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Somerset vs Sunshine Coast

Name: Somerset vs Sunshine Coast — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 60 km apart · Somerset profile · Sunshine Coast profile

Somerset Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast and Somerset are two distinct Queensland regions located about 60 km apart. Sunshine Coast is a much larger population centre with a more qualified workforce; 21.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, compared to 10.4% in Somerset. This higher level of education is consistent with a broader gap in school completion, with 56.4% of Sunshine Coast residents finishing Year 12 compared to 40.5% in Somerset. The two areas also differ in layout, as Somerset is almost entirely made up of separate houses (96.8%), while Sunshine Coast has more diverse housing and far more public transport and shops within walking distance.

Everyday life in both places shares a similar demographic feel, with nearly identical shares of children under 15 and seniors over 65. They also have very similar typical household sizes and unemployment rates. While they share these social patterns, the gap in educational attainment has widened since 2016. Sunshine Coast also remains much more mobile, with a far higher share of people who have moved into the area in the last five years.

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Where they differ most

Population: 317,484 larger in Sunshine Coast Separate houses: 23.7 pts higher in Somerset Year 12: 15.9 pts higher in Sunshine Coast Bachelor+: 11.1 pts higher in Sunshine Coast Rent: $140 higher in Sunshine Coast

Demographics & Identity

Population in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +317,484 larger in Sunshine Coast gap widening

25,057 63rd pct 342,541 89th pct

Median age in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +2 yrs older in Somerset gap widening

45 yrs 67th pct 43 yrs 57th pct

Age structure

28.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.1 pts 26.6%

21.3% Young adults (25–44) +2.1 pts ▸ 23.4%

21.5% Seniors (65+) +0.2 pts ▸ 21.7%

18.3% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.0 pts 17.4%

10.2% Youth (15–24) +0.7 pts ▸ 10.9%

Marital status

49.3% Married ◂ +0.7 pts 48.6%

30.1% Never married +1.5 pts ▸ 31.7%

10.8% Divorced +0.1 pts ▸ 10.9%

5.4% Widowed even 5.4%

4.4% Separated ◂ +1.0 pts 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Somerset Sunshine Coast

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

79.3% Australia ◂ +5.0 pts 74.3%

3.4% England +2.5 pts ▸ 5.9%

2.7% New Zealand +1.5 pts ▸ 4.3%

2.5% Philippines ◂ +2.0 pts 0.5%

0.4% South Africa +0.8 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.1% India +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.3% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.0% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% China even 0.2%

0.0% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

41.5% English +4.1 pts ▸ 45.6%

40.8% Australian ◂ +5.3 pts 35.5%

10.1% Irish +2.4 pts ▸ 12.5%

10.7% Scottish +1.6 pts ▸ 12.3%

10.2% German ◂ +3.6 pts 6.6%

2.7% Filipino ◂ +2.0 pts 0.7%

1.3% Italian +1.3 pts ▸ 2.6%

1.7% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.6% Chinese +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.3% Indian +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.3% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

88.3% English only +0.5 pts ▸ 88.8%

0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.0% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.0% Italian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%

0.0% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.0% Arabic even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

49.1% Christianity ◂ +5.4 pts 43.6%

40.7% No religion +6.0 pts ▸ 46.7%

8.8% Not stated ◂ +1.6 pts 7.1%

0.7% Buddhism +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.1% Hinduism +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.5% Other religions even 0.5%

0.2% Islam even 0.2%

0.0% Judaism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +62 more in Sunshine Coast

19 72nd pct 81 88th pct

Schools/1k kids in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +2.77 more in Somerset

4.13 54th pct 1.36 5th pct

Students in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +53,169 more in Sunshine Coast

3,403 59th pct 56,572 89th pct

Avg size in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +519 larger in Sunshine Coast

179 42nd pct 698 97th pct

ICSEA in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +97 higher in Sunshine Coast

953 38th pct 1,050 82nd pct

Highest year of school

40.5% Year 12 +15.9 pts ▸ 56.4%

29.6% Year 10 ◂ +6.9 pts 22.7%

13.8% Year 9 or below ◂ +6.9 pts 6.9%

7.4% Year 11 +0.2 pts ▸ 7.6%

Highest qualification level

40.4% Certificate III / IV ◂ +8.4 pts 32.0%

13.6% Bachelor degree +9.6 pts ▸ 23.2%

14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.2 pts ▸ 16.8%

2.6% Postgraduate degree +3.7 pts ▸ 6.3%

2.5% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.2 pts ▸ 3.7%

3.3% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.2 pts 2.0%

Field of qualification

17.5% Engineering & related ◂ +4.3 pts 13.3%

13.5% Management & commerce +3.4 pts ▸ 17.0%

9.6% Health +3.3 pts ▸ 12.9%

11.1% Society & culture +0.5 pts ▸ 11.6%

7.7% Education +1.6 pts ▸ 9.3%

5.8% Architecture & building +1.6 pts ▸ 7.5%

6.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.3 pts 6.1%

3.7% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.5 pts 2.2%

1.8% Creative arts +1.7 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.2% Natural & physical sciences +0.9 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.2% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 1.6%

Income

Personal income in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +$135 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$620 20th pct $755 53rd pct

Household income in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +$283 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,312 41st pct $1,595 65th pct

Family income in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +$403 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,517 25th pct $1,920 61st pct

Household income distribution

32.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.0 pts 28.6%

27.3% $1,500–$2,999 +2.7 pts ▸ 30.0%

18.4% Under $650 ◂ +2.9 pts 15.4%

7.0% $3,000–$3,999 +2.2 pts ▸ 9.2%

5.2% $4,000 or more +3.9 pts ▸ 9.1%

Personal income distribution

47.3% Under $650 ◂ +6.4 pts 40.9%

30.8% $650–$1,499 +2.4 pts ▸ 33.2%

11.6% $1,500–$2,999 +4.0 pts ▸ 15.5%

1.7% $3,000 or more +2.0 pts ▸ 3.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

13.1% Arthritis ◂ +2.6 pts 10.5%

12.0% Mental health ◂ +2.6 pts 9.4%

10.7% Asthma ◂ +2.5 pts 8.1%

9.5% Other condition ◂ +0.8 pts 8.7%

6.4% Diabetes ◂ +2.7 pts 3.7%

5.5% Heart disease ◂ +0.9 pts 4.7%

4.0% Cancer ◂ +0.2 pts 3.8%

3.4% Lung condition ◂ +1.2 pts 2.2%

1.3% Stroke ◂ +0.2 pts 1.1%

0.7% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

55.0% None +6.6 pts ▸ 61.6%

21.7% One condition ◂ +1.6 pts 20.1%

8.4% Two conditions ◂ +1.8 pts 6.6%

5.6% Three or more ◂ +2.2 pts 3.4%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +7,160 larger in Sunshine Coast

1,172 67th pct 8,332 90th pct

Median age in Somerset in Sunshine Coast even

23 yrs 29th pct 23 yrs 29th pct

Median income in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +$146 higher in Sunshine Coast

$507 36th pct $653 74th pct

Household income in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +$366 higher in Sunshine Coast

$1,419 55th pct $1,785 79th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +0.1 larger in Somerset gap steady

2.6 79th pct 2.5 71st pct

Family composition

51.4% Couples with children +1.8 pts ▸ 53.2%

32.1% Couples without children +0.1 pts ▸ 32.2%

15.6% One-parent families ◂ +1.8 pts 13.8%

0.9% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

Household size

39.0% 2 people ◂ +0.7 pts 38.2%

23.0% 1 person +0.5 pts ▸ 23.5%

13.6% 3 people +1.5 pts ▸ 15.1%

13.4% 4 people +1.3 pts ▸ 14.7%

6.6% 5 people ◂ +0.7 pts 5.9%

4.5% 6 or more ◂ +1.9 pts 2.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +$140 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$300 63rd pct $440 90th pct

Mortgage in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +$415 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,500 56th pct $1,915 79th pct

People / bedroom in Somerset in Sunshine Coast even gap steady

0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

38.2% Owned outright ◂ +4.3 pts 33.9%

36.8% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +2.3 pts 34.5%

20.7% Rented +6.6 pts ▸ 27.3%

2.0% Other tenure +0.9 pts ▸ 2.9%

2.3% Not stated ◂ +0.9 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

96.8% Separate house ◂ +23.7 pts 73.1%

1.7% Townhouse / semi-detached +11.3 pts ▸ 13.0%

0.2% Flat or apartment +12.6 pts ▸ 12.8%

1.1% Other dwelling ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

Bedrooms per home

39.4% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.8 pts 37.6%

35.5% 4 bedrooms ◂ +3.2 pts 32.2%

12.6% 2 bedrooms +4.9 pts ▸ 17.5%

7.4% 5 or more even 7.4%

2.5% 1 bedroom +1.0 pts ▸ 3.5%

0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

59.4% $200–$349 ◂ +43.2 pts 16.2%

24.6% $350–$549 +29.5 pts ▸ 54.1%

1.3% $550–$749 +14.7 pts ▸ 16.0%

9.6% Under $200 ◂ +2.2 pts 7.4%

0.6% $750 or more +2.6 pts ▸ 3.2%

Monthly mortgage distribution

42.8% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +14.4 pts 28.4%

24.2% $1,800–$2,999 +13.7 pts ▸ 37.9%

21.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +7.5 pts 14.0%

5.8% $3,000 or more +7.5 pts ▸ 13.3%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +773 more in Sunshine Coast

18 44th pct 791 86th pct

Stops/1k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +1.59 more in Sunshine Coast

0.72 25th pct 2.31 40th pct

Departures/1k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +506.5 more in Sunshine Coast

8.2 29th pct 514.7 72nd pct

PT routes in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +50 more in Sunshine Coast

1 29th pct 51 86th pct

Drive to city in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +22 longer in Somerset

100 72nd pct 78 60th pct

How people get to work

62.9% Car (driver) ◂ +0.3 pts 62.6%

12.5% Worked at home +2.1 pts ▸ 14.6%

5.1% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.3 pts 3.9%

2.7% Walked ◂ +0.7 pts 2.0%

0.2% Bicycle +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.4% Bus +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Train +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

38.6% 2 vehicles +1.1 pts ▸ 39.8%

29.0% 1 vehicle +6.3 pts ▸ 35.2%

18.1% 3 vehicles ◂ +4.7 pts 13.4%

11.8% 4 or more ◂ +4.1 pts 7.7%

2.5% No vehicle +1.5 pts ▸ 3.9%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

11.9% Health care & social assistance +6.0 pts ▸ 18.0%

12.1% Manufacturing ◂ +7.5 pts 4.6%

9.1% Construction +3.1 pts ▸ 12.1%

8.2% Retail trade +1.6 pts ▸ 9.8%

8.4% Education & training +0.5 pts ▸ 8.8%

8.4% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +6.8 pts 1.5%

4.8% Accommodation & food +3.4 pts ▸ 8.3%

6.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +2.6 pts 3.9%

3.6% Professional & technical +2.6 pts ▸ 6.1%

5.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.7 pts 3.1%

3.3% Other services +0.7 pts ▸ 4.0%

2.7% Administrative & support +0.8 pts ▸ 3.5%

Occupations people work in

11.0% Professionals +10.0 pts ▸ 21.1%

16.7% Labourers ◂ +7.0 pts 9.7%

15.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.4 pts 15.2%

12.7% Community & personal service +0.8 pts ▸ 13.4%

13.4% Managers ◂ +1.1 pts 12.3%

11.2% Clerical & administrative +0.9 pts ▸ 12.1%

7.6% Sales workers +1.9 pts ▸ 9.5%

9.3% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +4.4 pts 4.9%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +5 higher in Sunshine Coast

3 29th pct 8 71st pct

IRSD decile in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +5 higher in Sunshine Coast

3 29th pct 8 71st pct

IER decile in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +2 higher in Sunshine Coast

7 64th pct 9 86th pct

IEO decile in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +6 higher in Sunshine Coast

2 14th pct 8 71st pct

IRSAD score in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +88 higher in Sunshine Coast

913 23rd pct 1,001 76th pct

ERP in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +355,021 higher in Sunshine Coast

26,936 62nd pct 381,957 89th pct

Growth in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +4.1 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

6.1% 71st pct 10.2% 88th pct

Businesses in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +36,857 higher in Sunshine Coast

2,382 60th pct 39,239 89th pct

Approvals in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +3,076 higher in Sunshine Coast

144 64th pct 3,220 91st pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +755 higher in Sunshine Coast

855 70th pct 1,611 93rd pct

Max temp in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +1.0 higher in Somerset

26.7 72nd pct 25.7 65th pct

Min temp in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +1.8 higher in Sunshine Coast

13.1 71st pct 14.8 79th pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +2,001 higher in Somerset

9,195 56th pct 7,194 40th pct

Assault/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +517 higher in Somerset

1,050 55th pct 532 18th pct

Sexual/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +243 higher in Somerset

387 78th pct 145 19th pct

Robbery/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast

— 28 58th pct

Burglary/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +120 higher in Somerset

503 49th pct 382 34th pct

Theft/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +171 higher in Sunshine Coast

1,844 71st pct 2,015 75th pct

Vehicle theft/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +55 higher in Somerset

243 32nd pct 188 20th pct

Property damage/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +228 higher in Somerset

774 53rd pct 546 32nd pct

Drugs/100k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +48 higher in Somerset

782 68th pct 735 66th pct

5-yr change in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +14.5 pts higher in Somerset

34.5% 81st pct 20.0% 66th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +3.1 higher in Sunshine Coast

1.8 11th pct 4.8 72nd pct

Types ≤15 min in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +2.7 more in Sunshine Coast

1.9 10th pct 4.6 66th pct

15-min city in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +30.4 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

22.4% 12th pct 52.8% 58th pct

Walk to shops in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +32.3 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

23.7% 13th pct 56.0% 64th pct

Walk to transit in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +57.0 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

11.1% 24th pct 68.1% 67th pct

Walk to school in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +31.4 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

20.3% 10th pct 51.8% 45th pct

Walk to a park in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +51.0 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

35.2% 11th pct 86.2% 69th pct

Walk to health in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +25.2 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

21.0% 20th pct 46.2% 64th pct

Amenities/1k in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +1.0 more in Somerset

13.4 26th pct 12.4 19th pct

Intersections/km² in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +17 higher in Sunshine Coast

1 45th pct 18 73rd pct

Mean slope in Somerset in Sunshine Coast +1.7 pts higher in Somerset

8.3% 89th pct 6.6% 76th pct

Compare Somerset with nearby areas

Moreton Bay Sunshine Coast Lockyer Valley Brisbane Ipswich Gympie Noosa Cherbourg

Compare Sunshine Coast with nearby areas

Noosa Moreton Bay Somerset Gympie Brisbane Ipswich Redland Cherbourg

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Somerset vs Sunshine Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA36580/somerset/vs/LGA36720/sunshine-coast