfax
70.0% 29th pct 40.8% 10th pct
Walk to school in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +14.3 pts higher in Fairfax
47.1% 13th pct 32.8% 0th pct
Walk to a park in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +19.3 pts higher in Fairfax
83.2% 29th pct 63.9% 8th pct
Walk to health in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +19.0 pts higher in Fairfax
48.1% 50th pct 29.1% 12th pct
Amenities/1k in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +1.7 more in Wide Bay
11.3 18th pct 13.1 36th pct
Intersections/km² in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +15 higher in Fairfax
16 34th pct 1 15th pct
Mean slope in Fairfaxin Wide Bay +0.6 pts higher in Fairfax
7.7% 87th pct 7.0% 80th pct

Compare Fairfax with nearby areas

Fisher Longman Petrie Wide Bay Dickson Blair Lilley Brisbane

Compare Wide Bay with nearby areas

Fairfax Hinkler Fisher Longman Blair Dickson Petrie Lilley

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Fairfax vs Wide Bay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ced/CED309/fairfax/vs/CED329/wide-bay