Council (LGA) · Area profile
Bundaberg
6,431 km²
Far older than most similar areas, Bundaberg is a large regional centre where a quarter of the population are seniors. The community has grown by 10% since 2011 and is marked by a high proportion of retirees, with a typical resident now aged 47. This aging profile is reflected in a high demand for health services and a larger number of people needing daily assistance. It is a place where detached houses dominate the landscape and car dependence is high.
Bundaberg's schools draw a more advantaged community than the area overall.
Rapid population growth here is outstripping school provision.
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The area is much older than the state and national figures, with 26% of people aged 65 and over. While the population grew to 99,215 people, the proportion of children under 15 fell by 3 percentage points since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia (80.1%), and the community is far less diverse than the national average, with only 13% born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the dominant language, with 88.4% of people using only English at home. This is far below the national figure for using another language, which stands at just 5.2%.
About 40% of residents report having no religion, a figure that rose by 19 percentage points since 2011. This is slightly above the national average of 38.9%.
Schooling levels are far below the national average, with only 39.3% of people completing Year 12. The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 11.7%, which is far lower than the 26.3% seen across Australia.
Typical incomes are much lower than the national figure, with the usual household earning $1,157 a week. Only 10.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the national average of 22.6%.
Health needs are among the highest for similar areas, with 37.3% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%, and 9.6% of residents need help with daily activities.
Unpaid care is common, with 13.7% of people providing such support, which is a little above the national figure. The area also has a higher proportion of former Defence Force members (4.6%) than most other areas.
First Nations people make up 5% of the population. The unemployment rate for this group is 16.0%, which is well above the national figure of 12.3%.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 17.4%. About 27.7% of people live alone, which is a little above the national figure.
Detached houses are very common, making up 85% of dwellings. Home ownership is strong, with 40.1% of homes owned outright, which is well above the national figure of 31%.
Car use is essential, as only 0.8% of people commute by public transport and only 6% work from home. Most households have at least one vehicle, and 36.2% have two.
The area has seen a fair amount of movement, with 40% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 14% of the population.
Only 50.2% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure of 61.1%. The unemployment rate is 6.8%, a little above the national average.
The region has a low overall advantage score of 2, placing it below 80% of other areas. However, there has been recent growth, with the population estimate rising by 7.2% since 2021.
The climate is warm and wet, with average annual rainfall of 765mm, which is far above the Queensland average. Maximum temperatures are also much higher than most areas.
Recorded offences are higher than in most areas, and the crime rate rose by 26.9% over five years. Theft and drug offences are particularly high.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.6. Access to essentials is low, as only 28.8% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services.