Council (LGA) · Area profile
Cloncurry
47,971 km²
A much younger population than most similar areas defines Cloncurry, where the typical resident is just 34. The community is notable for its strong First Nations presence and a workforce heavily tied to the mining and agriculture sectors. While the town has grown by 13% since 2011, it remains a distinct regional centre with a high proportion of renters and a population that is noticeably younger than the Queensland and national averages.
Household incomes here are high, yet Cloncurry's schools draw a notably less advantaged community.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 23.8% of the community, which is far above the national figure. The area is youthful, with 19.6% of people under 15 and only 10% aged 65 or over, a figure well below the state average.
Most residents were born in Australia (75.2%), and only 8.5% were born overseas, which is far lower than the national average. The most common ancestries are Australian and English.
English is the dominant language here, with 80.3% of people using it only. This means far fewer people use another language at home compared to the rest of the country.
Nearly 35% of residents report having no religion, though this is still lower than the national figure. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 46.3%.
Academic qualifications are lower than average, with only 11.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen by 6.5 points since 2011 to reach 42.6%.
Typical personal weekly income is $1,190, which is well above the national figure of $805. This is consistent with a high proportion of people earning over $2,000 a week.
Residents are generally healthier than those in most similar areas, with only 20.6% reporting a long-term health condition and just 4.6% reporting a mental health condition.
Community participation is lower than average in some areas, with only 6.8% of people providing unpaid care. Volunteers make up 15.5% of the population, though this has fallen since 2011.
There are 868 First Nations people in the area, with a typical age of 28, which is older than the state average. A small number (2.0%) speak a First Nations language.
Homes here are larger than usual, with 2.5 people per household. There is also a high number of people living alone (32.5%) and a higher rate of one-parent families than most areas.
Renters make up 43.1% of the market, which is far above the national average. However, typical weekly rent is much lower than the national figure at $220.
The area is very car-dependent, as there are no public transport stops or routes. Despite this, 5.7% of people use public transport to get to work, which is higher than the state average.
The population is quite mobile, with 40.9% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 22.0% of the community, a figure well above the national average.
The workforce is very active, with 72.1% employed full-time. Mining is the biggest industry, employing 25.0% of the workforce, followed by agriculture and forestry at 14.0%.
The area ranks low for overall advantage and access to resources, scoring 4 and 2 respectively on a 10-point scale. There are 363 businesses operating in the region.
Cloncurry is very hot, with an average maximum temperature of 33.7 degrees. It also receives more rainfall than the Queensland average, with 504mm annually.
The area faces significant challenges with crime, including rates of assault, drug offences, and burglary that are much higher than most similar areas.
Most of the town is car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.8. Only 46.8% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities.