Noosa

Noosa is far older than the national figure, with 27.7% of people aged 65 and over. This trend has intensified since 2016, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen to 14.8%, well below the Queensland average.

The community has a strong British influence, with English and Australian being the most common ancestries. About 23.1% of residents were born overseas, a figure that has risen slightly since 2016.

English is the dominant language for 88.5% of the population. Those using another language at home account for 5.8%, which is far below the national average of 22.3%.

A large proportion of the community identifies as having no religion, reaching 49.0% in 2021. This is a significant increase of 11 percentage points since 2016 and is far above the national figure.

The workforce is highly qualified, with 22.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion rose by 5.9 percentage points since 2016 to reach 57.1%.

Weekly household incomes are around the middle for similar areas, with a typical family earning $1,800. However, there has been a notable increase in wealth, as the share of households earning over $3,000 a week rose 8.5 percentage points since 2016.

Health trends are typical for the region, with 29.6% of people living with a long-term health condition. Arthritis is the most common reported issue, affecting 10.6% of residents.

While volunteering has fallen since 2016 to 17.0%, the area has a high rate of people doing more than 15 hours of unpaid housework. This is well above the national figure of 20.7%.

First Nations residents in Noosa have a much lower unemployment rate (5.6%) and far higher Year 12 completion (52.4%) compared to national figures.

Families are generally small, with 2.4 people per home. Couples without children make up 38.5% of households, consistent with the area's older demographic.

Home ownership is very high, with 43.7% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure. However, the cost of entry is steep; typical weekly rents are $470 and monthly mortgage payments are $1,900.

Most people rely on cars, but working from home has surged to 19.1% since 2016. Very few people, just 0.8%, use public transport for their commute.

The area is quite dynamic, with 43.1% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 9.1% of the population.

Full-time employment is far below the national figure at 46.8%, reflecting a high number of retirees. Many of those who do work are employed in health care or the hospitality sector.

Noosa is an area of very high advantage, ranking in the top 10% of all areas for access to money and resources. It is home to over 8,000 businesses.

The region is very wet compared to the rest of the state, with an average annual rainfall of 1,508mm. Temperatures are mild, with an average maximum of 26.7 degrees.

The area is generally safe, with burglary and robbery rates much lower than most other areas. However, drug offences and theft remain higher than average.

Walking to a park is common for 84.2% of residents, but access to schools is very low. Only 29.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school, far below the state average.