Federal Electorate · Area profile
Fairfax
1,004 km²
Stretching across a vast 1,004 square kilometres of the Sunshine Coast, Fairfax is a growing region where older residents and families settle. The area is noticeably older than the national average, with over 21% of people aged 65 and over. Its population has grown by 28% since 2011, reflecting a strong trend of people moving into the region. This is a largely residential community with a high proportion of homeowners and a significant number of people who have retired or are older adults.
Fairfax's schools draw a more advantaged community than local incomes would suggest.
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The typical resident is 43, which is noticeably older than the Queensland and national figures. Seniors make up 21.5% of the population, a figure that rose 4.6 percentage points since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, though 21.1% were born overseas, a figure that has risen slightly since 2011. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 88.7% of the community. Only 6.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A large portion of the community reports no religion, at 47.1%, which is well above the national figure. This has seen a significant rise of 21 percentage points since 2011.
About 22.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is similar to the state average. Year 12 completion has risen nearly 10 percentage points since 2011 to 57.3%.
Typical weekly family income is $1,933, which is a little below the national figure. However, incomes have risen since 2011, with the typical household now earning $548 more per week.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 29.8% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 10.3%.
Volunteering is more common here than in most areas, with 16.0% of people pitching in. This is a community where 23.2% of people do more than 15 hours of unpaid housework weekly.
Family life is typical for the region, with 2.5 people per home. Couples with children make up the largest group, accounting for 53.6% of households.
Home ownership is strong, with 33.3% of homes owned outright. While renting is less common than in the state, typical weekly rents are much higher than most areas at $435.
Car dependence is very high, as only 0.8% of people commute by public transport. The drive time to the city is 77 minutes, which is much higher than most areas.
The area has seen significant movement, with 48.0% of people moving in the last five years. This is well above the national average of 40.7%.
Full-time employment is much lower than most areas at 52.1%. The most common industries for those working are health care and social assistance, followed by construction.
The area is somewhat walkable, though only 50.5% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed. This is well below the Queensland average of 59.1%.